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What Are Your Aviation Goals For 2011?

Geico266

Geico266

Well Known Member
Each year I sit down and try to come up with aviation goals for the next year. Without goals there can be a tendency to fall into the "normal" or "routine" things we do. Then what we do becomes boring and we can loose interest.

Remember your first airplane ride? When you first ordered your airplane kit? How about the day you soloed? Time to recapture and maintain that youthful enthusiasm. :D

Are you going to SnF or OSH in 2011? Are you going to a local fly in? Time to start planning.

How about starting or finishing a building project? Time to dust off the ol rivet gun and get after it. Don't get caught in the "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome, get "R" dun!

How about setting a flying goal? Landing at all of your states airports? Seeing how many states you can do a T&G in next year? How about setting a goal to do all the states? I have 4 states left in my quest to fly in all 50 states. I should be done this year if everything goes right.

Get your tail wheel endorsement. IFR rating? How long can you fly on one tank of fuel?..... (Safely ;))

Just because it is cold does not mean flying stops. Last year I flew the -12 in -7F temps! and had a ball! :eek: Get the plane preheated, put the long john on, and get out there! No Bugs! :D

Remember those friends or family members you promised to take fly and never did? Make it a goal to fly them! Call them and get them excited about a short flying trip. Find a young person and take them flying.

I know the economy is a tad slow and discretionary funds may be an issue. How about getting a few buddies together and share the expenses? "Where there is a will, there is a way." Unless you own an RV-3 you can share the ride!

Okay, enough cheer leading. What are your goals for 2011?
 
Getting my IFR ticket, get the canopy done, get the engine bought (and maybe hung!).
 
My goals...

Sell my Sonex and buy an RV-4, or RV-6, or trade up to one.
Spend more time at my hangar and get to know my airport mates better.
Get my wife up for her first ride.
Make the Idaho trip this summer with Dave, Pat, Dan and the rest.

Chris
 
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Flying the 8 to the Air Force Academy

That follows the completion of the goal of getting him in. He's got a principle nomination from our congressman and is fully qualified by USAFA so it should be a formality at this point...

The next goal is to get son checked out in one of the USAFA rental cessnas so he can fly for fun if he ever gets a break.

Next flying goal is to get him competitive to make their Flying Team (anyone know anything about this?).

After that the goal would be for him and me to learn to fly in the mountains safely so we can visit CO more often and do some sight seeing.

Non flying but related goal would be to relearn how to snow ski! What else is there to do there in the winter besides drinking at bars in ski resorts?!?!:confused:
 
Great thread. My goals, in no particular order, are:
- two tail wheel endorsements
- formal aerobatics training x2
- OSH.
- Bahamas in the RV!
- fly 180hr total in the year
- have the -8 project with engine and avionics in process
- exercise my new formation wingman card
- maybe finish up getting my CFI

It should be a good year!
 
I told a friend, I painted my plane yellow 'cuz I'm going to fly the PI$$ out of it.

I've made up a list with a dozen events I would like to attend. Plus some travel flying I NEED to do. Here's a couple highlights:

1. SARL race in Wenatchee
2. Hemet, CA to give my Dad a ride
3. OshKosh
4. RV Homecoming
 
1. SNF
2. OSH
3. Formal formation flying training.
4. Solo my son
5. Solo my daughter
6. Get my "II"
7. Attend more FAAST and WINGS programs.
8. Complete all the AOPA Air Safety Webinars.
 
- Order empennage and start building
- Attend more RAA (Recreational Aircraft Association) meetings
- Get more flying time so I'm more than just legally current
 
Geico266 said:
Just because it is cold does not mean flying stops. Last year I flew the -12 in -7F temps! and had a ball! :eek: Get the plane preheated, put the long john on, and get out there! No Bugs! :D
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I agree! Our winters can be long and cold and if we stopped flying because of a little chill, we'd get very little flying done.

Cheers,
 
passing 4,ooo hours in my now 11 year young rv-6a.

flying safe and not getting any letters from the FAA!!!!!!!

staying healthy and spending time with all my family and friends.

meeting more RVers. turbo town below.
img03494.jpg
 
jferraro17 said:
A new contract at work, followed by an engine order and sending a large check to Stein! :cool:
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I'm quite sure Steiner will love that!

