Re: What does flying do for you?

[Larry Fransson]

On 2003-11-27 11:38:22 -0800, Ross Younger > said:

> Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> you folks?

It pays the bills!

[Tune2828]

gets me to various vacation and adventure spots around colorado and the west a
lot quicker than driving.

and for the ego: friends who come with are impressed when taxiing into an FBO
and they drive the little golf cart out just for you.

happy thanksgiving.

[Peter Duniho]

"Ross Younger" > wrote in message
...
> Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> you folks?

It might be easier to answer the question "what doesn't flying do for you?"

My primary interest in flying is that I love being up in the air. I love
being just 500 or 1000 feet above the ground, and I love cruising around in
the teens. It's all good. The view, the solitude.

But there are lots of other things I love about flying. I love the low-tech
aspect, given that I hang around computers all day otherwise. I love the
challenges and the decision-making. The independence and assertiveness
expected of a pilot, tempered with the structure found in the "by the book"
approach to flying. I love the transportation aspect, traveling from point
A to point B in an enjoyable and often efficient manner.

And especially on this day, I'm thankful to be a pilot. I don't have time
to describe the many other things I love about flying. It's time to get
some turkey... :)

Pete

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, Ross Younger > said:
>Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
>you folks?

I wrote a tiny bit about this in my blog.
http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000004.html

Chronic pain keeps me from cross country skiing, backpacking, canoeing,
orienteering and mountain biking, but I can still fly.

--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
The magic BOFH-phrase you need to summon at this point is:
"_Your_ lack of planning is not about to become _my_ emergency."
-- Tanuki

[BTIZ]

stress relief...

"Ross Younger" > wrote in message
...
> It has been three months since I passed my Skills Test, and I logged just
> over five hours between then and the end of October. After a combination
> of bad luck, bad weather and stress intervened, I got back in the air
> today for the first time in a month. This was technically a competence
> check with an instructor, to satisfy the club's insurers; we did a few
> circuits, finishing to an eye-poppingly beautiful red half-set sun.
>
> While writing up my journal just now, I was suddenly reminded of what I
> like about flying. It's the sheer joy of just being up there, looking
> down and admiring the world without having an immediately tangible
> connection to it. This seemed to be the case for my first passenger, too
> (my girlfriend, of course - and she loved it). There's also the technical
> pleasure which comes from pulling off a greaser :-). I suppose shooting
> an instrument approach and breaking cloud just above decision height to
> see the runway right where you expect it counts too, though it'll be a
> little while before I take much instrument training, I think.
>
> Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> you folks?
>
> Blue skies,
>
>
> Ross
>
> --
> Ross Younger (if N fails, try N+1)

[Jay Honeck]

> Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> you folks?

As I sit here, fat, dumb, semi-conscious, and overly full (*burp*) of turkey
and mashed potatoes, your question seems quite, um....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

*HUH??* Oh, right, your question...what does flying do for me? :-)

Where to begin? I spent the first 35 years of my life on the ground,
looking up. It never even dawned on me, despite attending air shows for
years, that I could ever fly myself. It was just not something anyone in my
family had ever done, and -- when I thought about it at all -- I regarded
piloting as something only the super-rich and "Right Stuff-coordinated could
do...

It was only when I was fortunate enough to go to work for a Private Pilot
(in my last stint in the corporate world) that it started to look possible.
Even then, he literally had to drive me to the airport and lead me around by
the ear, before I would sign up for lessons. In this field, like no other,
it really does take a mentor to help you get off square one.

But from that point on, I was hooked. Every nickel over and above survival
went toward flying. Everything I purchased was measured in "flight-time
equivalent", as in "well, I can either buy this cordless drill, or I can fly
for an hour." (Flying almost always won the argument.) Every minute aloft
was precious, because I was paying for my lessons from a finite savings
account. As it dwindled, the pressure was on to "finish up". This was
made all the more urgent when my mentor -- whose plane I was renting -- was
forced out of the company. I literally passed my checkride the last week
he owned the plane!

