How often do you fly?

[vabsie]

Guys and Girls!

I was wondering if you could tell me roughly how often you get to fly? Perhaps try and think how many hours you have done in the past 12 months?

I would be interested to know/work out what a rough average is .. happy to also hear from instructors etc, i.e people who nearly fly on a daily basis.

Cheers

Stefan

[maxdrypower]

Personally I have done 130 in the last twelve months . Some of that included an IMC and night rating . This was all part of build up to my sabbatical to the world of ATPL's . It helps considerably getting into a group whether it be equity/no-equity . I went from 120 per hour in a beaten to death terrahawk to 65 ph in a brand spanking new 172 . If I hadnt done that I wud have a third of the hours flown this year than I have.

[FullyFlapped]

Why do you ask ?

[Tim_CPL]

Once a week for 1-2 hours so ~ 75 per year, and lately it's mostly Aztec multi time so mucho $$ even in over here. Very rarely does WX get in the way.

- Tim

[foxmoth]

Professionally I fly probably 3 days a week on average - 600 hrs/year (Airlines), other days for work are standby/positioning/days off down route/sim/classroom. On top of this I average about one day/ fortnight instructing (50-60 hrs pa) and another 20 or so hours pa just flying light aircraft.

[vabsie]

FullyFlapped .. because I think it makes an interesting discussion. Keen to hear how often people get to fly and why/why not.

Also plan to do my ppl in July ... + read nearly all the posts on pprune so thought I'd start another on a subject I've been wondering about.

Cheers.

[TotalBeginner]

Once a month :(

[LysanderV8]

Never enough !

2006 about 90 hours
2007 only 45 hours largely due to weather
2008 so far I've managed 3, again partly because of poor weather but mostly because of a medical problem that stopped me flying from 8 Nov to 11 March. Fortunately now fully fit again.

All logged in my PA28-235

Here's hoping for a good summer !

Cheers

Lysander

[vabsie]

Nice one Good to hear that your health is better LysanderV8!

Great stuff foxmoth! Didn't think that people flying professionally had much time/will to do lots of private flying .. guess it's totally different!

Thx for all the posts so far!

S

[S-Works]

About 400hrs a year. Around 250 or so private/business/touring split about 60/40 IFR. On top of that about 120 or so Instructing.

[will5023]

about 180hrs,approx 100 private the rest instructing/coaching.

Will.

[BEXIL160]

Another poster above, whom I have the Highest Respect for and whom I learned a lot from (attitude to flying as well as ability) told me once Real pilots fly anything they can get their hands on

So, with that in mind

120 hours last year, including time on a Chipmunk, Harvard, Jodel, Aeronca Champ and Chief, lots of time on two different (old) Cessna 150s.

Weather permitting, hope to do more this year.

(thanks Ian, I wonder how many others you've inspired?)

BEX

[midiman]

How do you afford it all?

Hire rates are ££££££££££££££££££££

What is a good way to build hours?

[ChampChump]

I'm not sure how this information helps you, but if it does, the answer is as often as weather and shifts allow.

180 hrs last year.

Time spent flying is not deducted from your lifespan ....

[AfricanEagle]

Nearly ninety last year, C152, C172, C177RG, P66C, Maule, PA18.

[IFMU]

Last year I had a banner year, 85 hours. Before family I used to fly >100 hours per year, for a while it was down less than 20. Last year about 30 hours soaring, 10 hours boring around in the C140, a couple hours in the 300CBi, and most of the rest of the time towing. I also started working on the instrument rating late last year, I have been doing about 4 hours/month on the average. Almost all of my instrument training is after dark, after the wife & kids are asleep. Hard to fit everything in.

-- IFMU

[flybymike]

Sometimes I think that this perennial question brings out the best in pilots' tendency to exaggerate. If not, all I can say is you guys must all be bliddy loaded....:rolleyes:

[vabsie]

Cheers for all the posts so far!

I really enjoy reading these. I would love to one day fly as much as some of you but I would also have to be realistic about the fact that I work 5 - 6 days a week in an office job ... still I would hope to do many more hours than the minimum required to keep my (future) license current.

flybymike: you are right it sometimes seem as if most people on this forum are loaded. Truth is there probably are a fair few wealthy peeps, and then others who are so passionate about flying that they spent a good portion of their earnings/savings on flying. I certainly don't fall in the first category but still hope to do plenty of flying ... only live ones I say!

