What is your life hack for general aviation?

I’ve replaced/upgraded just about everything in my plane. First was an LED landing light to replace the dim 19 hour incandescent light after almost landing on a herd of javelina. Second was replacing the nasty glare shield with one that looks like upholstered leather. Looking at the old one every flight was just depressing. Got rid of the vacuum system and installed dual G5s. ANR headsets.

There is much more to mention but you get the idea. I have an autopilot in the box ready to install sometime this year
 
MauleSkinner said:
Anybody know how much of your avionics can be run on your cordless drill battery, and for how long?
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My iFly 740b & AV30E are said to be worth ~30 minutes each as they have internal batteries. No idea with regards to a drill battery ...
 
wilkersk said:
No boring flights! I refuse to spend money just to drone around the local area in a 50 year old trainer. Every flight has a mission or a purpose. If I have access to an airplane and no mission, I make one up.
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I'm the same. I need to either go somewhere or train for a specific purpose. Just going up and boring holes in the sky is boring to me. It was fun for like 20 hours after getting my license but after that I always needed a definite mission.
 
Daleandee said:
My iFly 740b & AV30E are said to be worth ~30 minutes each as they have internal batteries. No idea with regards to a drill battery ...
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I had an airplane with a power port for a PED, and it happened to be on the avionics bus. Cool part is, power could flow either way through the wires. ;)
 
rickdrey said:
What are the things that you added to your plane that made your flights more enjoyable?
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AV-30 as a back-up to pretty much every other primary instrument.
Stratux for ADS-B in, not just for the traffic, but WX information is great to have. Watch it 100nm ahead of you and you can see the WX conditions deteriorating well before they become a problem.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
I'm the same. I need to either go somewhere or train for a specific purpose. Just going up and boring holes in the sky is boring to me. It was fun for like 20 hours after getting my license but after that I always needed a definite mission.
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Taking a Kiwi through a mountain pass in a small high-wing airplane for their 1st time is a fun mission, as is trying to catch a ridge thermal in something like a Cessna 150, or trying to make it to a runway power off from 4 miles away and 4,000' agl. There's all kinds of "missions". And, I can always think of something! Launching into the blue and flying straight and level, doing nothing new or challenging, or at least introducing someone else to the joy of flight in little airplanes ought to be against the rules.
 
A nice comfy ANR headset, a good plane you enjoy flying, and a water bottle holder in the plane.

And air conditioning.
 
wilkersk said:
No boring flights! I refuse to spend money just to drone around the local area in a 50 year old trainer. Every flight has a mission or a purpose. If I have access to an airplane and no mission, I make one up.
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no flight is boring. Every flight is magic.

Count me as someone who doesn't need to make flying more enjoyable.
 
Bob Noel said:
no flight is boring. Every flight is magic.

Count me as someone who doesn't need to make flying more enjoyable.
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The point of my post was (in answering the OP's question) my "hack" for making GA more enjoyable is to avoid flying the same flight over and over again. Flying is an expensive hobby. I want to get my money's worth. Whether its flying a different type of aircraft, going somewhere I've never been before, working on aerobatic manuevers, or trying to perfect my spot landings, I've always got a purpose beyond the basic "shear joy of flight". The $100 hamburger flight to the same old place doesn't interest me. Neither does flying the same old route, shooting the same old approach, or doing a bazillion ok touch & goes to a 5,000 foot runway in CAVU weather.
 
Maybe I'm weird, but for me flying IS the life hack. The first time I went up with an instructor and flew on my own, I had a kind of kid in a candy store feeling. "I'm flying an aircraft!" Still get that. I'm not one to be wondering around looking at all the natural beauty, but flying up around here looking at the hills, rivers, landscape, it's just beautiful. In the winter, in the summer, anytime.

So to OP, if you're someplace where it's pool table flat, maybe try flying someplace else. Not for the challenge, but for the sights. The other nice thing is noise cancelling headphones. Next is I try to get someone a discovery flight as a gift every year or two. In the grand scheme of things that's not much, but it makes me feel better and usually brings a bit of happiness to somebody.
 
donjohnston said:
How do you "add" no electrical system to an airplane?

For reference, here's the original post:

What are the things that you added to your plane that made your flights more enjoyable?
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I rented an airplane to take lessons, then I added an airplane without an electrical system. Actually, it was even easier. Because it was only part of an airplane without an electrical system. (And to be clear, none of the airplane has an electrical system, not even the part I didn't buy. :cool: )
 
wilkersk said:
. . . I refuse to spend money just to drone around the local area in a 50 year old trainer . . . .
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Well, that's 'cause your plane is too new! (See signature. :cool: )
 
rickdrey said:
The more people I meet, the more I hear of people having one or two things that made general aviation a lot more enjoyable for them. Static cling sun shades to block the sun, removable cupholders, Bluetooth music adapters, etc.

