DaveA
Pre-takeoff checklist
Too many hobbies, so little time (& money)...
I grew up in the flying business since Dad was a Beech sales mgr, so I got to ride in alot of interesting production stuff, and left-seat a few back in the Seventies. But the real fun was us restoring/flying antique aircraft, and building a couple of Pitts Specials along the way. After he died, tho, everything had to go for the sake of estate settlement and my mom.
But along the way, I picked up alot of other afflictions- muscle cars, sports cars, NASCAR, then motorcycles, and then Fast Boats. Of course with a love of restoring junk, that's how I came possess most of them. Could never afford to buy much of this stuff already done, but in the long run it might have been cheaper, I suppose. Still got two 'classic' Suzukis left over that I keep licensed and ride sporadically, sold all the sporty cars (loved taking the Miata to the Dragon), had a brain fart and traded off the 65 TriPower GTO like an idiot. Just before moving back to NC from ICT, I bought a wind-blown PA22-160 and rebuilt/recovered it and flew it for several years before selling it to start my business, that thankfully has survived and thrived since.
I used to be into photography in a big way when I was younger, but that was all celluloid SLR stuff. I took millions of airplane photos, but didn't really key on the people involved. Don't make that mistake, guys....and...I miss Kodachrome.
The one hobby I'm in/out of depending on how busy I am is Amateur Radio (thanks Dad...). I've never had a fixed station- primarily the only time I have for it is while mobile, so I've always got wires strewn throughout the truck or car for some sort of antenna/power supply deal. It's interesting how many pilots are hams are pilots are hams.....
It's also the only hobby I have that my wife just doesn't get....
Restoring hot boats has my little free time right now (right after my fabulous grandkids...lemme see, I've got that album somewhere....). The 73 Raysoncraft with the v-drive and the 454 is much like a Corvette on the water,
and it's cousin with the deeper vee hull and the 200 Merc is hopefully gonna be very similar (I've got it apart and rebuilding the whole thing- ex-ski racing training craft from SoCal).
Used to do a bit of handgun and rifle collecting, shooting, reloading, etc...but all the guns are gone now....
So my local flying buddies are trying to get me to invest in a 4-way partnership on a Traveller- maybe they'll wear me down- it's lookin' that way.
I grew up in the flying business since Dad was a Beech sales mgr, so I got to ride in alot of interesting production stuff, and left-seat a few back in the Seventies. But the real fun was us restoring/flying antique aircraft, and building a couple of Pitts Specials along the way. After he died, tho, everything had to go for the sake of estate settlement and my mom.
But along the way, I picked up alot of other afflictions- muscle cars, sports cars, NASCAR, then motorcycles, and then Fast Boats. Of course with a love of restoring junk, that's how I came possess most of them. Could never afford to buy much of this stuff already done, but in the long run it might have been cheaper, I suppose. Still got two 'classic' Suzukis left over that I keep licensed and ride sporadically, sold all the sporty cars (loved taking the Miata to the Dragon), had a brain fart and traded off the 65 TriPower GTO like an idiot. Just before moving back to NC from ICT, I bought a wind-blown PA22-160 and rebuilt/recovered it and flew it for several years before selling it to start my business, that thankfully has survived and thrived since.
I used to be into photography in a big way when I was younger, but that was all celluloid SLR stuff. I took millions of airplane photos, but didn't really key on the people involved. Don't make that mistake, guys....and...I miss Kodachrome.
The one hobby I'm in/out of depending on how busy I am is Amateur Radio (thanks Dad...). I've never had a fixed station- primarily the only time I have for it is while mobile, so I've always got wires strewn throughout the truck or car for some sort of antenna/power supply deal. It's interesting how many pilots are hams are pilots are hams.....
It's also the only hobby I have that my wife just doesn't get....Restoring hot boats has my little free time right now (right after my fabulous grandkids...lemme see, I've got that album somewhere....). The 73 Raysoncraft with the v-drive and the 454 is much like a Corvette on the water,
Used to do a bit of handgun and rifle collecting, shooting, reloading, etc...but all the guns are gone now....
So my local flying buddies are trying to get me to invest in a 4-way partnership on a Traveller- maybe they'll wear me down- it's lookin' that way.
..
