Haven't even thought about posting for a while...
Here goes,
It's hard to talk about a subject like this without insulting or pissing SOMEONE off, and please if you're a pilot I know and are reading this, don't take offense to this because, trust me, you are NOT someone I'm talking about.
Just venting off a little here, Ive come to the conclusion that there really are pilots out there, who just do it to try and look cool. A social fad that gives them something to talk about at parties.. It seems as if they don't really like flying airplanes, and it always comes third, fourth, or fifth in their lives. I've met thousands upon thousands of pilots, enthusiasts, and plain old airport bums who eat, sleep, and breathe aviation, but it's hard to comprehend that there are pilots who like roller skating more than they like being a pilot. I've brought this up to others around the airport, at Oshkosh, etc, and we get on the track of talking about parents forcing their kids into aviation. That never ends up well.. They become dangerous pilots who can barely trust themselves, flying only enough to keep their day currency and never flying at night. They don't understand how to enter class B airspace, because they never talk to controllers, and they never end up getting anything farther then their private license. Hard to believe, but I'm speaking from experience because I fly with some of these people. I get scared (excuse my French) shitless. There is another Private Pilot sitting next to me and I find myself holding onto the controls the whole time, intercepting localizers and radials for them, talking on the radio for them, and watching out for all the other traffic for them, just like I'm flying by myself. That is how much I don't trust them. Flying isn't just a hobby, it is a lifestyle. It sounds bad, but I feel more safe flying with someone who I was just talking to with about an article in sport aviation, than flying with someone who was just talking about an article in a gun magazine. I'd feel more safe flying with a pilot who wants to go to the airport to clean the airplane they fly, rather than a pilot who doesn't want to take the short drive to the airport and would rather choose to clean their already-clean motorcycle instead. The pilots I know who are better pilots then others, are the ones who have a love affair with flying and anything that has to do with airplanes. After all, you tend to perform better and know more about something when you have a passion for it, right?
... But that's only a select few people that I know.. and as you can tell it, really bugs me. If you have something like this, go share it and love it. Some pilots don't understand how lucky they are.
Enough listening to me rant, onto talking about other things.
I flew the Decathlon last week, doing acro for the first time in a little under 2 months. Needless to say I got my ass kicked. I was so tired on final approach it was challenging to land. Which is not good. Although it was nobodies fault other than the Decathlon was really just not available for that long due to weather, being in the shop, or other pilots flying it at the only times I could, I will never go that long without flying acro again.
The flight was extremely fun though, doing everything from basic rolls to half cubans and immelmans. I'm taking her up again Monday, and I absolutely cannot wait.
I went to Chicago for the fourth or fifth time in my life, rode a subway for the first time in my life, and went in the worlds worst elevator.. For anyone that doesn't know, I absolutely cannot take elevators. I get way too scared for my life. It was all really fun though.... Except for riding the elevator.
I also broke passed my 250th hour flying airplanes. Feels good to accomplish that, and I'm more than excited to see what I accomplish in the next 250.
Keep the green side up, and the blue side down.
