500 hours!

Well, without noticing it, I managed to crank over the 500
hour mark yesterday. Not particularly impressive compared
to many in this group for sure, but I have paid for each and
every one of those hours myself. According to the ASF, I'm
now in the sweet spot (between 500 and 1000 hours) where
my accident fatality rate drops to a minimum before inexplicably
starting to rise again (anyone know why? Alzheimer's?). I'm looking
forward to a startling reduction in my insurance premium next year....

The flight was just a hum-drum solo trip into North Las Vegas (VGT),
nothing too exciting. I love the work-out on the radios transitioning
through the class Bravo, and the beautiful views of the city as the
sun rises in the early morning. Nothing really spectacular like
numerous trips over the Grand Canyon. Nothing exhausting, like
a two-hour bouncy ride over Arizona on a hot summer afternoon.
Nothing nerve-wracking, like the night-time journey through a rain
storm in continuous moderate turbulence. Nothing as surreal as
a bout with Mexican officialdom on a trip to Baja. Just plain fun,
and I passed the 500 hour mark in the air without even realizing it.

No champaign on landing. No excited crowds (although I have
manage to survive in the air 50% longer than Amelia Earhart did,
which should entitle me to something). Come to think of it, no
drama whatsoever. Isn't life fun sometimes?

--
Dr. Tony Cox
Citrus Controls Inc.
e-mail:
http://CitrusControls.com/

Congratulations Tony! Lots of learning gained spending that money,
wasn't there?

Congrats. It's fun to watch the hours tick off, over the years.

I remember when I was a student, and there was an instrument student at my
FBO that had (*gasp!*) TWO HUNDRED HOURS.

I thought he was God himself.

Now, with 800-some hours, and growing about 100 per year, I realize how
little he knew, and how REALLY little I knew.

In fact, I'm sometimes amazed that they let any of us fly at all, with just
40-something hours on the clock...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Much better than 500 rounds of golf, too.....)


Trip


In article , says...

Congratulations Tony! Lots of learning gained spending that money,
wasn't there?

Congrats. on the significant milestone Tony.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On 4/2/04 9:39 AM, in article %Webc.165213$po.972319@attbi_s52, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Congrats. It's fun to watch the hours tick off, over the years.

I remember when I was a student, and there was an instrument student at my
FBO that had (*gasp!*) TWO HUNDRED HOURS.

I thought he was God himself.

Now, with 800-some hours, and growing about 100 per year, I realize how
little he knew, and how REALLY little I knew.

In fact, I'm sometimes amazed that they let any of us fly at all, with just
40-something hours on the clock...

;-)

I look back and wonder how my instructor could have let me solo at 12 hours.
Signing off a student to solo or take a checkride, have to be some of the
scariest moments in aviation.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com

Charles Lindbergh once said, "I decided that if I could fly for ten
years before I was killed in a crash, it would be a worthwhile trade
for an ordinary lifetime." Every flight takes you a little deeper into
the extra-ordinary. Enjoy every one.
--
Gene Seibel
Lindbergh on aviation - http://pad39a.com/gene/lindy.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.



"Tony Cox" wrote in message hlink.net...
Well, without noticing it, I managed to crank over the 500
hour mark yesterday. Not particularly impressive compared
to many in this group for sure, but I have paid for each and
every one of those hours myself. According to the ASF, I'm
now in the sweet spot (between 500 and 1000 hours) where
my accident fatality rate drops to a minimum before inexplicably
starting to rise again (anyone know why? Alzheimer's?). I'm looking
forward to a startling reduction in my insurance premium next year....

The flight was just a hum-drum solo trip into North Las Vegas (VGT),
nothing too exciting. I love the work-out on the radios transitioning
through the class Bravo, and the beautiful views of the city as the
sun rises in the early morning. Nothing really spectacular like
numerous trips over the Grand Canyon. Nothing exhausting, like
a two-hour bouncy ride over Arizona on a hot summer afternoon.
Nothing nerve-wracking, like the night-time journey through a rain
storm in continuous moderate turbulence. Nothing as surreal as
a bout with Mexican officialdom on a trip to Baja. Just plain fun,
and I passed the 500 hour mark in the air without even realizing it.

No champaign on landing. No excited crowds (although I have
manage to survive in the air 50% longer than Amelia Earhart did,
which should entitle me to something). Come to think of it, no
drama whatsoever. Isn't life fun sometimes?

I look back and wonder how my instructor could have let me solo at 12 hours.

I don't think he would today!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org

I look back and wonder how my instructor could have let me solo at 12
hours.

I don't think he would today!

I don't think things are so different.

At least in the Midwest, there are still old-fashioned CFIs around who will
solo you at less than 10 hours, and finish you up by 40 - 45.

Will that new pilot be ready to fly into Dulles? Nope. But he'll do just
fine in Ottumwa or Iowa City.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 4/3/04 5:55 AM, in article ,
"Cub Driver" wrote:


I look back and wonder how my instructor could have let me solo at 12 hours.

I don't think he would today!


?? I soloed in 1999. Has there been that much change in 4 years?
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com