[S-Works]

Sometimes I think that this perennial question brings out the best in pilots' tendency to exaggerate. If not, all I can say is you guys must all be bliddy loaded....

Thats a subjective view I guess. High hours pilots tend to be owners and the cost per hour is significantly reduced by high utilization. High hours flyers also tend to be involved in teaching and coaching etc. I am an Instructor and an LAA Regional Coach with no child commitments etc. so much easier for me to fly and afford it.

[micromalc]

About 40-50 hours per year, depending on weather and finances. Fly mostly Super-Cub, Jodel D150 & Super Dimona.

[ChampChump]

A hasty response along the same lines, before dashing off to work for a week.

One lovely old aeroplane, on a Permit, no kids, no ambitions to live in anything but the hovel, tatty old vehicle .... gettin' the picture?

Far from rich, but rich in everything except money ... :ok:

[Mariner9]

~120 hours/year.

A/C Owner, so as Bose says, the more you fly, the cheaper it gets

[Supersport]

I get in around 75 - 100 hours a year, I'm certainly not rich and support Wife + 1 :) on an average income. All made possible from friends wanting to come flying, sometimes out of the UK which means longer flights to rack up more hours. I hold a no equity share, PA28-181 @ £65/hr plus landing fees :)

[robin]

A/C Owner, so as Bose says, the more you fly, the cheaper it gets

I tried that argument with my (now ex) wife. It didn't work........:(

[maxdrypower]

God Bless AGL :D

[vabsie]

Well not bad so far!

Exluding some airline and instructor flying works out to be ROUGHLY around the 90 hour a year mark.

Thought there would have been plenty of 12's to 20s that would bring this figure down a bit ... or are they not posting?

good stuff anyway! :ok:
S

[foxmoth]

Thought there would have been plenty of 12's to 20s that would bring this figure down a bit ... or are they not posting?


I suspect a bias towards the high end, these are likely to be the keen guys who are on here (Pprune forum) more.

[crispey]

I think you will find that there are lot of 12-20 hours p.a.PPL types out there!Even with a fairly well paid full time job,professional qualififcation etc,it is not easy to maintain a higher rate no matter how much you yearn for it.Apart from some quite wealthy types at my base,12-20 was considered good going especially as the WX in Manchester does not always behave when you have a booking.

Some may say you are hardly profficient at this level of activity,not me as long as you are careful.My base insisted on 1 a month minimum although I did once leave it 3 months and they subjected me to a full 90 minutes of cross wind landings at Liverpool,right on PA-28 limits too.Funny how you cope too with an an instructor sitting there quietly chuckling.I wouldn't have flown on my own that day.My personal X-wind limit was rather lower than the books!

[Lister Noble]

I have more or less unlimited access to our shared aircraft and it is not expensive to fly but even so I think I flew around 33 hrs last year.
I am happy to bimble around East Anglia in fine weather ,:)and that does me perfectly.
Lister

[i.dingbat]

Allow me to bring the average down a bit. 25 hours a year since Oct 2005, mainly in Citabrias (such fun) with a few hours on PA28. Hire rates seem to be cheaper here (Aus) than in UK.

Mortgage, (ex-)wife and 4 kids takes care of most of my $$$, but I hope and expect this to change at some point in the future.

If you really want to fly, you'll find sacrifices you can make in other areas of your life.

:ok:

[Zulu Alpha]

212 flights 76 hrs in the last year ie 21 mins average per flight.

Not much straight and level in there though!!!

ZA

[bigbloke]

About 35 hrs since last September, all as a stude. Would have done more but the wx has been a problem something to do with being in the UK in winter.

I know how it feels with the money side as I have tried this twice in the past and the money has run out :ouch: This time, just for once, ambition and bank balance might not be in balance but at least on the same planet.

Now moving onto night and IMC asap and either buy an AC (cheap one) or a share if I can find the right group. Longer term, I want to do some touring to interesting places in my limited spare time. Dont know how many hours that translates to, I will just have to see.

[TheGorrilla]

900 hours a year. Hours doing something exciting?.... About 2 minutes per year!

[Flyingcircusace]

About 850 a year >5700kg straight and level

Plus about 70-90hrs year very not straight and level.

Fcirc.

[kookabat]

If I can exceed 30hrs a year I'm happy.... in Citabrias (as someone said above, such fun!), or a 182 if I want to actually go somewhere, or even a Cherokee if everything else is booked out.

That'll keep me happy for a little while.

[effortless]

Got 25 last year but only 7 the year before. None this year so far but as I no longer fly alone it isn't a problem from currency point of view.

