85hours in SEP mostly commutes between UK and France, not much gliding or tailwheels or touring sadly (I sold my toys in UK: Astir & Mooney)
The highlights were mostly weekends in France: visiting Oussant (landing IFR at midnight), Verchocq (AirPark), Avranches (tried walking 8km to MtMichel but gave up at 1km), Bagnoles (nice Spa center)
Next year more grass stripping, get my SEP(sea) and ATPL+FI(A)
I finished my PPL in July at 50hrs and managed to finish the year on 140hrs. Did IMC rating and night rating and did hours in 4 types total, and started grass strip flying.
Next year I’ll look at the best route (financially and life wise) to do ATPL and do tailwheel and UPRT course, maybe try aerobatics. I’m mainly wanting to work on stick and rudder skills.
25 hours, including biennial “hour flight with an instructor.” Last flight was the LAA Permit Airtest on 31 December. First year since 1989 without tailwheel flying.
Hoping to have new Permit paper by Wednesday, and with the cockpit temperature sorted, get a lot of flying this winter. Hoping to get Night permission for the Bolkow BO208C Junior.
Most thought things could not get worse than 2020 but they did, with a deep lockdown early in the year…
2013: 145 hrs
2014: 187
2015: 179
2016: 160
2017: 120
2018: 138
2019: 122
2020: 103
2021: 130
Initially it wasn’t possible to land anywhere abroad without getting put away into a quarantine. Many/most UK airfields closed too – presumably because without the cafe money it wasn’t worth opening. I did two “unusual” trips to the Alps, here, which were motivated by this. These had to be carefully planned to be done nonstop, UK-to-UK, with a high degree of probability. The TB20 with its great range is super for this sort of thing. Both worked out great, even though I had some fun with ATC who were puzzled as to what I was doing 
Later in 2021 things much improved and I did trips to Croatia and finally Greece again. The Greek end presented some difficulties which were unusual even by Greek standards LGST had no “medical team” so lost its immigration and customs status – who worked that one out?. Then we had one of our best meet-ups ever: in Andorra.
It sounds like Aero Friedrichshafen will finally run again in 2021 so we can have a “German meet-up” there as usual. I look forward to meeting a load of the usual people
The TB20 continues to do exactly what I need, mostly with the 1990s avionics I still want to do the ADS-B IN TAS605 “A” upgrade but only with an exchange unit, in case of incompatibility of the “A” version with the three devices which currently display the traffic. The LPV upgrade (IFD540 + IFD550) is less urgent now that UK has lost LPV so ILS is again the IAP of choice, both UK and abroad.
The main challenge is as every year: keep flying interesting. The social aspect has become more difficult, with most of the group of regulars, who used to do UK and France, having packed up flying, or just disappeared.
Currently we are planning the Aosta fly-in and that looks good with over 40 in the telegram group.
On the similar thread from last year I wrote:
Aspirations for 2021 are:
- the IR rating
- more flying (especially long trips)
- maybe entering the world of aircraft ownership :)
First goal is done and I am very happy with that.
However it took more time and energy than expected, and together with the covid restrictions, that leads to less flying hours than in 2020.
So I logged 66 hours in 2021, most of them being for the IR rating training and include sim time.
I got the opportunity to fly new types (C182, PA28 and Meridian), get my complex endorsement and do a cross borders flight, from LSZH to LKKV which was a great experience, so overall happy with what I did this past year.
Regarding the third goal mentioned above, it is currently postponed.
Aspirations for 2022 are quite simple. Doing more touring flights and build IFR experience as well as getting a FAA licence in addition to my EASA one.
Flying through 2021 was a critical part of my ‘f**k you to COVID’ strategy for the family. 144 hours, lots of super challenging IFR stuff, doing the CAA IR exam to put my FAA IR on the CAA licence was much easier than actually getting the CAA to process it. (still not on my licence yet, three months later being asked the same question again and again and giving the same answer, three times to the same guy….) Trips to Corfu, Croatia, Greece, France, Spain, Hungary, Holland, Germany, Italy and Ireland sometimes (mostly) really pushing water uphill just to get it done but it was so worth it. Never had a single issue with customs / immigration on the ground; indeed far easier than flying commercial. Final trip of the year to Sion stuffed thanks to the infamous Cirrus starter adapter failure. Bought a super little Nord as an hour builder for my son who got his PPL at 17 in the spring – another part of the F Y to covid strategy – fully restored with a zero engine that turned out to be anything but…
Met a pilot who flew Corsairs off carriers in the war, which was a privilege we will never forget.
For 2022. More of the same. Prob FAA CPL if I can get it organised. Buy a larger TP plane so the dogs can come with us (well that’s my excuse anyway). Get involved with Aerobility charity which brings flying to the disabled. Would love to offer free organ transplant flight service (my sister has had two kidney transplants) if only I could find out how; if anyone can help here please do let me know.
Get the ski bit added to my mountain rating.
Land on a sand bar in the Rockies.
Do a 30K night HALO (not flying I know, but in the words of Buzz Lightyear, ‘falling with style’.)
Teach the dog to serve coffee in the cockpit.
Stay married.
For me it was a top year: 136 hours.
Highlights 2021:
Aspirations for 2022:
Happy New Year !
Do a 30K night HALO
WOW! Are you ex special forces?
Decided to battle Covid restrictions to the max. Ended up with 136 hours, not far below my long run average.
Helped along by three trips to Greece, including having to quarantine for 7 days on the first one. When the UK was in deep lockdown I flew my Piper Cub round and round “my own airspace”, directly above my 80 acre farm. The further round the neighbourhood with no transponder on and didn’t get caught.
Also helped that I switched to a Jetprop late in the year so had to do about 30 hours of training and transition, plus new ratings.
Life will be better in 2022!!!
