Do I dare admit? Should I confess?
I don't like flying in the summer (yes, I know get up at the crack of dawn....sorry, no) because I get sick in the heat. Growing up in Phoenix merely confirmed getting outta there the week after high school graduation. This year Denver's been hotter than normal (whatever normal is these days). Annual is always in July. Got the cherokee back and made sure everything was where it should be the first week of August (shop used it for a quick flight to pick up parts). But I haven't flown since early June. Most of it is the heat and the Tstorms and the wind and the 30 min drive each way to the hangar.
Lots of my flying friends have stopped flying and sold their airplanes for many reasons. Cost and insurance (age) are at the top.
My EAA Chapter cut back on Young Eagle flights by 50% and only 3 a year at KCFO where we used to do 9. The other 8-9 are at KAPA. I live close to KAPA, so for me to fly YE at KAPA, it's 30min drive, preflight, 20 min flight to KAPA and be there by 7:15 am (summer) to fly 3 kids. The flight route doesn't allow much time for the kids to really get hands-on because KAPA is one of the 3 busiest NotClassB airports in the country. In short, it's a trivial amusement park ride. Worse in the winter, I'd have to be up before dark. Sorry, no.
The forecast today is/was light winds...nope, by the time I had breakfast and grabbed the bag, forecast changed. NW 15 G 23 mph as of this timestamp. There are times I'm at the airport, pull the cherokee out of the hangar and oops....sorry, weather changed. Push cherokee back into hangar, make hot chocolate and wait in the hangar until the storm passes to go home.
Drones. I've had my Part 107 cert for almost 10 years, just never flew anything more than the $10 toys from the hobby store. Just so happens there's an AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) airfield at Cherry Creek Park (huge reservoir/lake, camping, etc), and I can be flying within 12 min of leaving the house. They are fun! Of course the novelty will probably wear off but drones are cheaper by orders of magnitude than airplanes.
I don't like flying in the summer (yes, I know get up at the crack of dawn....sorry, no) because I get sick in the heat. Growing up in Phoenix merely confirmed getting outta there the week after high school graduation. This year Denver's been hotter than normal (whatever normal is these days). Annual is always in July. Got the cherokee back and made sure everything was where it should be the first week of August (shop used it for a quick flight to pick up parts). But I haven't flown since early June. Most of it is the heat and the Tstorms and the wind and the 30 min drive each way to the hangar.
Lots of my flying friends have stopped flying and sold their airplanes for many reasons. Cost and insurance (age) are at the top.
My EAA Chapter cut back on Young Eagle flights by 50% and only 3 a year at KCFO where we used to do 9. The other 8-9 are at KAPA. I live close to KAPA, so for me to fly YE at KAPA, it's 30min drive, preflight, 20 min flight to KAPA and be there by 7:15 am (summer) to fly 3 kids. The flight route doesn't allow much time for the kids to really get hands-on because KAPA is one of the 3 busiest NotClassB airports in the country. In short, it's a trivial amusement park ride. Worse in the winter, I'd have to be up before dark. Sorry, no.
The forecast today is/was light winds...nope, by the time I had breakfast and grabbed the bag, forecast changed. NW 15 G 23 mph as of this timestamp. There are times I'm at the airport, pull the cherokee out of the hangar and oops....sorry, weather changed. Push cherokee back into hangar, make hot chocolate and wait in the hangar until the storm passes to go home.
Drones. I've had my Part 107 cert for almost 10 years, just never flew anything more than the $10 toys from the hobby store. Just so happens there's an AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) airfield at Cherry Creek Park (huge reservoir/lake, camping, etc), and I can be flying within 12 min of leaving the house. They are fun! Of course the novelty will probably wear off but drones are cheaper by orders of magnitude than airplanes.
. I've done enough $100 food runs where they've largely lost their novelty. Now I'm really only interested in much longer XCs and fly-ins, which aren't as frequent.
