How often do you fly?
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,129
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From: 18nm NE grice 28ft up
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.
But last years weather - the worst I can remember in the UK- resulted in the least hours I've flown for years.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Flying clubs
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
-- IFMU
Oh Shazbat!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
From: Leeds, UK
G-EMMA,
Sorry 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?
my evil plan is working, every day the skies become clearer for ME ha ha ha ha 
Plan B?
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 276
Likes: 3
From: N Ireland
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.
Me I just fly when I can afford it.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
From: Yorkshire
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.
"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.
Oh Shazbat!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
From: Leeds, UK
Plan C?
I'm not sure I should be telling you all of this 
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.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Auckland
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
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
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Originally Posted by Solar
I get the impression that some people will use any excuse not to fly and heaven knows we have plenty of excuses these days...
-- IFMU
ENTREPPRUNEUR
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 577
Likes: 0
From: The 60s
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.
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.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: UK
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.
Last edited by Phororhacos; 30th March 2008 at 20:35. Reason: I misread the question.. see text.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Auckland
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?
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?
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 0
From: .
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.
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.