But the pressure and effort were all worth it. I had always had it easy in
school, all the way through college. Nothing was ever too difficult, and
most subjects came easily to me. Then, at the age of 35, I found myself
"back in school", working harder than I'd ever worked before! I took to the
flying easily -- after all, I'd been flying "flight sims" since the very
first version -- but the ground work, navigation and FARs were a real chore
for me. Everything I learned, I learned the hard way, studying before or
after working an 8-hour day, and between raising a young family.

As a result, unlike some of the folks here who minimize the Private, I'm
prouder of my pilot's certificate than I am of my college degree! For the
first time in my life, I was forced to really WORK for something, and it
felt good.

Because of this, today every flight is a miracle to me. Even after 9 years,
two planes, and 800+ hours, I sometimes still pinch myself when I'm
effortlessly zipping along at 6500 feet, going over 165 mph, unable to
believe that it is really ME sitting up here! :-) And I revel in sharing
my joy of flight with others -- usually my family, but oftentimes a "newbie"
or two who just might be standing on the sidelines, waiting to get into the
game, too.

Everything about flight fascinates me. The take-off roll is always such a
rush! The feeling of six big cylinders, churning the air into a fury,
pushing me back into my seat never gets old -- and when "Atlas" (our '74
Piper Pathfinder) starts to get light on his feet, the feeling of joy is
almost religious in intensity. Pulling it off to about 10 feet AGL,
letting the speed build to over 100 knots, and then pulling back into a 1500
fpm climb is just golden -- there's nothing else like it!

In fact, that's really the only downside of flying, in my opinion -- it
makes everything else boring!

And, of course, in the last 16 months I've REALLY gone off the deep end with
flying, buying an airport motel and re-making it into an aviation theme,
luxury suites fly-in hotel. Now not only does my mental health depend on
flying, but my pocket-book does, too! Many people say that's nuts -- but I
say I'm the luckiest guy around.

I've got a plaque on the wall in the lobby that says it well: "Flying is
Life"...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Ross Younger" > wrote in message
...
> It has been three months since I passed my Skills Test, and I logged just
> over five hours between then and the end of October. After a combination
> of bad luck, bad weather and stress intervened, I got back in the air
> today for the first time in a month. This was technically a competence
> check with an instructor, to satisfy the club's insurers; we did a few
> circuits, finishing to an eye-poppingly beautiful red half-set sun.
>
> While writing up my journal just now, I was suddenly reminded of what I
> like about flying. It's the sheer joy of just being up there, looking
> down and admiring the world without having an immediately tangible
> connection to it. This seemed to be the case for my first passenger, too
> (my girlfriend, of course - and she loved it). There's also the technical
> pleasure which comes from pulling off a greaser :-). I suppose shooting
> an instrument approach and breaking cloud just above decision height to
> see the runway right where you expect it counts too, though it'll be a
> little while before I take much instrument training, I think.
>
>
> Blue skies,
>
>
> Ross
>
> --
> Ross Younger (if N fails, try N+1)

[Brian Burger]

Flying keeps me sane.

And broke. :)

I'll just end by seconding everything Jay wrote in his reply!

Brian.

--

[James M. Knox]

Ross Younger > wrote in
:

> I suppose shooting
> an instrument approach and breaking cloud just above decision height
> to see the runway right where you expect it counts too, ...

I still see the runway appear, as if magic (well, usually), and say to
myself "Damn, it works! Amazing!"

> Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> you folks?

There are lots of different kinds of flying, as you know... from hard
IFR to "Sunday afternoon flittering around the area." Yes, I do get a
sense of pleasure from even the hard IFR. As George Peppard used to say
on "The A Team" - "I love it when a plan comes together." But I also
find a great sense of enjoyment are "recharge" from the weekend flying.
It takes just the right amount of concentration. Not so much that it's
tiring in and of itself, but enough that I am not doing anything else.
Not worrying about that project delivery date next week, or why that
R/W* signal has too much skew, or ... Just flying.

