Why Did you stop/start ?

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evapilotaz

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Drone airspace abuser
Ok I fall into the category of stopping flying for a while and started back up again. I'm interested in finding out why people stopped and started back up again.

My story.

Stopped 10 + years ago. I stopped because I let my medical lapsed and keep telling myself I will get it renewed and kept putting it off. We decided to move from NV to AZ and with a new Job, new house and two young children flying got back burned. I always been active in RC flying during the Private pilot flying hiatus. I always had the burning desire to get back into the cockpit and I couldn't get rid of the obsession. :mad2: I had slightly less than 100 hours in my log book which I lost. :mad2:

Startup again In April 2014. I couldn't take it anymore. Driving by a GA airport and a Major airport on the way to work everyday was driving me nuts. I had to get back into the cockpit. So after 11 hours CFI dual, current again. I'm back reliving the dream I had since childhood.

Share your story if you like.
 
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I started my PPL when I was in the Navy in 1990. I went to avionics/electronics school in Millington, TN (used to be adjacent to NAS Memphis). I was out walking around on the flight line one weekend just checking out the planes arriving and departing and saw a small apron with about a half dozen Cessna's. I went over to check it out and sure enough it was a flying club subsidized in part by the Navy. I started taking lessons the next weekend (had an awesome CFI...flew A-4's for the Marine Corps Reserves).

I flew about 20 hours - did my solo, my first XC...but I was only in school there for 7 months and didn't actually start my training until I was about 4 months into my stay there. So, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to finish but I thought I'd pick it up on my next duty station...how hard could that be.

So, I make it out of my "A" school and get orders to report to Miramar NAS. When I arrive I'm not surprised to find that there's no flying club with 152's and 172's flying around Fightertown USA. :) Montgomery Field was the closest field to me...and it wasn't exactly close when you don't own a car and your roomate's don't either.

So, it fell off. I started ground school again in 2003 and then shortly after my wife got prego so I stopped again.

I promised myself I'd get it done before 40. Then I turned 41...42...and finally said I'm doing this. Thankfully my wife was very supportive. Couldn't be happier I stuck to it and got it done.
 
I got my Private in 1977, right after getting my first job out of college (money in my pocket - yes!).

Took my fiancée up flying, and noticed she was awfully quiet. Asked her if she was OK, and she said "can we go back, I don't feel too good?"

On the way back to the field, she said "can you hurry?", but considering we were in a Cessna 150 my options were limited, to say the least.

On final, she said "give me the (barf) bag", so I reached behind her seat and gave her the bag. She promptly upchucked, and wouldn't you know it, the bag had a hole in it & the contents were dripping all over her.

After I touched down (on the grass crosswind runway), she said "can I get out, I'm going to throw up again?" I did a quick 180 and saw that nobody was coming in, so I said "yes", and she jumped out and left a little present on the grass.

After that, I decided it wasn't going to be any fun if she couldn't fly with me, so I gave it up. Not to mention I wasn't able to afford to stay proficient, what with the costs of starting a family and all.

Fast forward 30 years later, and now the kids are gone and she no longer gets airsick :yes: She actually encouraged me to start up again, and a couple of years later to get my instrument rating. Now, she won't let me go flying without her, and she even hopes for cloudy skies when we go because she loves looking at the clouds from above :goofy:

I know what you mean, David, about being obsessed with flying. Every time I'd drive by an airport or see a plane fly overhead I'd be like, "I belong up there!" - I'm just happy everything worked out to enable me to get up there again :yesnod:
 
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Stopped because of: Money
Started again because of: Money
 
Started at 16, got my PPL at 17 (1969) and stopped in 1972 (but stopped flying sailplanes a year later). For me, i needed to prioritize on my career.

Retired in June. Began my BFR in July. AFter 5 lessons, 8 hours), i got signed off. Oh, it's a wonderful thing. Like my career in teaching, a good pilot is a life-long learner. As my CFI says, a PPL is a license to learn.

Brian
 
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I stopped a few years ago because the FAA can suck my ass.

Said a different way, even though I haven't passed a kidney stone in years, apparently the fact that they are still there and they won't stay still means the FAA won't allow me to fly.

I can drive a car, I can race a car, I can pretty much do whatever the hell I want, but flying is out.

Oh - and had I just happened to get a KUB instead of a CT scan when I went to the ER, I'd be flying today, but of course, the FAA has some weird hard-on about requiring CT scans now.

Bunch of f'ing crooks.
 
