Local Surge in General Aviation:

[speeder]

Apparently. I wonder how long until one of these young sooper jeniuses corkscrews into the earth as a result of the well known human phenomena that egotists possess; i.e. if I’m good at one thing, I’m good at everything.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-20/silicon-beach-elites-fly-private-jets-for-fun

[rattlsnak]

Good grief..

[GH85Carrera]

Rich folks have been flying way outside their capabilities for decades. The Beechcraft Bonanza has been called the Doctor killer for a long time. It is a safe airplane for a well trained pilot.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2017/03/29/the-doctor-killer/

Get some low time doc in the left seat and his ego takes over and common sense goes out the window.

[Tervuren]

If I had the money...
I'd start with a grass field and light aircraft.
Who knows where I'd stop.

Reading that article, I wonder if more people took driving as seriously as the woman interviewed took flying; just how many lives could be saved?
A part of the lure is paying attention, being alert, giving it your best.

A book I would recommend to anyone that has a sense of humor.
https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Build-Fly-WHAT/dp/093257906X

I think I'm gonna go for a few miles in the 944 and enjoy it a little more after reading that article.
Thanks for sharing Speeder.

[Skillet83]

kathrynsreport.com

[Zeke]

If you want to see a surge, come to my house one mile due west of runway 26R at LBG. Sometimes 4-5 student pilots are doing touch and go exercises at the same time. A round trip averages 7 minutes and they do one hour lessons. That can be 28 to 35 operations per hour typically occurring during the 2 'happy hours' of noon and 5 pm. During those periods it isn't unusual for a plane to pass overhead at 500 to 800 feet up every minute and sometimes as much as 3 per minute when they get stacked up. Noise levels are typically high 70's to 90 dB. They aren't reportable unless they surpass 90 dB. I have a dB meter.

I wonder where they get that kind of money when it takes around $8000 to 10,000 to pay for lessons and a plane. And then what? The cost of owning and insuring a plane is not hobbyist money anymore.

The lady in the article makes good money and likely writes flying off her taxes.

[dmcummins]

Originally Posted by Zeke

If you want to see a surge, come to my house one mile due west of runway 26R at LBG. Sometimes 4-5 student pilots are doing touch and go exercises at the same time. A round trip averages 7 minutes and they do one hour lessons. That can be 28 to 35 operations per hour typically occurring during the 2 'happy hours' of noon and 5 pm. During those periods it isn't unusual for a plane to pass overhead at 500 to 800 feet up every minute and sometimes as much as 3 per minute when they get stacked up. Noise levels are typically high 70's to 90 dB. They aren't reportable unless they surpass 90 dB. I have a dB meter.

I wonder where they get that kind of money when it takes around $8000 to 10,000 to pay for lessons and a plane. And then what? The cost of owning and insuring a plane is not hobbyist money anymore.

The lady in the article makes good money and likely writes flying off her taxes.

Even my old plane cost me between $15000-$20000 per year to own, and my hangar only runs me $300. A new Cirrus is close to a million now. I don’t know what the new Cirrus jet cost, but it’s more.

[berettafan]

I don't get the attitude towards people who can afford it wanting to experience flight in the coolest way they see possible.

Heck if I won the lottery one of the first things I'd do with my free time is get my license. If offered the chance to experience a jet I sure as hell wouldn't say 'no'.

[Tobra]

If I had own my own plane dough, I would move someplace where people are fewer and more far between and set up remote clinic and fly around to them. Know a guy does that in NM

[javadog]

For a few people, flying is somewhat intuitive. Many of the rest shouldn’t go anywhere near an airplane. I know which camp I would likely put these clowns into.

[seafeye]

Just cause you can buy it. Doesn’t mean you should fly it.

[john70t]

I've often wondered why new pilots/small planes can be mixed into the international airport heavy traffic and turbulence.

Wouldn't it make sense for them to be limited to recreational use only at regional strips for the first year or X hours, until a re-certification bumps them up to higher privileges?

I also think new car drivers should have tags or magnetic stickers to let others know to be careful.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by Zeke

If you want to see a surge, come to my house one mile due west of runway 26R at LBG. Sometimes 4-5 student pilots are doing touch and go exercises at the same time. A round trip averages 7 minutes and they do one hour lessons. That can be 28 to 35 operations per hour typically occurring during the 2 'happy hours' of noon and 5 pm. During those periods it isn't unusual for a plane to pass overhead at 500 to 800 feet up every minute and sometimes as much as 3 per minute when they get stacked up. Noise levels are typically high 70's to 90 dB. They aren't reportable unless they surpass 90 dB. I have a dB meter.

I wonder where they get that kind of money when it takes around $8000 to 10,000 to pay for lessons and a plane. And then what? The cost of owning and insuring a plane is not hobbyist money anymore.

The lady in the article makes good money and likely writes flying off her taxes.