If you ever run across a copy, I want to recommend (highly) Frank
Kingston Smith's last book Weekend Wings. [Confusing... his first book
was Weekend Pilot, but the last one is MUCH better.] It won't teach you
a thing about thrust vs. drag, or airfoil design. But it's the single
best book I have ever read about what GA flying is really all about.

-----------------------------------------------
James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
-----------------------------------------------

[Gene Seibel]

As I fly along with no visible means of support, it reminds me to
believe in the unseen.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.




Larry Fransson > wrote in message news:<2003112712144016807%lfransson@comcastnet>...
> On 2003-11-27 11:38:22 -0800, Ross Younger > said:
>
> > Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> > you folks?
>
> It pays the bills!

[Kurt R. Todoroff]

Flying a fighter is the most fun you can have with your pants on.

Flying anything else is almost as much fun.





Kurt Todoroff


Markets, not mandates and mob rule.
Consent, not compulsion.

Remove "DELETEME" from my address to reply

[Tom S.]

"Paul Tomblin" > wrote in message
...
> In a previous article, Ross Younger > said:
> >Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> >you folks?
>
> I wrote a tiny bit about this in my blog.
> http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/000004.html
>
> Chronic pain keeps me from cross country skiing, backpacking, canoeing,
> orienteering and mountain biking, but I can still fly.
>

It allows me to expand my business (equipment exports) by covering customers
and providers hundreds of miles away. Half of our providers are large
companies in big cities, and the other half are in the boonies.

The rest of the company, a five man partnership for the rest of the
business -- real estate development, is similarly spread out. We could not
function just with airlines even without the post 9/11 hassles.

That the flying part is the most fun aspect of the business is...well,
incidental :~)

[Big John]

Ross

Take off - 100 and a quarter mile.
2 hours hard IFR.
Land - 100 and a quarter mile.
Park, open canopy and shut down.
Satisfaction of a job well done under difficult conditions.

Big John



On 27 Nov 2003 19:38:22 +0000 (GMT), Ross Younger
> wrote:

>It has been three months since I passed my Skills Test, and I logged just
>over five hours between then and the end of October. After a combination
>of bad luck, bad weather and stress intervened, I got back in the air
>today for the first time in a month. This was technically a competence
>check with an instructor, to satisfy the club's insurers; we did a few
>circuits, finishing to an eye-poppingly beautiful red half-set sun.
>
>While writing up my journal just now, I was suddenly reminded of what I
>like about flying. It's the sheer joy of just being up there, looking
>down and admiring the world without having an immediately tangible
>connection to it. This seemed to be the case for my first passenger, too
>(my girlfriend, of course - and she loved it). There's also the technical
>pleasure which comes from pulling off a greaser :-). I suppose shooting
>an instrument approach and breaking cloud just above decision height to
>see the runway right where you expect it counts too, though it'll be a
>little while before I take much instrument training, I think.
>
>Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
>you folks?
>
>Blue skies,
>
>
>Ross

[David Mack]

1. It's fun! There are few things as enjoyable.

2. Gives me something challenging to do and a great feeling of satisfaction.

3. Provides a break from graduate school.

4. Helps pay the bills.

5. Amaze your friends with incredible stories of bravery and courage.
-- O.K. Maybe not. But it is a useful conversation starter. For a
while. Until they get tired of you talking about airplanes every
chance you get.

David


Larry Fransson > wrote in message news:<2003112712144016807%lfransson@comcastnet>...
> On 2003-11-27 11:38:22 -0800, Ross Younger > said:
>
> > Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
> > you folks?
>
> It pays the bills!

[Rosspilot]

Some of the greatest thrills of my life have been in my plane--on parallel
final with an airbus going into Logan, circling Central Park at 1800 feet on a
crystal clear night, breaking out 200 feet above Richmond on the ILS and seeing
the runway lights right where they belong, and circling JFK between the
parallels at 1500 feet taking photos as the Concorde was landing beneath me.

In the 28 years that I have been a pilot, the sheer joy of taking off and
moving "above it all" has never left me. There hasn't been a flight where I
haven't, at some point, said to myself, "wow, look where you are!".