Most of you know my story. Started in 2009. Was flight training on and off for the last 4 years. Training really made some progress in 2013 with a great CFI, but had to stop training because of finishing up my senior year in college. Said I return to training during winter break. Didn't happen since no job during winter break. Said I would continue training after college graduation. Didn't happen since I was trying to focus on my career. Now life really hits me now since my temporary summer job at EWR ended last week. Have enough money in my savings to spend it all on a sport pilot certificate, but now saving up for a life ahead of me.

Now focused on jumping into a non-flying aviation career and can't think about flight training anymore for the time being.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Stopped because of: Money
Started again because of: Money
Click to expand...

Yeap. Me too..

Quit in 2012. Was miserable and decided (found money) to buy in 2013. Flew 100 hours. Now skeerd - turning the key over to my mechanic again ... can't stop now ...
 
evapilotaz said:
Nick was your medical denied? Take up gliders, hot air balloons and ultralights.
Click to expand...

It has not. Really, I just need to wait for the FAA to ditch their extra chromosome and eliminate the 3rd class medical, because neither gliders, hot air balloon or ultralights excite me, nor does LSA.

I fly to get places (and enjoy the ride), and if I can't take the wife and kids, what's the point?
 
SkyHog said:
Oh - and had I just happened to get a KUB instead of a CT scan when I went to the ER, I'd be flying today, but of course, the FAA has some weird hard-on about requiring CT scans now.

Bunch of f'ing crooks.
Click to expand...

I stopped last December when I found out I had a bad aortic valve (genetics) and needed open heart surgery.

I am contemplating starting again, but like Nick I need expensive medically unnecessary tests before the FAA will approve my medical. It's not that I can't afford the tests, but the price is high and hard to justify. Those tests would pay for a lot of nice things for my family.

I'm putting it on hold for a while longer while I ruminate, but I'm starting to think the FAA has won another one. (that is, getting pesky GA guys out of the air)
 
I got my PP in 1977 stopped in 1984 for marriage then kids, money, and building a business. I started back up in 2006 after buying the Malibu and 172. you might say I'm stopped today. I haven't had the time to get a physical, flight review and finish the annual on the 172. I hope I find time soon.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Stopped because of: Money
Started again because of: Money
Click to expand...

Agreed. Got the Private in Feb 2006 after about 4 months of lessons. Flew about 2-3X's per year since then. Short on money and time. Have nearly doubled in salary since then but buying a house, restoring a ski boat, getting married, etc all take up that extra expendable income. I'd like to say that I'll be flying more often, but kids will likely be in the picture soon and I have too many other hobbies/sports which take up my time.
 
Been flying something (Control Line, RC, Gliders, ) for as long as I can remember. Flew Gliders in College, and then went on to get my Private in 2008. Obtained my Private, Tailwheel (most fun and rewarding) and then started my Instrument when SURPRISE,... Daughter #3 is on her way. Was able to stop the instrument rating about 1/2 thru and just flew VFR as long as I could afford to. As the other poster said,... Stopped because of Money.

Fast forward 3 years,... I remained semi-active in the flying community by attending OSH 2012 and flying with friends. Currently entering the FAR 103 Ultralight world with a Powered Paraglider.
 
First time I stipped was because I went Regular Air Force, overseas. Each base I went to did not have a flying club (Fad Rule: Base Commander is afraid that any accident would generate an International Incident and didn't want that on his record).

By the time I separated, 15 years later, I was newly into the Real World work situation --- "No Money, Honey"

Finally got my head straight and did a 10-hour BFR and started up again.
After adding a few hundred hours to my log, I quit again:
-- house needed major renovation (there went my $$$)
-- too many restrictions on renting (availability, higher powered elite had first choice and long blocked acft, or MX had it out of commission, or WX situations and frequent CANX, and the inevitable counter-productive use requirement of minimal rental times for extend cross-country use (hint: I wasn't an owner)
== more housing expenses, etc.., so I threw up my hands for a while.

Then came retirement and a MAJOR loss in income
That is just now getting sorted out and am looking forward to another 5-10 hour BFR sometime in the next couple of months (or weeks) to get restarted.
 
Got my private in 1969 stopped in 1971 because of new job . Got married raised a family,went back in 1990. Got my ratings up to and including ATP. Have owned several aircraft,now retired fly 2days a week on average.
 
Got my PPL in 1989 in Tennessee. Learned from my father, and my first logged lesson was in 1978 at 12 years old. First memory of handling the controls of an airplane was in the front seat of a J-3 at 3 years old sitting on a booster seat. During my PPL training, I went solo to only 3 towered fields during the whole process.