I'm lovin the enthusiasm here! Now you guys got me going! I need more goals! One of my goals was to ride in the Space Shuttle and they only have a few rides left! Hey Paul! How bout it man? ;)

Seriously, this is the kind of enthusiasim that is contagous. Pilots need goals! What are yours! If you don't have some make it your goal to make a few goals!
 
1. Starting a full time A&P program in January
2. Get & stay IFR current
3. Get some aerobatic training
4. Address the ECI Cylinder AD :mad:
5. Go to Osh
6. Have lots fun flying
 
Trying to build my little aviation business enough to avoid having to go back to work for someone else :D

(PS: if anyone has any friends in the AFW FSDO I could use some help there, they've been sitting on my CRS application for 5 months now :mad:)
 
3 goals

1. Flying safe and without serious incidents
2. Finish the RV-3 and get it into Phase 1
3. Taking another 20 pounds off the weight of the RV-3 by personal weight reduction. :eek:

Until I see what the day job work load will be next year (the oil spill has been a real wrench in our schedule planning), that as ambitious as I can get this year.
 
OSH with the RV8

The Big Goal: Finish the RV8 and fly it to OSH.

Other desires: fly less at work and more at home
Sell my SNJ-3 project (its super nice, but I have no time for it)
Get a nice hangar at Wiley Post for the RV8
 
3 biggies

Finish the refurb of 717EEl
Finish the new 7 with IO390 and incredible panel
Finish turbine helicopter kit.
Put air conditioning in hangar
Oshkosh
 
My plans for N210LM

Finish up the phase 1 flying.

Fly to Homecoming.

And, circumstances permitting, flying it to Osh:D
 
Louise Hose said:
1. Flying safe and without serious incidents
2. Finish the RV-3 and get it into Phase 1
3. Taking another 20 pounds off the weight of the RV-3 by personal weight reduction. :eek:

Until I see what the day job work load will be next year (the oil spill has been a real wrench in our schedule planning), that as ambitious as I can get this year.
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I'm right there with you, two out of 3! ;)
 
Tailwheel endorsement (hopefully first part of the year)
Gain 50 or so pounds of useful load via exercise and diet :)
Con my way into the backseat of the P-51 (I work with the CAF, so it's not too farfetched)
Stop talking about Oshkosh and actually go (could possibly coincide with the P-51 goal)
Get into GA Tech and get to work finishing engineering degree

With any luck, setting up a workshop and ordering an emp kit will be on my 2012 list.
 
RV7Guy said:
Finish the refurb of 717EEl
Finish the new 7 with IO390 and incredible panel
Finish turbine helicopter kit.
Put air conditioning in hangar
Oshkosh
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That is ambitious! And you plan to do ALL of it in ONE year Darwin?
 
Goals 2011

2010 was a steller year, lots of flying. Two trips to Montana and Idaho. Flying across the top of our country Idaho to New York. Two stops in Hot Springs, SD for Vettermans Bad Lands fly in. I made the effort to be out and visit with our airplane friends more.

Before RVs I did not know many people that owned airplanes. The supprise for me, is and was, meeting all the like minded people. Aviation is more about friendships than the hardware for me now. So my goals are to make sure those friendships grow and prosper.

2011 promices to be even better.
I hope to spend more time out and about. Spending MORE time with my aviation friends.

Fly to lunch more.
Idaho for sure.
Montana,, well d'aa
New York again.
Need to get Florida in there somehow.
Dayton Air Force Museum.
Oshkosh, Sun n Fun, LOE. Bad Lands, Reno.
 
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Wow, you folks are industrious. I have no goals, no plans, nothing to do. No one loves me. Might as well just eat worms.

I believe that the call sign for the USAFA competition team is "Bolt"

They do T&Gs at Meadow Lake a lot. The planes have a spiffy new red/white/blue paint job done by a painter here. You may have to fly into 00V or COS as opposed to the USAFA strip.
 
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My plan...

1. Remove 20 lbs this year, I'll do the other 20 next year. (thanks Louise) :p
2. Finish my plane. OK I have been flying it for more then 5 years, but I have never felt that I was the perfect airplane.
3. Get current IFR.
4. Fly somewhere not local at least 15 times.

