Not enough hours, however, at least an x-mas tree
Snoopy wrote:
Not enough hours, however, at least an x-mas tree
Excellent! :)
Dimme wrote:
So I guess my goal for next year is to get my students done and I will see how motivated I am to keep flying after that.
Pity to hear that motivation is dwindling. What about finding time for yourself, do a couple fun flights (some travel, or whatever you like) alone, or with your best friend or your family?
This year has been an interesting mix. The low point has probably been the six months it took to do the annual inspection for the TB10 due to the nightmare of getting parts.
On the positive side I became a CRI and I’ve had a reasonable flow of work mainly doing differences training on the DA40 NG. I also have very few UK airfields in my logbook, with most of my flights except for training flights have been into Europe.
The TB10 is finally back in action, so probably a bit more local flying in 2024 but also some weeks booked in the calendar to do some long trips into Europe with the DA40.
2023…. not much in the sense of flying. Some software stuff, some performance things done for myself and others, helping two friends to buy airplanes and otherwise first waiting for mine to come out of maintenance while I had time and then seeing other people fly it when I didn’t. All that went to plan was that I got my class 2 renewed, and that will hopefully happen again in January.
The airplane was luckier than me, a friend rented her several times and flew her around northern italy as well as around the field here. All in all she did about 30 hours.
Then in spring we got the news that ZRH is finally outpricing stationed GA with horrendous parking fees outside from 2024 so finally, after 40 years of working there and 20 years on and off flying, my homebase has de facto thrown me out. So instead of a 3 minute drive to an IFR/Night/AoE base, I knew I had to make do with one of the VFR airfields around. Initially, a friend gave me his space he was not using at Speck (LSZK) but that one was outside and totally unsupervised, so anyone’s dog could lift a leg if he wanted to… I apprised them of the situation and they told me they would see if they could fit me in a hangar (waiting list for 10 years) but nope. In Summer I finally got a call from Birrfeld, where I also was on the waiting list for 10 years, that they had a space available vaccated by an E model Mooney and found that nothing else would fit there so I could jump ranks and get a space in Hangar 5. I jumped indeed and signed the contract immediately in July.
Only to find that the annual had some really bad surprises. The outdoor parking in the wild had caused the onset of corrosion in some places and also damaged the paint on the wings and empennage (all in all consequences of the almost 2 year inactivity after the almost-gear-up in 21.) plus the vent at the roof had let in water which sogged the aft bench, unbeknownst and unnoticed by all of us. This had consequences both in terms of corrosion as well as damaged avionics (GNS430W and a S-Tec Servo had to be overhauled) and we are still looking to source a Shadin Miniflow (if someone has one laying around, let me know!) Thankfully a very skillful mechanic who had tremendous experience with those issues managed to rescue the situation and sort it out, but all in all the airplane was again grounded for 2 months and the money set aside to repaint it diminished.
We did manage to ferry the airplane to Birrfeld however on the very day before the big snowfall. We were welcomed with open arms and I am exitedly looking forward to fly from there. I definitly would have gone there earlier but it did take 10 years and luck to secure a hangar… The one bit which is rather boring is that it takes me 40 to 90 mins commute to get there, as opposed to 5 to ZRH, depending on traffic.
Repaint plans have to be delayed again… due to the fact that I had to buy a second hand car totally unexpected. My fully servicable Toyota was outpriced to me by the MoT who put demands on what had to be repaired/redone to better than new condition. While I would have been willing to spend the money, my wife insisted that she had enough of this car of 21 years (of our use and 25 years since new) and wanted something newer and shinier. I had to shell out practically all my money left for a 3 year old RAV4 (hybrid) as a family car. It will take me at least 2 -3 years to get the money I planned for repaint back. But maybe a chance may open this summer in Bulgaria, where a friend runs a paint shop, if I can get a EASA conform signature for the work there. We did repaint parts which needed coverage for corrosion protection by hand but it looks rather tattered, so a repaint is a must in the next 2-3 years.
So my SEP renewal again did not materialize and will now be the No 1 priority starting January after the medical.
On the other hand, I spent quite a bit of time (mostly outside “family hours”) in the 737-800 sim and it was very educating as well as great fun. I was totally surprised how this sim could capture my interest and make hassle free, ppr free, cost free flying so much satisfying, despite the fact that it’s pure flying and not going anywhere. The bad news there was that we lost our internet connection due to a new building erected next to the place we stay, so that is a major problem right now, as the landlord is not very understanding on why you need a cable internet in a hobby cellar.
I’d call 2024 my last chance of getting back. I’ve abandoned plans to get my IR redone for good as now I am flying from VFR airfields only, but I want my SEP back. I might even consider changing my license to LAPL, but as long as I may need to fly to BG I can’t do that as there are non-easa places in between. If I find that again I can not make it, I will pull the plug and retire from flying for good. After all, most airliners do that at 60 and I will be 61 this week.
Sorry to hear about your ordeals in 2023 MD, but good to see your sim activity provides some joy. I hope your move to Birrfeld turns out to be a positive one.
You mentioned EASA twice:
1. I never knew that ‘changing livery’ is in principle a design change. https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/downloads/46713/en I suppose I’m doomed now having added some striping to my aircraft.. Hope some EASA person is not reading this. Please keep it a secret that I plan to wax her soon, surely there must be some obscure regulation to prohibit that. Blimey, almost makes one wish to go Annex 1.
2. My ignorance, but I did not realize that one can’t fly over ‘non-EASA places’ with a LAPL. So if one has a PPL or CPL, but it flying that on a LAPL medical, would that also not be allowed?
Sorry for the thread drift.
As I read Mooney’s tale of woe it reminded me to be thankful for what I have.
In January of this year I decided it was time to let my MEP lapse. And as I was letting that lapse I decided also to let my MEIR and SEIR lapse. I shall also probably not renew my class 2 in 2024.
Instead I have discovered that I am really enjoying flying the Super Guépard ULM.
I am flying more hours and saving money.
2024 I am hoping the parachute will encourage my wife to accompany me more often.
For me a catastrophic year on many levels, which also translated into less flying than normal. Only about 40 hours and only one real x-country trip. There’s one more coming next week. Can only hope for 2024 to be better.
aart wrote:
My ignorance, but I did not realize that one can’t fly over ‘non-EASA places’ with a LAPL. So if one has a PPL or CPL, but it flying that on a LAPL medical, would that also not be allowed?
That is also not (automatically) allowed. The LAPL is not an ICAO standard license and neither is the LAPL medical.
