Thank you and goodnight

[Cumulogranite]

Like most perople I am currently feeling it in the wallet, trouble is my SEP is about to run out, I haven't flown for 12 months and I cannot afford to renew my club membership or the GFT that I will have to do renew the rating.

So I have been learning and flying for 8 years now, and I think it is time to draw a line under it and move on. I always wanted to be a pilot since I was 6 and have had to accept that I will never get the airline job, but thanks to the greedy bankers (who all get bonuses more than my wages every year) I am now having to consider giving it up altogether.

I can see no way that I can fly again for at least 5 years unless I get a new job (also unlikely) so thanks to GA for giving me some good times, for the friends I have made and the challenge of getting a ppl, but it is time to walk away, probably never to return. It saddens me to do that but what other choice is there, I can't even afford gliding!!!!

So thanks to everyone in GA, hope you carry on, but for me it's thanks and goodnight from Cumulogranite!!!

[Unusual Attitude]

Sorry to hear that, have you considered buying a share in something really cheap however? I have a mate that was flying a VP1 for about £25 per hour, I think the share price was about £500.....?

I would think that should be in within the reach of most budgets ?

[mad_jock]

Gliding m8, cracking fun.

A whole days entertainment for 30 quid.

And you never know once you get half decent they might want you to drive the tug.

[UAV689]

Get a TMG rating, you can then fly grobs, falkes for much cheaper than SEP. Join a gliding club and fly their motorgliders, best way to fly.

Grob 109 motorfloater cruises at 95-100 knts, beats most c150s and i know of a club that rents theirs for 45 quid wet.

[hatzflyer]

with respect your post smacks of" poor me".
there are many ways of keeping flying, albeit on (maybe) a reduced scale , and yet you do not come on here to investigate them only to bemoan the fact that you can't afford it.
Are you secretly hoping that someone will step forward and offer to pay for you?
I currently work long hours in order to be able to fly and do all manner of things to make that happen.
Have you investigated the possibility of doing odd jobs around your local strip/airfield and being paid by flights rather than cash ? eg cleaning a/c, grass cutting etc etc.

What do you do for a living? Do you have any skills that would be usefull to other people that you could trade?

If you really want to fly there must be a way.

[CRX]

Cumulo,
I dont know where you are, but if you jump on a Flybe and come up to INV, I will offer my services for nothing to get you renewed.
You will have to hire the aircraft, but I will not charge for the LPC.
If interested drop me a pm,
Ps; Fly Flybe though not Ezy, that way you keep me in my primary employ!

Cheers,

CRX.

Ps: Not worth letting it go, the renewal will see you right for another two years,
things might be much better by then, so they say....

[S-Works]

I would add that if he is Midlands based I will happily do the LPC free and can organise use of a spam can for the test for the cost of fuel.

Part of my crusade to keep people flying.

[yakker]

Well I never thought I would say this, but good on you Bose.:)

[Cumulogranite]

what can I say?? Thanks to all for your help and encouragement. Yes there is an element of "poor me" in this, but I already work the kind of hours that I hardly see my family, and I dont think a ramp / baggage supervisors skills are that good at a GA field, but thanks all.

I dont want to walk away from it, but I do what I can and have cut costs to the bone at home, but I really cant raise anymoney for aviating, not even £30 for gliding, thats my petrol for the week to get back and to work.

I was just highlighting the fate that will no doubt await many of us in the coming months !!!

Thanks again for your kindness, and as for flying to Inverness on BE, might speak to you soon on the headset at MAN!!!!!

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Cumulogranite,

May I suggest you take a look also at two axis microlighting. I think you may find that cheaper than gliding and very good fun to boot.

Regards,

Broomstick.

[rauxaman]

I appreciate the "thank you and goodnight" line

I have just made one of my occassional visits to Pprune and agree there are very few opportunities to fly these days.
I have some funds but they were never enough and so I drew a line under it all some while ago.

Self pity maybe... but probably more a sign of the times and a the general dying off of private flying.

[Maoraigh1]

I got a PPL at age 23, did one renewal, after stopping regular flying, and then allowed it to lapse. I thought it made no sense to just renew it with the minimum hours. I had to do almost all the course to get the license back at age 46. I've been flying regularly for 22 years since then. I've been a group member for almost 20 years, and realise now I COULD have afforded to keep flying if I had know about alternatives to renting from flying schools/clubs. If you enjoy flying, look at the cheaper alternatives.

[pulse1]

Cumulogranite,

Like you I had to give up flying seven years after getting my PPL. I thought that I would never fly again apart from the occasional trial lesson to see if I could still do it.

Then, 23 years later, an opportunity came up to start again and I have loved every minute of it. After another 7 years I retired and, again, thought that I would have to give up but, yet again, circumstances changed and I now do more flying than I ever did before.