Kent
 
The Basics

Well, I dunno about all you folks, but as for me an' my kin, we're gonna build us an aero-plane in our basement. (well . . . start one, anyway).

Happy New Year! May 2011 be (much MUCH) better (pretty please) than 2010 has been.

--Stephen (and Tyson)
 
My major goal for 2011 is simply to fly more. 2010 was a rebuilding year for me, loosing my job in January, finding a new one in April and moving 250NM to the new job in May. That will be helped greatly if I can find hangar space at LBX (been on the wait list for 10 months).

Other goals? Maybe start on my CFI-SP. Finish my SSA Bronze badge in the glider. But mostly? Just fly more.

TODR
 
2011 Conceptual Design

- make and test 2 piece wheel fairings for racing to replace the stock fairings with subfairings and sealing tape
- make and test fairings for the aileron hangar brackets
- attend Lycoming engine training in Pennsylvania in April
- develop a high level plan for increasing power of our O-360-A1A
- fly in several SARL cross country air races and hopefully win at least one
- travel to Altanta and Maine in our RV-6A
- take a cruise around Australia and New Zealand
- do all the routine work around our home and oh yes lose 10 pounds

Bob Axsom

P.S. - experiment with tip plates.
 
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My goal is to be a repeat offender in the RV-10 category. That is the building of one not the destruction of one.:rolleyes:

Go to SNF and OSH again.
Maybe IR or ASES.

If I can start building another RV-10 I will be more than happy.
 
-Fly with my 14 month old daughter for our first time
-First engine start for my RV-9A project
-More flying
 
Weight increase vs reduction

I see lots of pound losers here :D I need to gain some weight please donate what you can :D what a good thread thanks Larry!
 
Vlad said:
I see lots of pound losers here :D I need to gain some weight please donate what you can :D what a good thread thanks Larry!
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I'll pay you if you take my last 25 lbs, Vlad!

It would make me happy to get the -3 tail kit done and get a good start on the wings in 2011.
And learn to fly an RV-8. :D
 
2011 goals

Well I'm starting out 2011 with the most important goal to be completed on the first day - my official retirement date is 1-1-11! YOOOO HOOOO! That gives me no excuses to get to work on my 7A (after a couple of house projects get finished). I hope to be well on my way through the fuselage by years end.
 
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

flytoboat said:
Well I'm starting out 2011 with the most important goal to be completed on the first day - my official retirement date is 1-1-11! YOOOO HOOOO!
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GREAT!!!

Been retired for a little over 7 years now, I can say with full confidence, and empirical knowledge, it is worth it:D
 
Get current.

Get tail wheel endorsement.
Get RV transition training.
Get RV-8 to flying stage, signed off and first flight.
Thoroughly enjoy first RV grin!
Work through phase I.

I'd shoot for flying into OSH, but if I have to drive again and still accomplish the above by years end, I'll be a happy camper!:D
 
For 2010 I got my IFR ticket (a lot of work) so for 2011 I will have some fun and get my Float Plane add on.
 
2011

-Finish my gear leg fairings and wheel pants
-Get outta Phase 1!!!
-Get my wife, dad, and mom their rides
-OSH
-Lee Bottom

:D
 
Tailwheel

Like a few others have posted, I'm planning on getting my tailwheel endorsement. I have an instructor and a Super Cub reserved for the weekend of Jan. 22. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!
 
RV7 progress

I just want to get it finished enough to move it to the airport by this time next year. I will need to:

1 have Stein help build and design the panel and get it installed
2 finish installing the last skin and start the painting.
3 check all systems and double check all systems again.

Lucky, if you need any advice about USAFA, my son is going to graduate this May. Feel free to PM me.

Merry Christmas to all!
 
1. Get my Finish Kit ordered. Build my canopy.
2. Finalize decisions about engine, cowling, etc. and get my engine on order.
3. Start training for my PPL.
4. Maybe, if I get lucky, find a ride to Arlington or maybe even OSH (never been to OSH before).

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year everyone! :)
 
BSwayze said:
3. Start training for my PPL.


Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year everyone! :)
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Hmmm, you are not the first to build before getting licensed, but not how most folks do it.

Are you planning on learning to fly in your own plane??

That would sure be an adventure-------I just see it now, sitting around the fire, beer in hand, telling the guys

"yep, built my own plane, and learned to fly in it too"
 
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