Who's flying

[Tom-D]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Any one else see this trend?

cross over post-- AOPA /Babes

 

[The rogue]

I might not be the best source to comment on this, but I work at an FBO and we are really pretty dead on the weekends, no matter what the weather is doing. It's almost like on the really bad days, it is too bad to fly, but on the nice days it is "too nice to fly" (whatever that means!!).

I would have to agree with the comment though. Flying does seem to be down a bit right now (this statement is not a guess, and is backed up with something quantitative.)

I don't know if it's avgas prices specifically, or just the higher overall price of all fuels that is hurting us, but it doesn't really make much difference because the end result is people not feeling as though they can afford to fly, which seems to be the root problem.

--Matt

 

[Fast n' Furious]

Yep. 'Fraid so.

 

[Richard]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Any one else see this trend?

cross over post-- AOPA /Babes

How to ascertain a correlation 'tween rising fuel prices and dropping flight time? I've seen perfect VFR days and the aprt is dead, dead, dead. This even before 9/11. Weekends included.

 

[John J]

It has become very quiet lately. Gosh I do hope that it will change but then again we all have to look not just fuel costs but all the other costs that come into the picture. I do hope that it will change but .......... Time will tell.

John

 

[Ghery]

As I noted on Tom's post on the other board, it was a beautiful day today. I would have loved to have gone flying, but I spent the whole day adding to the new landscaping. Buying plants, digging holes, pressure washing the road below the house to clean up the mess the landscaping company left behind. I'm afraid I'll be digging even more holes as time goes along. Look at the picture and you'll see that there is pleny of space. Any my wife's BS is in Horticulture. You bet she loves her plants...

 

[SkyHog]

As I noted on Tom's post on the other board, it was a beautiful day today. I would have loved to have gone flying, but I spent the whole day adding to the new landscaping. Buying plants, digging holes, pressure washing the road below the house to clean up the mess the landscaping company left behind. I'm afraid I'll be digging even more holes as time goes along. Look at the picture and you'll see that there is pleny of space. Any my wife's BS is in Horticulture. You bet she loves her plants...

Holy cow! Nice house!

 

[Ghery]

Thanks. There's 270 tons of rock on that hillside. All that terracing replaces a steep slope covered with ivy. Very boring to look at (the ivy). This was phase 2 of the re-landscaping. Phase 1 was done last winter and was on the other side of the house and the small level area just off to the right of this picture. More rock work there and it is now an English cottage type garden (or so says my wife, I just see lots and lots of plants that I had to dig holes for this spring after she shattered her left shoulder blade falling off a ladder). See the picture for her favorite patch of color.

 

[Diana]

More rock work there and it is now an English cottage type garden (or so says my wife, I just see lots and lots of plants that I had to dig holes for this spring after she shattered her left shoulder blade falling off a ladder). See the picture for her favorite patch of color.

Ghery, that's beautiful!!!! Looks like it came out of a gardening magazine.

Hope her shoulder blade healed OK.

 

[gismo]

Thanks. There's 270 tons of rock on that hillside. All that terracing replaces a steep slope covered with ivy. Very boring to look at (the ivy). This was phase 2 of the re-landscaping. Phase 1 was done last winter and was on the other side of the house and the small level area just off to the right of this picture. More rock work there and it is now an English cottage type garden (or so says my wife, I just see lots and lots of plants that I had to dig holes for this spring after she shattered her left shoulder blade falling off a ladder). See the picture for her favorite patch of color.

No green thumbs here, but IME you really need to visualize what the plants and shrubs will look like after many years of growth. If you plant them close enough to look full now, they will become unmanagably packed in the not too distant future.

270 tons??? Wow, I hope you didn't have to set them by hand!

 

[Ghery]

270 tons??? Wow, I hope you didn't have to set them by hand!

Nope, all I had to do was write a large check. And they placed them with machinery. All this new landscaping looks wonderful, but I try not to remind myself of what kind of airplace I could have bought for the same money. Oh well, it keeps my wife happy (and that is important).

 

[wsuffa]

270 tons??? Wow, I hope you didn't have to set them by hand!

Everybody with a house needs a Bobcat...

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

They were swarming in & out of Friday Harbor like bees yesterday... a great severe sunny afternoon of flying & watching others fly.

 

[Richard]

Nope, all I had to do was write a large check. And they placed them with machinery. All this new landscaping looks wonderful, but I try not to remind myself of what kind of airplace I could have bought for the same money. Oh well, it keeps my wife happy (and that is important).

Because of the oblique angle of the camera I was unable to determine the slope of the hillside. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

So I have to ask, what precautions have you taken to minimize settling of the rock? Those nicely stacked rocks will require a lof of maintenance to keep them nicely stacked in purty rows as the freshly disturbed soil and amendments compact.

Not that you need to be reminded but RULE #1: If momma aint happy, no one is happy.

 

[Ghery]

So I have to ask, what precautions have you taken to minimize settling of the rock? Those nicely stacked rocks will require a lof of maintenance to keep them nicely stacked in purty rows as the freshly disturbed soil and amendments compact.

Good question. They are well placed into undisturbed soil, at least for the foundation level. The batch they did last winter (phase 1), while not as large, and on level (more or less) ground, haven't gone anywhere. Something we'll have to watch.

 

[Ghery]

Everybody with a house needs a Bobcat...

Yeah, but these were picked and placed with a backhoe with a grasping attachment. See the picture. That machine was just about an even match for some of the rocks, and had to be repaired about 3 times during the course of the job.