So, keep the dream alive. You never know what's round the corner.

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Cumulogranite,

What is said by posters above about people coming back to flying after a break of many years is absolutely true. Flying is a narcotic; if you think you can kick the habit then I think you're in for a surprise.

I obtained my PPL in 1960. I did the minimum hours until about 1965, after which I just couldn't afford to fly.

I eventually came back to flying, after a break of 40 years, in 2005.

(On my return, I found to my surprise that apart from new radio procedures and there being much more controlled airspace, just about nothing had changed, especially not the aircraft)!

Good luck,

Broomstick.

[AC-DC]

Hatzflyer

You are unkind, it seems that you have never been down on your face. For a period of 2 years I had to live on £15 a week, that is for food, buses etc. Sometime things are tough.:(

[Lightning6]

Hatzflyer

You are unkind, it seems that you have never been down on your face. For a period of 2 years I had to live on £15 a week, that is for food, buses etc. Sometime things are tough.:(

I agree with you AC-DC, in my case I had to give up flying for medical reasons, but for whatever the reason I'm sure Cumulogranite would not have had to give up flying given a choice.
I hope things pick up for you, but keep in touch, I find these forums a good way of, therapy if you like, to see how other pilots are getting on, and what they are doing and achieving (with the occasional input), also it's nice to keep up with the changes in GA these days.
you never know mate, you might be in a position to be up there again, I hope so.

When I was learning, back in the 70's, I had to take on a second job to pay for my flying lessons, but it's not so easy these days to get, or keep, a first job!

[MadamBreakneck]

I agree with BroomstickPilot. Before committing to giving up completely, try popping down a couple of microlight clubs in the area and having a chat.
BMAA Clubs list (http://www.bmaa.org/clubs.asp)

You might change your mind or you might not, but it's worth a try.

MB

[Cumulogranite]

Thanks again to everyone for the knid words and positive outlook. For the problem isn't just one of affording it, that I can do, justifying spending that amount of money when there are other things and debts to pay is another, and that is the reason i am looking to walk away rather than keep my hopes up.

As for it being a narcotic, ohhhh yessss! I had my first lesson in 1991, my second in 1992 and kept the dream alive until 2002 when I had my third! It took me until 2007 to get my ppl, with the aforementioned 2nd job (as a DJ) but that work has dried up a lot and what work there is doesn't cover the cost anymore, for me anyway! On top of that I have done about 5 hours since my skills test 2 years ago, so I would want some tuition before an LPC anyway just to brush up and remain safe!

My long term forecast is to be able to fly again in about 8 or 9 years time when my bankloans are paid off, subject to other pulls on my money. I will never say never, I could get a new job tomorrow, but I also have to realistic, and popping to the club now and again just makes me sad to not be able to take part!

So thanks everyone, and I do mean that!!

[hatzflyer]

AC DC I was not being unkind, I was being realistic .Thats different.
I offered suggestions to get aiborne again..
Not everything comes down to money, and despite your assertion, I have seen hard times.
I work 60/70 hours a week quite often in order to get what I have.
OK I am lucky and I have a plane, I often come on this and other forums and make offers of spare seats to fly-ins etc etc at home and abroad and know what? no-one has ever made the effort to contact me and take me up on it despite the number of people on these forums saying they can't afford to fly.

I regularly take people up in my plane, and never ask for anything in return.

Within the last 2 months I have offered seats to Germany, Belgium and France as well as uk destinations .

If I was in the reverse situation I would be up the airfield offering to clean aircraft or clean out the hangars, operate the radio , cut the grass...anything that i could trade for flights, painting, decorating, cleaning windows etc etc ..the list is endless,
Get a list of pilots , better still, go and talk to them..ask if there is anything you can do for them to trade for some airtime.

OR of course you can do nothing and moan about the hardships of getting through lifes problems that we have all had to endure.

[Bahn-Jeaux]

OR of course you can do nothing and moan about the hardships of getting through lifes problems that we have all had to endure.

Not realistic...that is unkind.

Realistic would be understanding that not all of us have well paid jobs that can easily fund flying or have the ability to take on a second job that will offer a little more to the flying fund.

I work shifts, 12 hours on a rotating 10 week cycle so could not take on regular additional work even if I wanted to. That being said, I am sacrificing some of my other pleasures to keep flying, nowhere near as much as I would like but I am keeping my dream afloat (or airborne if you wish)

I am not moaning nor have I hinted I am sailing close to stormy financial waters but I fully understand what has been posted and if my work were to suffer a further downturn..I survived redundancy 8 months ago...I too would have to seriously consider walking away.

Well done to all those who offered hope and free revalidation tests.