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[brhulen]

Just curious how many private or commercial pilots we have out there.  I've only been at it for 17 years now and currently "in between" planes (read can no longer afford to fly  )  Now just use the hanger for storage and watch the grass grow on the strip.

[Capo]

Very low hours around 101 mostly in a C-172. Wish I had more cash I love to fly....always a struggle new H-D or flying. Maybe whjen I grow up I'll fly more. Planning to get my CFI and teach for retirement $$ just have 10 years to get there!!

[CVOMOE!!]

Private license.  VFR only.  Haven't flown for years though.  I'd rather be riding and can't afford to do both.

Regards, Moe

[AZSSE]

I've had my private's license for a lot of years, but haven't flown in quite a while. I'd probably have to spend a thousand dollars just getting back to flying status.

[MIKEYTEE]

Private Pilot scince 1984, not current at this time. 250 hours, someday hope to get back to flying but for now happy riding my bikes.
Mike
 

[FUZZNUTS]

I'm VFR rated, at one time I owned a Cessna 310 G. Got married and sold all the toys. I would like to get rated in helicopter. Who knows........one day....maybe.  

[DESERTBEAR54]

EX A & P Mech on Lears,Citations and King Airs but gave up the night shift and just watch them fly over now. My 08 SEUC satisfies the soul!!

[tompen]

Got my private in 1987. VFR. Started going for IFR and HP but didn't finish. Trained in a 172, and a Warrior. I was signed off for both left and right seat in both rentals. I was flying with a buddy who had a Cherokee. He had a heart attack while flying his Gyrocopter 4 years ago. Kind of lost my incentive to stay current. First I skipped the physical, then the bienniel. So I haven't been pilot in command for 5 or 6 years. I wouldn't fly that Gyro. Damned kitchen chair with a snowmobile engine. No regrets though.

[Wildrat]

I have my P.O.T., and have been flying for many, many years. Only got shot down once, after that I have been more observant.:zblowup:

[Dan_Lockwood]

I'm VFR rated, at one time I owned a Cessna 310 G. Got married and sold all the toys. I would like to get rated in helicopter. Who knows........one day....maybe.  

FUZZNUTS, you may want to think about a gyro rating.  I was taking pilot lessons back in the early '80s and did solo.  I took lessons from ex Army Airforce pilot in mid Michigan.  He was a great guy and had over 4500 hours logged.  I trained in a '60 Piper Colt two seater.  He soloed me out at 15 minutes short of 5 hours training.  I didn't think I was ready, but hey, he's the instructor so off I went.  What a feeling that is, to solo the first time and get your shirt tails cut off and hung on the wall of the hanger.  Just shortly after I started taking lessons I bought an American Eagle Ultralight.  I flew it for a couple years.  I had floats for flying off water and made up some nice snow snow skis for the winter flying.  I bought it to relax and fly off my 5 acres out in the country. 

I was also looking into the Air Command (spelling) gyros.  They had ultralight versions and full fledged certified gyros that require license and endorsement for gyros. 

When I went to visit them they told me that the training worked like this.

If you are a private pilot you can take gyro training and get certified in one for a lot less than a helicopter.  Once you have the gyro rating, all you have to do is take helicopter training to be proficient and then take the endorsement flight test.  So as he explained it to me, there is a back door to getting certified in a helicopter that may be worth looking into.  At least that was the situation back in the early '80s.  Now with sport ratings, things have changed a lot.

I wish I could get back into flying, but living here in the metro St. Louis area there isn't a lot of free flying without getting a long ways from home.  Maybe when I retire....     

[dlaws01]

I worked for a flight school in the late 80's as an A & P mechanic.  After any major maintenance or inspections, I would go with one of the flight instructors for a post maintenance test flight.  After awhile, I bought a pilot's logbook and would get the instructors to sign off on the amount of time we flew.  They were more than happy to do so as they get to log the time as an instructor.  I was very fortunate because there were many different instructors and a variety of aircraft.  Tomahawks, 150's, 152's, 172's, warrior's, seminole's and cherokee's.  I never had to pay for aircraft time or instruction.  Later I went to work for an FBO where they allowed me to trade two hours of overtime for one hour of aircraft time with an instructor.  After I soloed, I took my time finishing my required hours to get my license.  I have been aircraft so much that I started getting sick of it and sort of lost interest.  I have a couple of friends that own their own aircraft and I often trade out maintenance work for flight time.  Now if I get to fly an hour once a month, I'm happy.  I didn't fly for a couple of years while I was in Afghanistan contracting for the army but when I got back I flew quite a bit.  I ad another pilot in the aircraft with me because my medical isn't current.  I still like flying but many of my friends are amazed by the whole airport scene and being around aircraft but I guess I'm just alittle burned out with it.  I guess it beats working in a factory on the assembly line.  I'd much rather be cruising on my springer or maybe fishing.

[Plasmaman]

Flew helicopters in Nam then was chopper instructor pilot for the Army and later Southern Airways training pilots to go to Nam. Later flew for Oil and Gas company and have somewhere over 4,000 chopper hours. Went on to get commercial, instrument and multi engine ratings. Had a Citabria until 2000 when I made the decision to try my hand at metal art. Flying is expensive so I slold the plane and have not stayed current. I love flying my hot sportster and the SERK. I am an asphalt aviator now. Guess I got enough flying through the years. It was a great way to make a living.

The photo was my huey test firing two mini guns near Soc Trang Viet Nam in 1966.

Plasmaman

[VANAMAL]

I had a cessna 172 for a couple of years.  I was known for the crash & go and the figure 9. 

[MIKEYTEE]

I still hold the record for 13 TO"S and landings in one pass at East Cooper airport.
Mike

[dlaws01]

I still hold the record for 13 TO"S and landings in one pass at East Cooper airport.
Mike

Thats pretty funny Mike.  I'll not try to break that one!