 

[wsuffa]

Yeah, but these were picked and placed with a backhoe with a grasping attachment. See the picture. That machine was just about an even match for some of the rocks, and had to be repaired about 3 times during the course of the job.

Have you seen some of the attachments available for a Bobcat? A friend in Cincy wanted about 4 neighbors to go in together and buy one.

 

[gismo]

Everybody with a house needs a Bobcat...

I don't have a bobcat, but my next door neighbor does. I do have a diesel utility tractor with a front loader and several implements. The tractor/loader won't dig like a bobcat, but then again my box blade digs better than his bobcat when the ground is hard. BTW that hilside looks a bit steep for bobcat work.

 

[bbchien]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Any one else see this trend?

cross over post-- AOPA /Babes

Well I got incensed enough today to go out and donate an IPC. Donated the A/C time, too. Poor guy's doing everything right and just has a failing SOB for an aviation boss...

 

[Tom-D]

Well I got incensed enough today to go out and donate an IPC. Donated the A/C time, too. Poor guy's doing everything right and just has a failing SOB for an aviation boss...

ATTA BOY Doc, we do what we can to help our own..

 

[Diana]

I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.Any one else see this trend?

My husband, CFII is flying/teaching so much that he is almost to the point of exhaustion. Sometimes he leaves at 7:00 a.m. and comes home at 10:00 p.m. So, he's flying a whole lot. Too much. I have to call him and ask him out for a date to spend time with him. Other local CFIs aren't as busy.

I fly almost every day out of the farm. With our fuel tank here, there's no need to go to town for fuel. It's nice to have a large fuel tank we can use for the tractor and for the airplane. Some of our friends aren't flying as much for various reasons. We make up for it, I guess.

 

[Ghery]

I don't have a bobcat, but my next door neighbor does. I do have a diesel utility tractor with a front loader and several implements. The tractor/loader won't dig like a bobcat, but then again my box blade digs better than his bobcat when the ground is hard. BTW that hilside looks a bit steep for bobcat work.

That hillside, before this work, was almost too steep to climb on and pull blackberry vines out of the ivy. The road below slopes downward, and they cut the terraces from varying parts of the road to go up at a slight grade on each. Otherwise, I don't know how they would have done the work (other than a large group of people with picks and shovels - yuck!).

These pictures cover a 1 month period - July 19 - August 19. You can see about what we started with (a hill covered with ivy) and then some progress on the excavation and rock placement. Oh, and through this all my amateur radio HF station stayed operational. Anyone able to spot the antenna?

 

[Diana]

Well I got incensed enough today to go out and donate an IPC. Donated the A/C time, too. Poor guy's doing everything right and just has a failing SOB for an aviation boss...

Bruce, you continue to amaze me with all of the things that you do for other people, especially your aviation family. I don't know anyone more deserving of admiration and respect.

 

[Ghery]

Bruce, you continue to amaze me with all of the things that you do for other people, especially your aviation family. I don't know anyone more deserving of admiration and respect.

Me, neither. Wish he was closer by. I need a new AME. Thanks for all that you do, Bruce.

 

[Rudy]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Any one else see this trend?

cross over post-- AOPA /Babes

I have been getting up quite a bit too! I have noticed not as much traffic, but today i was up and there were a couple people enjoying the skies. One of them actually being Diana's husband Tom.

 

[Bill]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Yes, I'm noticing less activity, although I'm still doing my best to burn deal dinosaurs. Who knows, though, once I have to start paying home heating bills (natural gas) this winter.

 

[Carol]

Me, neither. Wish he was closer by. I need a new AME. Thanks for all that you do, Bruce.

He's a great guy, that's for sure

 

[gkainz]

Anyone able to spot the antenna?

Cleverly disguised as a clothesline originating from the wind chime hanging under the deck...

 

[gismo]

Anyone able to spot the antenna?

I see at least part of it below the deck between the 2nd and 3rd posts from the right.

BTW, IME rock retaining walls are pretty darn stable as long as they lean into the hill at least 10-15 degrees from vertical. That way any settling pretty much just makes them stronger.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Well, I coulda picked a better time to purchase the twin...Duh.

Love the plane; taking it to San Deigo, then Las Vegas on Wednesday. I shop more for fuel and plan the stops a little more carefully. It's great to have a good partner in this one.

Dave

 

[Ghery]

I see at least part of it below the deck between the 2nd and 3rd posts from the right.

Actually, that's a J-Pole for 2 meters. It will be even harder to see once the wisteria that has been planted by one of the posts fills out.

Stealth mode antennas. Keeps the XYL happy - she things "stupidradio" is one word.

 

[The rogue]

I went flying last night, and for the first time in over a year, it wasn't for work or for earning a rating.

I am the one who got the IPC from the Good Doctor, and he really is as good as he says he is!!

It is great to know that there are people in aviation these days who would still give you the figurative "shirt off their backs" without a second thought.

Thanks again, Doc, I truly appreciate your consideration, generosity, and kindness.

--Matt Rogers

 

[Keith Lane]

Last night while in the hangar working, I listen to the local approach freq, very very quiet, I think we may be seeing a drastic reduction in GA flight time due to the price of fuel.

Any one else see this trend?

cross over post-- AOPA /Babes

Well, I for one have cut back on my already limited flying. I need a buddy to share fuel costs whenever I fly at all right now.
On the other hand the wash rack is seeing a lot more traffic right now. If you can't fly it, at least you can wash it.B)