[IO540]

Did ~ 180hrs last year. It will be less this year, thanks to Lyco's SB569...

[Major Major]

About 30 hours a year - well, 55 in 22 months ish.

Now much of that has been training and getting the poo brown wallet.

Weather, time and £s all constrain, but if I can find a cheap share/rental I'll nail 40 hours a year, which I think is a nice amount for a bog standard PPL just bimbling and visiting people.

Now next year I fancy some tailwheel/aero time...

[Cessna-172-Pilot]

I fly between 3 and 6 times a month, So probably about 6 - 9 hours monthly - depending on the UK weather.
Would love to fly more frequently, but the holder of the purse strings won't co-operate any more...
Keep smilins :)

[SkyHawk-N]

I used to fly quite often but since I started visiting PPRuNe I've become a bit worried about doing so. Should I fly on 'Both' or not? 63 knots on final or 57? Are high wing aircraft actually more dangerous in circuit? Should I fly with a crosswind greater than the maximum demonstrated? Retract flaps on landing? 'Final' instead of 'Finals'? Transponder on before entering the runway or afterwards? :sad:

[FAAjon]

Every weekend and soem weekdays if I can.

[dont overfil]

Been averaging 50 hrs per year for the last 20 years including up to 20 in the USA on hols.
But last years weather - the worst I can remember in the UK- resulted in the least hours I've flown for years.

[IFMU]

One thing I've found is if you find the right flying club, it can reduce the costs a lot. One club I belong to is a glider club. Towing makes up a good percentage of my flying hours each year. I love towing, it's proficiency flying with a mission behind it. It's free flying, once I pay the $20USD/month fee to be in the club. On another thread unpaid towing was both praised and bashed. I'm one to praise it. When I fly an airplane that I have to pay for, I fly it to use it and not to work the rust out of basic flying skills. That rust is worked out in towing. The glider flying is good cheap flying too. Lots of fun to boot. This year I will earn my commercial glider ticket and I can fly rides for my club. Again, not paid, but it's free flying and darn good for proficiency. I also belong to a couple of power clubs. My EAA chapter houses a club with a 1946 C140. Lots of A&P's, and IA's in the club. Reduced cost of maintenance, storage, etc plus an economical airplane to fly makes for low direct costs. The last club I'm in has a 1967 PA28R-180. I'm using it for my instrument training. With the fixed costs, it breaks even with a straight rental if I fly about 3 hours a month. Fly it more than that, it is very economical in comparison to renting. I'm not sure if I will ever own my own airplane, not counting the one I'm building, because it doesn't make financial sense for the amount of flying I do. For those of us that don't fly the big hours, a club brings the utilization rate up so the financial benefits mentioned by Bose-X are realized, and shared by the membership.

-- IFMU

[vabsie]

cheers IFMU .. good post.

[batninth]

G-EMMA,

my evil plan is working, every day the skies become clearer for ME ha ha ha ha :ESorry but it doesn't seem to be working on them flying boys in blue (the one's who launched the bikini the other day). Plenty of the rascals buzzing around when I was doing a cross-country earlier in the week.

Plan B?
;)

[Solar]

Sky-Hawk-N isn't so far of the mark. I have noticed over recent years in the club house more scaremongering than flying talk. I get the impression that some people will use any excuse not to fly and heaven knows we have plenty of excuses these days, consequently when I occasionally go flying with some of the more recently and not so recent PPLs these days I am amazed as to what they consider to be on the limits and all based on what they have been told/shown by the armchair flyers. When you demonstate steep turns or unusual atitudes with their consent of course your labeled as dodgy or worse dangerous. There seems to be a decided lack of fun in a lot of peoples flying these days.
Me I just fly when I can afford it.

[FullyFlapped]

I have to smile at the guys here who say that their costs reduce because they fly more ... how does that work then ? Just because you amortize your fixed costs across more hours per year, you're still spending more in total by flying more, with increased fuel and maintenance costs - not to mention decreasing the aircraft's value with increased hours.

"Good news, darling : although I've spent £20K on flying this year instead of £10K, my hourly costs now look really good. I'd suggest a holiday to celebrate, but unfortunately we're skint ..." :)

Oh yes, the original question ... around 150 a year.

[dont overfil]

It's female logic. "Look dear. I've just saved £100 by buying this dress at the sale"

[batninth]

I'm not sure I should be telling you all of this :}

How about this - our windsock got badly mauled in the winds and so we now have two more, one up & one ready. One suggestion was to put up both, with holding wires so anyone looking down would see the wind coming from two different directions.