What are the things that you added to your plane that made your flights more enjoyable?
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Installing my KLN89B to the inside of a trashcan. And replacing it with all new Garmin goodies.
 
"What are the things that you added to your plane that made your flights more enjoyable?"

Young adults taking their first flight as a Young Eagle ...
 
Rene said:
I rented an airplane to take lessons, then I added an airplane without an electrical system. Actually, it was even easier. Because it was only part of an airplane without an electrical system. (And to be clear, none of the airplane has an electrical system, not even the part I didn't buy. :cool: )
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Which means you did not add it to your airplane.
 
Rene said:
Clean goggles?
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No goggles. I have a pair and I've flown with them a couple of times, but I really don't see why people bother with them. They cause tunnelvision and there's not that much wind behind the windscreen anyway. The silk scarf, OTOH, was functional for the old time aviators and is still functional for me today.
 
ANR headsets with ear shaped cushions.
Musicians' earplugs wit 9 dB filters
A flight simulator where I can practice techniques for less than $200 / hour (plane and CFI rental)
A physician who knew how to treat my slightly dysfunctional esophageal tubes.
Getting laid off from a job I liked, but didn't need.
Selling a house in Silicon Valley for a lot more than I paid for it and buying something on an airpark with a great view of the Rockies that is 2-2/3rds bigger for less than half what I sold my SV house for.
Hiring a multi-skilled contractor to remodel said house.
My sister and brother-in-law who let me stay at their house until my house became habitable.
Finding an FBO with instructors who know how to teach flying the pattern and won't let me get away with short cuts.
Great health, and health care.
 
The life hack to flying for me is the flying itself. I can to the game late and didn't start flying until 2018 so the PFM of the whole thing is still awe inspiring every time the wheels leave the ground. Sometimes on planned trips sometimes training sometimes just poking holes in the sky. No other "hack" required for me.
 
Kitch said:
. . . . I came to the game late and didn't start flying until 2018 . . .
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Yeah, the rest of us have been at it for 115 years. :cool:

(Okay, I was in grade school in '18, but a prodigy. :rolleyes: )
 
Keeping in mind that it will happen to me if I don’t take positive steps to prevent it.

As part of planning a flight to an unfamiliar airport, I go to Google Earth for the area surrounding the airport for about 10 miles, and ask “where are the places that look like an airport, and will trick me into landing there?”. Not “are there places”. Where are the places? That puts it in my mind that there is definitely something there, and I will be more diligent about finding it.

Plan every flight, even if it’s just pattern work at our airpark. Things can happen and you might have to divert. That would be a bad time to find out that the divert field has a closed runway, or there’s a TFR between it and here. Plus the planning and briefing reinforces the skills and mindset.
 
luvflyin said:
Oxygen. Even at lower altitudes than required I was much more refreshed at the end of a long cross country.
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Sometimes on $100 hamburger trips, oxygen can help prevent altitude sickness after eating large amounts.
 
When I worked for the airlines they would often replace the barely worn pilot's seat cushions on the triple sevens and they fit perfectly in my Champ complete with the sheepskin covers. They would also throw out the Airbus sun visors if they had a little scratch and wouldn't you know it, perfect fit.DSCN0222.JPG
 
Silvaire said:
When I worked for the airlines they would often replace the barely worn pilot's seat cushions on the triple sevens and they fit perfectly in my Champ complete with the sheepskin covers. They would also throw out the Airbus sun visors if they had a little scratch and wouldn't you know it, perfect fit.
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And this is what happens when a bunch of pilots and mechanics from the same airline (Midwest Express/Midwest Airlines, The Best Care In The Air, RIP) all are in the same club and there are enough extra interior pieces and paint for a whole airplane:

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I think Mini-ME has been around longer than Midwest was. :(
 
Some ELT batteries are just a cardboard box wrapped around six D cells. When the battery expires, cut it open and use the batteries in a flashlight.

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Dana said:
Some ELT batteries are just a cardboard box wrapped around six D cells. When the battery expires, cut it open and use the batteries in a flashlight.

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Some are made from 8 D cells (12 volts) instead of 6. I don't cut them open but merely wire them up to a cigarette lighter USB power adapter in case of blackout.
 
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