View Poll Results: What do you generally do when you fly an aircraft?
Take off and land again at same airfield but dont actually go anywhere much.
71
35.32%
Fly somewhere for a cup of tea/food and then return home
89
44.28%
Fly somewhere and actually leave the destination airfield to visit/stay overnight
33
16.42%
I fly for business use.
8
3.98%
Voters: 201. This poll is closed
Flying Habits.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Flying Habits.
OK, so a lot of people here hold at least a PPL but what are the flying habits of the PPL holder?
If you hire an aircraft what do you generally? Please pick the one that mostly applies to you and not the one you have done once!!!
** UPDATE **
To clarify from reading some of the posts below.
Its a poll about where you go, not what you do in the air - you can barrel roll all the way there for all I care
Option c) is Leave airfield to Visit/Stay Overnight - not just stay overnight. I think maybe I should have used OR to make it clearer looking back but hey! Do PPLs actually leave the airfield they have flown rather than just turn around.
**
If you hire an aircraft what do you generally? Please pick the one that mostly applies to you and not the one you have done once!!!
** UPDATE **
To clarify from reading some of the posts below.
Its a poll about where you go, not what you do in the air - you can barrel roll all the way there for all I care
Option c) is Leave airfield to Visit/Stay Overnight - not just stay overnight. I think maybe I should have used OR to make it clearer looking back but hey! Do PPLs actually leave the airfield they have flown rather than just turn around.
**
Last edited by Julian; 19th Mar 2003 at 07:29.
I've voted and it's a question worth asking, but I suspect you'll get a biased result. Anybody reading or posting on Pprune probably takes their PPLing rather more seriously than the average.
G
G
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Erm - help.
Mostly option 2, unless the weather's crap in which case option 1. Occassionally option 3. Never option 4 - yet. Which button am I supposed to click on???
Gonna go for 2, because it's the one I try to do most often.
FFF
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Mostly option 2, unless the weather's crap in which case option 1. Occassionally option 3. Never option 4 - yet. Which button am I supposed to click on???
Gonna go for 2, because it's the one I try to do most often.
FFF
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The way the first option is worded sounds as though you are not doing much, but you can just float around locally doing nothing OR you could be practising skills, aeros, formation or a number of other activities that are more involved in flying than just bumbling around. Those that pick option 1 (me) can either be doing a lot more to develop their skills or a lot less than those that pick the other options.
Last edited by foxmoth; 14th Mar 2003 at 18:53.
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I agree with foxmoth. Even circuits can be more valuable than droning through the sky with feet on the floor and finger inserted. See generally http://www.southern-aviator.com/edit...olumn&-nothing
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Local flights...
A quick look at the last couple of pages of my logbook shows that roughly half my flight take-off & land at my local aerodrome and the other half actually go to another aerodrome....
But a closer look at the remarks Ive made reveals that these 'local flights' were actually to practice something specific, be it steep turns/ decents, PFLs, crosswind circuits or whatever, so I dont think any of the above poll questions are valid.
Regards, SD
But a closer look at the remarks Ive made reveals that these 'local flights' were actually to practice something specific, be it steep turns/ decents, PFLs, crosswind circuits or whatever, so I dont think any of the above poll questions are valid.
Regards, SD
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Its interesting how comparatively few people (who've responded to the survey at least), use their hobby to fly somewhere for an overnight.
This could be a poll in its own right, but are the reasons for this:
a) Its too inconvenient if I can't get back should the weather go bad
b) I hire a plane from a club and they won't let it go overnight unless I put an unreasonable number of hours on it
c) Its too expensive once you add plane hire to hotel bills
d) I only fly slow aircraft so you can't get anywhere very exotic for an overnight
e) None of the above
Just curious, since pretty much all of my private flying falls into the overnighter camp.
This could be a poll in its own right, but are the reasons for this:
a) Its too inconvenient if I can't get back should the weather go bad
b) I hire a plane from a club and they won't let it go overnight unless I put an unreasonable number of hours on it
c) Its too expensive once you add plane hire to hotel bills
d) I only fly slow aircraft so you can't get anywhere very exotic for an overnight
e) None of the above
Just curious, since pretty much all of my private flying falls into the overnighter camp.
Last edited by 2Donkeys; 17th Mar 2003 at 13:47.
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Good question, 2Donks.
Personally, it used to be b). That's not an issue now I have a share in my own aircraft, but I still feel a little guilty about taking it away for both days of the weekend, rather than letting the rest of the group have access to it.
A) is very valid in the UK, but it's not just the return trip - if I need to be somewhere, I'll drive. Even if it's just a weekend away, if the hotel's booked then I need to be there, and it's much easier to plan to drive there.
I'm not sure on c) - although many pilots are poor, there are plenty of us with enough money that this shouldn't be a problem. And d) covers a very small proportion of the total pilots.
I've only ever done 2 overnighters - both in the US, where the weather was far more reliable, where I considered myself to be on holiday so I didn't mind splashing out for hotels, and where there were places that I genuinely wanted to visit. I have used an aeroplane to get to places for a day-trip several times - but again, mostly in the US, I tend to drive to places in the UK.
So my mid-March resolution will be to use my 'plane to get somewhere that I would normally drive to, at least once, by the end of the year!
