Stuck in the circuit
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One cannot run a relationship on that basis - unless the other person is away at the w/e doing their own stuff and this is mutually accepted from the outset.
I think GA as a hobby needs to be similarly sorted up front... many women dislike unless they can get to nice places, but that (e.g. Cannes) isn't so easy...
I think GA as a hobby needs to be similarly sorted up front... many women dislike unless they can get to nice places, but that (e.g. Cannes) isn't so easy...
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Well perhaps I'll forget the gliding idea then... my husband certainly isn't going to start any time soon (not a keen flier) and I don't fancy spending the entire weekend away from him given that we both have jobs which require a lot of our time during the week. GA is one thing - a few hours here and there - but a whole day would be too much for both of us I think.
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It is hugely time consuming though.
Most PPL pilots spend a lot of time too, apres-flying in the clubhouse. Flying hours are expensive. If I weren't so hell-bent on going places I too would go gliding.
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Sorry but where did I say there was anything wrong with it?
I said it was a fabulous hobby but very time consuming.
I think that is a fair appraisal of it?
I said it was a fabulous hobby but very time consuming.
I think that is a fair appraisal of it?
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What's wrong with something you love doing being time consuming?
I think one finds a similar division of "weekend time allocation" in GA, too, between the IFR-capable pilots (who just want a plane, and a hangar for it to sit, and all the facilities like somebody moving the plane out for when they need it, and they are willing to pay for it) and the farm strip flyer (who is much more content to get into his local pilot community at the strip).
Unfortunately too many (IMHO) GA pilots are single and somewhat grumpy men, which in turn ensures that few women come into this game, which in turn keeps it that way
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I said it was a fabulous hobby but very time consuming.
So while it can be very time consuming equally it can be as time consuming as you want it to be. Only yesterday I was musing how many of us fly for the pure pleasure of flying. However as much as I enjoy flying I think you can reach the point where it becomes a means to end, a way of getting from A to B, but having some fun along the way. I am not sure if most of my flying was just to keep current and to enjoy coffee at another flying club somewhere whether I would still be doing it.
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However several of them are married to women who are delighted for them to go to the club several days on the trot as now they are retired they find having hubby around all the time is far, far to annoying.
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Let's put it this way, if flying in any form is going to cause problems in a relationship, I don't think it's the flying that's at fault but the relationship...
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Much as I love gliding I'd have to agree.. you can't really go gliding in the morning with plans for the rest of the afternoon; you may finish up in a field, and for that matter you won't make too many friends if you turn up, fly, then toddle off.
On the flipside, I often do precisely that with powered a/c. As for meeting girls, go do something like dancing. In fact if you do both you might discover quite a pool of girls for whom the offer of a spare seat to sit in might be quite a draw.. neatly killing two birds with one stone
And Juno78 has a rather good point.. I can't understand why people who have active interests settle with partners who want to spend their entire life pottering around the house..
On the flipside, I often do precisely that with powered a/c. As for meeting girls, go do something like dancing. In fact if you do both you might discover quite a pool of girls for whom the offer of a spare seat to sit in might be quite a draw.. neatly killing two birds with one stone
And Juno78 has a rather good point.. I can't understand why people who have active interests settle with partners who want to spend their entire life pottering around the house..
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Yeah, people choose their partners for all kinds of weird (and bad) reasons. I should know; it cost me a lot of money 
I think most men choose their woman out of a tiny available pool (e.g. place of work) and always have done. One would think internet dating would have changed that but mentioning GA as a hobby drops the response rate by 99%
I think most men choose their woman out of a tiny available pool (e.g. place of work) and always have done. One would think internet dating would have changed that but mentioning GA as a hobby drops the response rate by 99%
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You could get a job at BT. Then, morris dancing is mandatory I know a retired BT engineer who does really well with that.
Who has read that book "Propellerhead"? Basically it involved a city lad who bought a Thruster and hoped to get laid, and was spectacularly unsuccessful. Which doesn't suprise me.....
Time to dig out that old joke...
A pilot is out on a date. Halfway, he says "now that's enough talking about planes. Let's talk about ME".
And if the gurl has any brains and thinks you are a commercial pilot she will run a mile because they are mostly unfaithful.