Juggling priorities is part of being a pilot. A busy pattern can help weed out people poorly suited to flying. Almost every year, someone (or more) falls out of the sky in Oshkosh (at EAA) because they become overwhelmed with it all and lose track of their airspeed.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by john70t

I've often wondered why new pilots/small planes can be mixed into the international airport heavy traffic and turbulence.

Wouldn't it make sense for them to be limited to recreational use only at regional strips for the first year or X hours, until a re-certification bumps them up to higher privileges?

I also think new car drivers should have tags or magnetic stickers to let others know to be careful.

Most small aircraft try hard to stay away from the large commercial airports the airlines use. In Oklahoma City, I bet there are 10 smaller civil aviation airports some are privately owned. We keep our airplane at one such airport. They are known nation wide as a source of cheap fuel. Small corporate jets and all sorts of private aircraft land there on cross country trips for fuel. They have a lot of hangars that the rent out.

For most people, it is WAY WAY cheaper to just rent an aircraft to go play practice in, and learn to fly. We bought our airplane only because we are charging our customers for it's use everytime we start the engine. And we never ever take a passenger. We do aerial photography and mapping so we have the 182T as a work pickup. Just a really expensive work pickup.

[Embraer]

Originally Posted by Zeke

If you want to see a surge, come to my house one mile due west of runway 26R at LBG. Sometimes 4-5 student pilots are doing touch and go exercises at the same time. A round trip averages 7 minutes and they do one hour lessons. That can be 28 to 35 operations per hour typically occurring during the 2 'happy hours' of noon and 5 pm. During those periods it isn't unusual for a plane to pass overhead at 500 to 800 feet up every minute and sometimes as much as 3 per minute when they get stacked up. Noise levels are typically high 70's to 90 dB. They aren't reportable unless they surpass 90 dB. I have a dB meter.

I wonder where they get that kind of money when it takes around $8000 to 10,000 to pay for lessons and a plane. And then what? The cost of owning and insuring a plane is not hobbyist money anymore.

The lady in the article makes good money and likely writes flying off her taxes.

The small vfr tower that I was facility manager at had 14-15 airplanes in the pattern at once, all cirruses, while conducting simultaneous opposite direction practice approaches.....5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Prior to that gig, I was a controller at LA Center, and lgb was one of the less busy airports in socal. VNY was king there for GA.

That being said, managing a small vfr tower was much more nerve racking then my current job as the night facility manager at the busiest artcc in the country (during mid ops). As a former 121 pilot, I cringe at 90% of weekend warriors out flying.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

That must be something more than a C150, or a Luscumb.
The old stuff is pretty reasonable to buy and operate as long as you carefully not get one with a list of AD problems
I have friends with a few different planes, and non are costing that amount!
Yankee, Cessna, Aronica, Taylor, piper, all pretty reasonable.
Helicopters quite another story...........

There are a lot of flying clubs and fractional ownership as well. For a $500 entry fee to the club here I can fly for $60-$80 per hour, depending on the plane. The other choice is a rental at $120 per hour. Still cheaper than owning outright for most planes.

That said, had I enough money I would get a Cherokee 6/300 so I could fly a family of four plus a bunch of luggage around the country.

[Dantilla]

People assume anybody with an airplane is incredibly wealthy.

While flying is expensive, it is not that different from having a cabin cruiser moored at a marina, or having a vacation cabin on a lake somewhere, or even boarding a couple horses. Or goofing off with Porsches at the race track.

For some reason, having a boat is normal, but having an airplane is extravagant.

As a weekend warrior type that makes Embraer nervous, I avoid large airports that have any commercial traffic. Land at Podunkville for gas, and it's usually a friendly mom & pop place where I taxi right up to the gas pump, and they offer a loaner car if I want to go get lunch in town. Far more enjoyable than mixing it up with jet traffic just to be part of the ground control rat race, waiting for the gas truck to get to little 'ol me.

[flipper35]

My first solo cross country I had to land at Cedar Rapids in a 152, between a 737 and DC-10. They asked me to make a short final. I wanted to land where the 737 was turning off the runway to the taxiway just to be sure I wasn't doing unintentional aerobatics 20' off the runway.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Everyone I know that owns an airoplane goes nowhere.
This is a hobby.
They go to the next airport have coffee and a donut, cut some holes in the shy, come home, work on the plane the next day, repeat next weekend.
Typically these are not bought for cross country travel but for the thrill and hobby of just going for a putt.

That is exactly the same for the vast majority of the Porsche owners on this board. Most of the folks on this board have never done a real road trip cross country in their Porsche. Most take it out for a few hours, and park it back at home.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by flipper35

My first solo cross country I had to land at Cedar Rapids in a 152, between a 737 and DC-10. They asked me to make a short final. I wanted to land where the 737 was turning off the runway to the taxiway just to be sure I wasn't doing unintentional aerobatics 20' off the runway.

Cross country in a 152? I hope you did not have to go very far.

Of of the guys we hire as a contract pilot has been all over the country flying projects for us. He has some funny stories about small airports. Some are really nice, with a nice FBO and cute ladies at the counter. Some are unattended and just almost something from the after the apocalypse in ugly and barren.