For me, it is therapeutic in that while doing it, you really do not think about
any of the myriad problems and stresses of life on the ground. Even in complex
airspace while working feverishly to accomplish a mission, NOTHING else enters
my mind. In that sense, it is a cleansing . . . a getaway . . . no cellphone,
no Fox News, no email, no talk radio . . . just flying. It does for my head
what the workout/steamroom does for my half-century old body. <G>

After landing and going through my ritualistic camera equipment packing and
putting my plane to bed (including a kiss on the spinner), I call my wife to
let her know I am "down and safe" (her requirement) and then I replay the video
of the flight that is in my head. In a sense, I am still flying most of the 25
minute drive home.

I have always believed that every human being who has EVER walked the face of
the earth since the beginning of time has DREAMED of flying. And only the
tiniest, tiniest, microscopically small fraction of them will ever get to DO it
as we do. It's no small thing.

It's all I can remember really wanting to do since watching "Sky King" on
Saturday mornings as a child. Oh . . . yes, I forgot . . . at 26 I also wanted
to play in the E Street Band. <G>



www.Rosspilot.com

[David Brooks]

> After landing and going through my ritualistic camera equipment packing
and
> putting my plane to bed (including a kiss on the spinner), I call my wife
to
> let her know I am "down and safe" (her requirement) and then I replay the
video
> of the flight that is in my head. In a sense, I am still flying most of
the 25
> minute drive home.

As someone around here said a while back, after a checkride (was it
StellaStar?): I didn't need an airplane to fly home.

-- David Brooks

[lance smith]

Tom- Would you have a few minutes to chat and give me some advice on
real estate development? I'm trying to get started in the field and
would like to know how others got started, etc.

thanks,

-lance smith
new e-mail: outside92129 AT yahoo . com


"Tom S." > wrote in message news:<ZuTxb.695
[snip]
> The rest of the company, a five man partnership for the rest of the
> business -- real estate development, is similarly spread out. We could not
> function just with airlines even without the post 9/11 hassles.
>
> That the flying part is the most fun aspect of the business is...well,
> incidental :~)

[Toby]

What a great post. Thanks.

Toby


"Rosspilot" > wrote in message
...
>
> Some of the greatest thrills of my life have been in my plane--on
parallel
> final with an airbus going into Logan, circling Central Park at 1800 feet
on a
> crystal clear night, breaking out 200 feet above Richmond on the ILS and
seeing
> the runway lights right where they belong, and circling JFK between the
> parallels at 1500 feet taking photos as the Concorde was landing beneath
me.
>
> In the 28 years that I have been a pilot, the sheer joy of taking off and
> moving "above it all" has never left me. There hasn't been a flight where
I
> haven't, at some point, said to myself, "wow, look where you are!".
>
> For me, it is therapeutic in that while doing it, you really do not think
about
> any of the myriad problems and stresses of life on the ground. Even in
complex
> airspace while working feverishly to accomplish a mission, NOTHING else
enters
> my mind. In that sense, it is a cleansing . . . a getaway . . . no
cellphone,
> no Fox News, no email, no talk radio . . . just flying. It does for my
head
> what the workout/steamroom does for my half-century old body. <G>
>
> After landing and going through my ritualistic camera equipment packing
and
> putting my plane to bed (including a kiss on the spinner), I call my wife
to
> let her know I am "down and safe" (her requirement) and then I replay the
video
> of the flight that is in my head. In a sense, I am still flying most of
the 25
> minute drive home.
>
> I have always believed that every human being who has EVER walked the face
of
> the earth since the beginning of time has DREAMED of flying. And only the
> tiniest, tiniest, microscopically small fraction of them will ever get to
DO it
> as we do. It's no small thing.
>
> It's all I can remember really wanting to do since watching "Sky King" on
> Saturday mornings as a child. Oh . . . yes, I forgot . . . at 26 I also
wanted
> to play in the E Street Band. <G>
>
>
>
> www.Rosspilot.com
>
>