Getting that 'fix'

[boltz]

For those of you that don’t fly commercially due to medical reasons, insufficient income, financial situation, more lucrative job prospects (like a lot of the guys I know of in IT), geographic location or any other reasons that I have not mentioned, what do you do to get that ‘fix’?

[kookabat]

Become an Earth Angel for Angelflight.
Occasionally you might be able to grab a spare seat on the flight that you have just delivered your passengers to.

[flyhardmo]

Gliding, a lot of fun and cheap :ok:

[Aussie Bob]

Go RAA and fly bugsmashers, better still get your own ...

[Checkboard]

I fly an airliner every day - I come here to get my GA fix ;)

[Fantome]

Boltz . . . . where are you? Might be able to point you in the right direction for joining a gliding club. Once you have advanced to one of the brilliant little single seaters you will find a sense of freedom and control and comfort not available anywhere at low cost apart from perhaps with a hang glider or a para glider. . .. . when you catch a thermal to ten thou or so, see the perspective of the landscape ever changing, relax, pinch your self in wonder that you can be so fantastically endowed with long white wings extending seemingly from your shoulders . . . . . eye ball the occasional wedged tailed eagle in the same thermal . . . . . then you will savour a joy in the air quite unparalleled.

It's like landing a 20 kg wild salmon . If you haven't done it then you cannot understand the unique euphoria. If you have and others are unimpressed, you may as well talk to the wall.

[davebowyer]

I got my PPL about a year ago, grand total of 85 hours flying so far, and due to family, work, money commitments I only get to fly every 6 or 8 weeks. Nowhere near enough. But from my POV, just being allowed to get in one of the club Cherokees and tootle off somewhere is the buzz!

Like most other Sydney based pilots, I do the Victor 1/Harbour Scenic thing a fair bit. It's nice, but gets repetitive. Recently I got up to Cessnock again for the first time since my PPL test.

All very humble I'm afraid.

[training wheels]

Like most other Sydney based pilots, I do the Victor 1/Harbour Scenic thing a fair bit. It's nice, but gets repetitive.

Hope you're not wanting to be an RPT pilot then ... the same route 4 times a day, week after week. :)

[davebowyer]

Heh. I should be so lucky. At the age of 42, with young children, I made the call ages ago that I wouldn't even attempt the RPT path. Far too settled. (I may do CPL in future and do instructing, but that would be for fun, sure as hell not for profit). ;)

[baswell]

Got my fix this weekend flying my RA-Aus SportStar from Gawler to Corny Point with 20 of my friends. 500 ft off-shore past some great coastal scenery. Hangar flying at the pub and BBQ in the caravan park. Taking my 5 year old twins for a fly and enjoying hearing them giggle their heads off when barrelling down the runway, "going to see a cloud" or doing steep turns.

There's always faster, higher, farther, but personal aviation doesn't get much better than that! :ok:

[davebowyer]

Wow. I haven't unleashed a steep turn on my 6 year old yet ... Might be time :D

[baswell]

They love "roller coaster flying" - steep turns, climb, descend. Given their enthusiasm, if I were allowed to do it in my aircraft, they'd be all up for barrel rolls and loops I am sure!

In fact, they ask me to go upside down, 'coz that's what airplanes do on TV...

[CoodaShooda]

Be careful what you start, Boltz.

I got into RA-Aus a couple of years ago after a 30 year hiatus.

Started living the dream again. Even fitted the flying in to my business travel arrangements.

But both of the school's Jabs have been written off in the past couple of months and the school's closed.

No other RA-Aus hire facility in the Top End - so I am suffering SEVERE withdrawal. :{

[Wally Mk2]

I get my 'fix' from flying toy planes/heli's.............now there's a challenge,anyone can fly a real plane as long as ya have the bucks:ok:
I really feel for those that love flying but are hamstrung by $$$, been there done that,sold the wife & never looked back!:E
In the famous words of W C Fields.....ahhhh women are like Elephants to me nice to look at but ya wouldn't wanna own one :E!

I'd like to try gliding but it would have to be a self launching type with fold/back/down donk...now there's the go to have an out just in case the rwy keeps moving further away from ya!:ok:

Wmk2

[boltz]

Fantome,

I've actually thought about gliding - I think the challenge of seeing how high you can go by only using nature would be awesome!!! I currently live in Melbourne.

[baswell]

One thing to remember about gliding is that it is a team effort. Expect to spend whole days or weekends just to get an hour or two in. The rest of the time is waiting around and helping others launch and recover.

If you have the time and love it, it may just be your thing. If you have a busy family life - maybe not so much...