Moved to the SF Bay area in 1989 after college to start work.

Stopped flying for several reasons
  1. Lack of disposable income
  2. Very intimidated by the traffic and airspace in the bay area when compared to the wide open spaces of TN
  3. Intimidated by my huge lack of experience dealing with the ATC radio communications.
  4. Focused on starting a family, making mortgage payments, building a career

Started back for several reasons (after 23 years)
  1. More disposable income
  2. After years of RC modeling, I decided that I want to build a homebuilt Fokker triplane from Ron Sands plans. Needed to get back into flying with a tailwheel endorsement for that.
  3. Had several months of free time after being laid off from a crash and burn startup.
  4. Stable family situation, and supportive wife!
  5. My teenage son plays travel ice hockey with lots of tournaments outside the Bay Area. Decided GA would be a great way to get to Phoenix, Vancouver, and LA

I never stopped thinking of myself as a pilot during the hiatus, and I always figured I'd get back into it. Having the several months of free time after being laid off seemed like a perfect time to get going.

I still haven't started work on the Triplane, but we now own a wonderful 1989 Bellanca Super Viking, I've got my Instrument Rating, and I've put approximately 500 hours in my logbook in the past three years. I've flown back to Tennessee in the plane, we have used it extensively for the hockey trips, and I'm so glad that I finally started again.
 
Got my license after a short delay in late 2001-damn terrorists. After I got my license I flew a little and then had an opportunity to travel with the Marine Corps to far off lands and to meet new people and to kill them-damn terrorists. When I got back I resumed flying.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Stopped because of: Money
Started again because of: Money
Click to expand...

Pretty well sums it up.

But to add some detail to my story:

I owned a 145 hp C172G and sold it when I moved to Colorado because it was underpowered for going west from here. (yeah yeah... spare me the 'I used to fly J3s over the Himalayas all the time' stories, people)

I was out for a long time (10 years), flying mostly right seat with the Civil Air Patrol (Capt., MS, MO, ES Officer and Comm Officer if anyone GAF) to stay around aviation if not PIC. Got a BFR and did some mountain flying but never did do PIC. Kids came along in 2006 and I faded out of CAP by 2009.

Then I ran across ForeFlight in about 2011. I had recently bought an iPad and thought that it could be good for flying so I randomly looked up pilot apps. Changed my life. Not kidding. I was so amazed by FF that I went out, got a new medical, BFR'd, and began renting. But I picked the wrong rental outfit (or right as it turned out). 3 failures (alternator on an RG, vac pump, and a nav radio) in 4 flights and I quit renting and decided to buy.

I worked with a broker and ended up with the plane in my profile pic/sig. It is more plane than I ever dreamed of having and I love it. I'm enjoying the work of being an owner/pilot again. I did some capital upgrades to the airplane (avionics) and then got my IR this summer. Using it for long IFR XCs and mountain flying and loving it.
 
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I started in 1999 and sold it in 2006. I was talking to my daughter who was a junior in high school about college and she told me she "didn't want to go to college, so THERE!" kinda attitude. I asked her if she did go where would it be. She said a small private college in Arizona. I told her it woiuld be ok and she should go. She said "how are we going to pay for it?" and I said "I'll sell my airplane".

"Wow" she said, "You'd sell your airplane so I could go to college?" (she knows how I loved that airplane)

"Yes" I said. (this was all spur of the moment, unplanned).

That was the first time I ever saw her take an interest in college.

So when she graduated, I started back up. Bought another airplane.

Oh, well. Thats what kids (and life) will do to you....
 
Got my ticket in 2004, got cancer and obtained an SI in 2005. Moved to Chicago in 2007 and went from 2 cars to 1 car. Hard to get to a GA airport around here without a car, and way too much schedule coordination involved. So I let my medical lapse.

Seven years later, got a few promotions at work and therefore more available AMUs. I went to Doctor Bruce, got my medical and the end of my SI requirement, got current and joined an equity club in the suburbs. But we still have one car. Next step is getting an IPC completed. Started one but had too much rust to finish it so I'm strictly VFR for now. I might be able to knock it out this fall.
 
I started training in 2011. I enjoyed it mostly because I was learning something new. And there is something inside that makes you want to go "Fly little plane Fly" every you take off. Then if came to the fall and work and life and family stuff and flying was not so much fun, so I paused the training. Next year in June picked it back up and finished in December.
 
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