I know a retired BT engineer who does really well with that.Who has read that book "Propellerhead"? Basically it involved a city lad who bought a Thruster and hoped to get laid, and was spectacularly unsuccessful. Which doesn't suprise me.....
Time to dig out that old joke...
A pilot is out on a date. Halfway, he says "now that's enough talking about planes. Let's talk about ME".
And if the gurl has any brains and thinks you are a commercial pilot she will run a mile because they are mostly unfaithful.
How can you tell you are on a date with a pilot ? Halfway through dinner he/she says "well thats enough talk about flying, lets talk about me" 
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Well I met my misses before I started flying. Now, when she see's the bank account drain at the end of each month she knows she got well and truly shafted!!
Mind you, she wouldn't have it any other way! (So I'm told.....)
Mind you, she wouldn't have it any other way! (So I'm told.....)
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Tell a girl that your an FI and they think you're loaded, little do they realise that you're actually less well off than you were as a teenager thanks to the unique way that flying schools are funded...
Anyhoo, back to the OP.
Something isn't right if you have been stuck in the circuit for 16 hours. My first suggestion is that your FI is an idiot, but not having met them, then I won't presume anything, however what is clear is that they have a huge lack of imagination.
I'm surprised that you haven't jumped out halfway through a circuit detail as you are bored beyond belief.
Just bashing around the circuit is not helping you. In fact it is now having a damaging effect, the fact that you are posting on here about it proves that. If your FI isn't smart enough to realise this on their own, then I suggest a change might be in order.
Anyhoo, back to the OP.
Something isn't right if you have been stuck in the circuit for 16 hours. My first suggestion is that your FI is an idiot, but not having met them, then I won't presume anything, however what is clear is that they have a huge lack of imagination.
I'm surprised that you haven't jumped out halfway through a circuit detail as you are bored beyond belief.
Just bashing around the circuit is not helping you. In fact it is now having a damaging effect, the fact that you are posting on here about it proves that. If your FI isn't smart enough to realise this on their own, then I suggest a change might be in order.
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I am in a similar position, I got to about 12 hours and just couldn't get the landings. I got quite depressed about it (£130 an hour to get p****d off...) My instructor realised this and we started doing navexs (which I can do) combined with circuits at other airports, so I get experience of not being able to land on other runways.
I have only done this three times but I'm really enjoying learning again and the different runways are improving my landings. I would recomend asking your instructor. You are paying after all for something supposed to be fun.
I have only done this three times but I'm really enjoying learning again and the different runways are improving my landings. I would recomend asking your instructor. You are paying after all for something supposed to be fun.
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I said it was a fabulous hobby but very time consuming.
I think that is a fair appraisal of it?
I think that is a fair appraisal of it?
I had a brief love affair with gliding when I was at University, hoping to build on the BGA A and B certs I'g got for free (well, for one
one shilling a day mess fees) at RAF Henlow in the early 60s.
So I joined my University Gliding club which at that time operated from a large regional airport not a milloin miles from where I sit now until it got chucked off for, among other things smashing too many runway lights).
I was designated winch driver where i'd stay all day hoisting up the glitterati of the club, mending broken cables (which was a frequent occurrence, the club bought RAF cast offs and used them to death) and other stuff until finally just as the sun was setting I'd get a freebie circuit with an instructor.
A summer of that put me off gliding for good.
Discovered power flying 30 years later and haven't looked back: Time taken can be estimated pretty accurately.
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That just about sums up gliding for me too. When I got good enough to fly the club 'hot' ships I would book to fly at say 1PM (you were only allowed 1 hr max unless on a task), spend all morning sitting on the winch/repairing cables/DI'ing said hot ship when one of the 'club fathers' would come along at 12.45, take your ship, do some local soaring for two hours, land and then bugger off. Used to make me spit blood and was the real reason I packed in TBH, but gliding itself is the sport of kings.
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Back on topic, at my school it's SOP (well, it is for my FI and I believe it is for the others as well) for all students to have a couple of hours of training with some of the other FIs in the school around 10-15 hours in, even if the training is going well, to enable the student to have a look at possibly slightly different style of flying and give them a reference point to compare their own FI to to see how good the chemistry and progress is.