FFF
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Personally, it used to be b). That's not an issue now I have a share in my own aircraft, but I still feel a little guilty about taking it away for both days of the weekend, rather than letting the rest of the group have access to it.
A) is very valid in the UK, but it's not just the return trip - if I need to be somewhere, I'll drive. Even if it's just a weekend away, if the hotel's booked then I need to be there, and it's much easier to plan to drive there.
I'm not sure on c) - although many pilots are poor, there are plenty of us with enough money that this shouldn't be a problem. And d) covers a very small proportion of the total pilots.
I've only ever done 2 overnighters - both in the US, where the weather was far more reliable, where I considered myself to be on holiday so I didn't mind splashing out for hotels, and where there were places that I genuinely wanted to visit. I have used an aeroplane to get to places for a day-trip several times - but again, mostly in the US, I tend to drive to places in the UK.
So my mid-March resolution will be to use my 'plane to get somewhere that I would normally drive to, at least once, by the end of the year!
FFF
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DoubleDonk, it's mainly money. I'm fortunate enough to hire from a group with no limits on how long you can take aircraft for. I could fly from Coventry to Wellesbourne and not take it back again for a fortnight if I really wanted to. I wouldn't of course, because it's not fair on the others.
I did intend to fly out to Welshpool for a weekend's walking last summer, but the possibility of being stranded and having to pay for accommodation was outside my budget limit. Unfortunately time-wise this summer is perfect for risky trips as I have hardly any commitments. But, as is often the case, when one has the time one doesn't have the money.
I did intend to fly out to Welshpool for a weekend's walking last summer, but the possibility of being stranded and having to pay for accommodation was outside my budget limit. Unfortunately time-wise this summer is perfect for risky trips as I have hardly any commitments. But, as is often the case, when one has the time one doesn't have the money.
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2D's
I would guess that as the poll is aimed mainly at the hirer just about everything you say bears some relation to the reasons why not. In fact, you've probably hit every reason why people don't.
A while back when I was still hireing I wanted to spend a night away somewhere - "4 hours each day" was the requirement. Got round that by booking the aircraft from midday to cease flying (I was only staying in Rochester at the Post house as was) and then for the first slot on the following day. I was happy, they were happy
Now I own a share I'm lucky in that the syndicate divvies up the time on a week by week basis (2 weeks in summer). It doesn't preclude others using it providing the weeks 'owner' has no need for it but it does mean you can go away for the night or a week without feeling guilty. Not all groups work on this principal however, using a booking system akin to the local flying club, and I think that discourages nights away. If I were to ever buy another share it would have to be on the basis that I have now, not on a booking system as that doesn't always give the freedom to stay away.
I would guess that as the poll is aimed mainly at the hirer just about everything you say bears some relation to the reasons why not. In fact, you've probably hit every reason why people don't.
A while back when I was still hireing I wanted to spend a night away somewhere - "4 hours each day" was the requirement. Got round that by booking the aircraft from midday to cease flying (I was only staying in Rochester at the Post house as was) and then for the first slot on the following day. I was happy, they were happy
Now I own a share I'm lucky in that the syndicate divvies up the time on a week by week basis (2 weeks in summer). It doesn't preclude others using it providing the weeks 'owner' has no need for it but it does mean you can go away for the night or a week without feeling guilty. Not all groups work on this principal however, using a booking system akin to the local flying club, and I think that discourages nights away. If I were to ever buy another share it would have to be on the basis that I have now, not on a booking system as that doesn't always give the freedom to stay away.
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I have never done an over-nighter, mainly due to difficulty finding a passenger who will take the risk of an extended stopover.
The last couple of years it has been hard enough planning ahead for a single day of good weather, let alone two in a row!
If Mrs Tall Guy was prepared to fly in something smaller than a 737 things might be different .....
The last couple of years it has been hard enough planning ahead for a single day of good weather, let alone two in a row!
If Mrs Tall Guy was prepared to fly in something smaller than a 737 things might be different .....
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I think it depends on why someone has a PPL.
If they are just hours building then you may find they will take off and bore holes in the sky around their local area.
If they are using their PPL for recreational uses then they will fly to another airfield and have some lunch or something ON site of the destination.
- whilest occasionally having a little tour/sleep over when finances allow
If they are just hours building then you may find they will take off and bore holes in the sky around their local area.
If they are using their PPL for recreational uses then they will fly to another airfield and have some lunch or something ON site of the destination.
- whilest occasionally having a little tour/sleep over when finances allow
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Sorry Andrew,
I have an ATPL and more than enough hours, so hour building is my last priority! Personaly I find FLYING the aircraft (ie aeros or such), MUCH more interesting than sitting there flying in a straight line twiddling my thumbs and doing very little in the way of actually handling the aircraft. This also does a LOT more for your skill in handling the aircraft.
I have an ATPL and more than enough hours, so hour building is my last priority! Personaly I find FLYING the aircraft (ie aeros or such), MUCH more interesting than sitting there flying in a straight line twiddling my thumbs and doing very little in the way of actually handling the aircraft. This also does a LOT more for your skill in handling the aircraft.
Last edited by foxmoth; 2nd Apr 2003 at 19:29.
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The Mystic Art of Being a Low-Time Pilot
A decent little article from the USA: http://avstop.com/Stories/mystic.html