Taking that a stage further, if you could get to all of the windsocks & set them up with holding wires, or maybe fans inside, to keep them out. Then everyone would look at the windsock, say to themselves: "It doesn't feel that windy but I'd better play safe...".

Job done!

PS. Yes I know there are the guys who carry their own wind strength meters, but at least we'll know who they are now.

[foxmoth]

There seems to be a decided lack of fun in a lot of peoples flying these days.

Come down to UH at Kemble, you won't be saying there is no fun left in flying at the end of a day there!:ok:

[vabsie]

FullyFlapped - I was thinking the same thing!! How funny.

I guess more value for money but not cheaper if you don't have that much to fly all the time.

All good posts tho ... Cheers all

S

[IFMU]

I get the impression that some people will use any excuse not to fly and heaven knows we have plenty of excuses these days...
One of the other beautiful thing about flying clubs. Many people are not active flyers yet are still willing to pay fixed costs to be part of the club. Hard to figure out, but not uncommon.

-- IFMU

[Solar]

Foxmoth
UH is a place where I have promised myself to visit when time permits.
I don't mean to be negative and I agree with IMFU that the more club members usually the better whether they fly or not.

[twistedenginestarter]

0.5 hours per annum.

It takes me about an hour every two years to re-validate my licence. I'd fly more if there were facilities at holiday destinations like (Corfu and Lanzarote) but otherwise all the hassle to get to an airfield somewhere near Wolverhampton or Maidenhead just doesn't seem worth it.

[Put1992]

twistedenginestarter, how do you keep your licence current though?

I thought it was 3 take offs and landings every 90 days? (may not be correct)

[modelman]

I thought it was 3 take offs and landings every 90 days? (may not be correct)


That's the requirement for carriage of passengers.

MM

p.s.good to meet you at the presentation night.:)

[Phororhacos]

I did about 60 hrs last year, 24 Helicopter and the rest fixed wing. To answer the question asked, about once a week in the summer and once a fortnight in the winter. Where possible each flight is a "land away" rather than a local.

[vabsie]

Cheers again for all the posts ... enjoy reading them

Phororhacos - When you say "land away" .. does that mean that you land away but fly back to your local? or do you make alternative arrangements to get the aircraft back to it's base?

[flugholm]

As much as money, work shifts, and weather allow. Annual average around 15-25 hrs SEP and motorgliders, plus 50-80 hrs gliders.
I wish it was more!
:{:{:{

[Captain Smithy]

Not as often as I'd like to!

Due to work I'm restricted to weekends and days off. Unfortunately that leaves me at the mercy of the weather, which for the past few weeks has been thoroughly mince.

I have only flown twice this year... and that's being booked in every weekend.

[stocker]

I decided to give up work for a year back in November and get loads of flying,motorcycling and mountains done.
Unfortunately our poor weather this year has put a damper on all three.
Ive only flown about 20 hours so far this year (even with no work to stop me) and like Phororacus I try to make the flight a land away somewhere in order to keep all of my skills up to speed in anticipation of future flying adventures later in the year.

I know some folk who just bang about the circuit because, due to lack of hours dont have the confidence to do anything other than sticking within shouting distance of their chosen club especially when the only slot they have booked provides marginal weather.

Lets hope we get a break soon.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

Normally 150-200hrs a year. But I have the 'pleasure' of flying a para dropper occasionally so this pushes the hours up a bit in summer.

[XL319]

round about 100 hours last year although only just flown again since October mainly due to the UK weather :{

[Mungo Man]

About 55 hrs a month in the day job - gets a bit dull sometimes.

Like to keep the SEP current by flying about 1hr every couple of months. Miss the freedom of light aircraft flying, glide approaches, low level flying, tight circuits rather than a vectored 19nm final...

Hope to fly SEPs more when I can afford it.

[Phororhacos]

Vabsie wrote...Phororhacos - When you say "land away" .. does that mean that you land away but fly back to your local? or do you make alternative arrangements to get the aircraft back to it's base?

Sorry it has taken me so long to answer. I mean land at another airfield then fly back (lighter by a landing fee and heavier by a toasted sandwich).

Ideally I share the flight with another pilot. Each flies one leg (twice as long in the air for the same cost).:)

[Pace]

Flying mostly commercially usually between 200 and 400 hrs per year

Pace