Who else flies something?

[Neal Clayton]

I haven't been on this forum in awhile, since finishing the work on the old house I was working on, just re-upped.

Thankfully I was able to find a more expensive hobby than buying electrically powered sawdust generators, though.

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N595TC is me. You'll see me on flightaware puttering around TX, AR, and LA pretty regularly, occasionally to STL or SoCal.

Anyone else get a kick out of risking life and limb to punch holes in clouds?

[John Coloccia]

I don't actively fly anymore...stopped a few years back. When I lived in California, I flew several times a week, though. Ride of choice was various flavors of Citabrias....7KCABs in particular. Mostly, I just enjoyed doing aerobatics. The wife enjoyed going places. The Citabria was pretty much the perfect compromise. Personally, I would have rather had a Pitts, but it doesn't travel well

Weeeeeeeee!

http://www.ballofshame.com/spin.mpg
http://www.ballofshame.com/rollwithme.mpg

[Mike Henderson]

I don't fly any more but I learned in a Piper J-3 cub. No radio but it was an uncontrolled field. For that matter, not much in the line of instruments either. Gas gauge was a wire sticking through the gas cap, connected to a cork that floated on the gas. If you couldn't see much of the wire, it was time to get gas. Solo'ed in 64. Eventually gave it up because it wan't useful and I got tired of just boring holes in the air.

Mike

[Neal Clayton]

Very nice, John, getting some aerobatic time is on the short list, we have a guy at my home base who used to fly the SR71 that gives people aerobatic lessons in a Citabria as well.

Mike, one of the funniest things I heard on the radio was a guy in a J-3 being told to circle due to traffic while landing in Lafayette, LA because there was a string of oilfield helos in front of him, so he shouted into his handheld that...

"I'm 62 and the airplane is 64, we don't have all the time in the world"

[John Coloccia]

Very nice, John, getting some aerobatic time is on the short list, we have a guy at my home base who used to fly the SR71 that gives people aerobatic lessons in a Citabria as well.

They're about the most comfortable, pleasant planes you could imagine flying. Easily my favorite. You'll be addicted to them on your first flight, especially if you get a KCAB with the bigger engine in it. One of the ones I used to fly had spades on the ailerons, so it had a nice, nimble feel to it.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I've been known to fly a wish lantern or two of a summer's eve...........but that probably does not count in this thread, right?

[Dave Richards]

I haven't flown for a long time but I did my training back in the 80s at 21D in Minnesota. It was a great airport to fly out of because there was a huge variety of planes and I got to fly a number of them. I think my favorite was NX21962, the Spartan Model 12 which at the time was owned by the guy who owned the FBO. It looked big and clumsy compared to the more modern planes but it was like driving a big old Caddie. It was amazingly light on the controls, though. When it was in Minnesota it had green paint instead of the red that's on it now.



I also had quite a bit of time in various Globe and Temco Swifts like these:



(My photos but I got to log time in all of them as well.)

[Jesse Busenitz]

My bothers fly 5' homemade rc planes.... made out of a weedeater motor and plastic political signs. And do they fly!!!

[Myk Rian]

I've been known to fly a wish lantern or two of a summer's eve...........but that probably does not count in this thread, right?

Probably not kites either.

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[julian abram]

I used to bounce around some in C150's & C172s back in the 1970's. Got my private pilot an logged a few hundred hours but soon realized this was a pretty expensive hobby, especially for a poor college student. I learned you were pretty limited when you were only VFR rated, at the mercy of the weather on any trip or return trip. So I haven't flown in many years but still think about it once in a while. Another thing I began to realize along with the expense of flying you take on a boat load of responsibility and liability as a pilot.

[Keith Westfall]

Private pilot in 1969 - Cessna 150, 180 and the Champ (145 horse)


Went commercial and flew the Bell 47 (learned on) Bell Jet Ranger (206) Bell LongRanger 206L1,& 3, Bell 204C (by far my favorite!) and the Bell 205.

35 years in the commercial arena, then hung it all up a couple of years ago. The 10 years prior to that in the maintenance end. Guess I got enough because I don't really miss it. Well parts of it, but not most of it!

64 and counting and now it's wood all the way!!

[Steve knight]

I did rc helicopters for a few years. it was crazy hard to do I crashed so much. learning to fly upside down was so hard then trying it backwards was mind bending. but I never got past a certain point as my hands would just not do it. I played with light foam airplanes it is fun trying to hover a airplane. but to get an idea what a rc helicopter can do check it out.

[Neal Clayton]

I haven't flown for a long time but I did my training back in the 80s at 21D in Minnesota. It was a great airport to fly out of because there was a huge variety of planes and I got to fly a number of them. I think my favorite was NX21962, the Spartan Model 12 which at the time was owned by the guy who owned the FBO. It looked big and clumsy compared to the more modern planes but it was like driving a big old Caddie. It was amazingly light on the controls, though. When it was in Minnesota it had green paint instead of the red that's on it now.

That's exactly why I wound up with my Commander. It's not as fast as Mooneys and Bonanzas are, but I have a center console for my diet coke, and deep leather seats that are not bolted directly to the floor so my legs don't go to sleep.

Started in 2011, had a Cherokee for a year after finishing my private, and this is my first step up. 37 hours into my instrument, should have checkride done in a week or so. Probably will do commercial as well, for the insurance savings. After that I don't know if I'll work on any other ratings. I don't really have a desire to fly for a living, just personal transport.

If one of you guys have about 4 mil that you're not using I'd happily buy a PC-12 with it, though.

I did rc helicopters for a few years. it was crazy hard to do I crashed so much. learning to fly upside down was so hard then trying it backwards was mind bending. but I never got past a certain point as my hands would just not do it. I played with light foam airplanes it is fun trying to hover a airplane. but to get an idea what a rc helicopter can do check it out.

That post reminded me of this, the coolest thing I've seen in awhile.

NSFW language...Helicopter CFI saves kid's RC plane from a tree...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ElGt6iAYw

[Randy Rizzo]

I retired in 2010, for the last 10 years before retirement I flew one of Dassault's finest pretty much all over the planet.

[Dick Latshaw]

Flew a bunch of different airplanes during my time in the Air Force, but this one was my favorite:

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