I see our new member Phil is/was a Cessna 172 driver. I have many hours in a 172, also a 150. Most of my hours are in taildraggers. It has been said if you learn to fly in a taildragger, the tricycle gear transition is easy, but not the other way around. (Like learning to drive with a stick shift?) My first solo was in a Taylorcraft L-2 that was 2 years older than I. Most of my hours are in a Citabria 7ECA. Handles like an S compared to a 150 or 172. Have never owned a plane, waiting to win the lotto.
All that said, I pretty much stopped flying when I moved to Napa 6 years ago. I do miss it.
Final comment- spinning straight down in an aerobatic plane is the ultimate roller coaster ride. Terrifying and a rush, all at once.

 

Owned a Cessna 177 RG, sweet plane. 150-160mph cruise at about 9gph.
Have not flown for some time but have hours in a Cessna 150 tail wheel, 150-152, 172, 172RG, T210 (another nice plane), Piper Cherokee and Citabria. Has become so expensive, not sure if I'll fly again.

 

I got my glider rating years and years ago, and spent a few years burning $$$ on tow fees, and loving it. I haven't flown now in over 15 years, but would like to get back into it someday.

JonasM

 

Screen name says it all. 27 years in Naval Aviation, 6500 pilot hours...T-34, T-44, C-1A, UC-12B (Super King Air), TA-4, C-9B (Douglas DC-9), C-40 (737-700). Loved every flight and got to fly to six different continents.

 

Like Jonas, I am NO longer current.

I have most of my time in a Cessna 152. Although, I have some time in a Warrior, I also have some "right seat time" in a 172, and a Bonaza A-36.

The most fun that I have had have been with "stick time" in a "Big Stearman" (in my Avatar), a Grob S-2 Sail Plane and a Type 2 Ultralite.

In a perfect world if I ever win a lottery I would love to have either an Experimental plane or a "good old open cockpit bi-plane for just "tooling around".

I LOVE TO FLY!

 

I'm with ya Matt!
I really miss being able to act as PIC. Fortunately, after I "lost" my medical, I can still accompany my son and get my hands on those controls!! For all those who stopped flying due to expense or medical reasons, check out your options under the new sport pilot regs http://www.sportpilot.org/
If my condition continues to improve, I think that I might be able to get back in the air, operating under the sport pilot rules. Technically, my medical just expired (was not denied/suspended or revoked) so I can use my drivers license as evidence of medical eligibility.

 

Every year I promise myself that I will make the trip to "Aviation Mecca" (AKA Oskosh) but I never seem to make / have the time. Perhaps one day, after I retire, we will have the time to float around the country taking in events such as Oskosh and race venues at tracks that I have never been too. In a "perfect world" that will be in a Class A diesel pusher motorhome towing our S in an enclosed race trailer. :-)

 

I've got 15 hours towards my license in a Piper Warrior 140, but quickly realized that if you don't plan on flying at least once every 2-3 weeks, you'll be a danger to yourself and others. I don't want that.

As I lived about an hour from the airport, it became clear that I'd have to be serious enough to block out 4-5 hours of time (and $150) every two weeks, forever. I'm not ready for that commitment--at least until I move closer to an airport...

 

For what it is worth, IMHO:

Anyone that wants to learn how to fly needs to make a serious comitment of time and money. Find a school that has a flat fee for X number of hours of instuction. The minimum number of hours of instruction is forty hours (unless the FAA has changed that over the years, which I believe they may have with the recreational pilots license) and a ground school before one can take the test. Most people require about almost twice that number of hours to get compotent enough to take the test. Including two cross country flights and at least one night flight. (Unless this has changed over the years).

I took the bulk of my lessons this time of year, and would constantly get cancelled on Sundays due to heavy weather in the Mid-Atlantic region (thunderstroms). As a result, when I got back in the cockpit I would spend about 1/3 or more of the lesson relearning what I had forgot since the last time I had flown.

My suggestion is to condense the time frame as much as you can and just immerse yourself.

I am curious if others that have been there feel the same way?

 

Been flying since 1974 and professionally since 76. Flown everything from Piper Cubs to Twin Otters. Time to retire and get a job flying tourists around the South seas a couple of days a week and the rest of the time sip exotic drinks on the beach