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I absolutely agree about not setting a arbitrary date. Since I'm retired and don't have the revenue string I used to have, cost may make that decision for me. I just payed my monthly airport bill and it was well over 1K for just rent and fuel. Add in all the other cost to own a plane and over the course of a year, it comes to a fairly tidy sum.
Yes. Barring a medical event, I'm guessing that at some point in the next (X) years, cost and effort will exceed my level of interest, but I'm not there yet. Cost is currently of less concern, especially since (unlike my wife and her equestrian endeavors) I'll eventually be able to recover a reasonably good chunk of my aviation investment when I do decide to cash out.
Webb, my friend. you just spent alot of time, and money building the plane you want. Now take some time to ENJOY it
I'm definately not there yet.
My insurance now requires that I fly with a safety pilot since I turned 85 a year ago. I still feel competent flying my 12 but there are other factors to consider.
My eagle eyes and cat like reflexes were slipping as well. So I sold my RV4 and citabrias and bought a RV9A. Lands slower than a 172 and the little wheel is on front so a little more forgiving. Im sure Ive added another decade to take me into my late 70s. But Transport Canada has different ideas and they will be my limiting factor.
Exactly -- getting up and flying as often and regularly as you can is truly "key" regardless of your physical age. At 67, I feel better about my flying than when I was in my 20's. However, condition inspections take a little longer now. My younger sister tells me after flying commercially that she "really likes to see some silver hair on the captain's head" -- and, I agree!
It was a great way to finish a series. And remember, only you can let someone steal your joy........
exactly the opposite for me... now finally realized that every year, month, hours, millisecond, is a precious as whatever I could wish for, but I HAVE THAT TIME NOW, AND ONLY NOW
Doug, you beat me to it. Kay is phenomenal. Tony and I always say when we grow up, we want to be like Kay. We’re in our 60s.
Don’t worry about making FNL controllers mad. They’re inexperienced and have expectations based on tribal knowledge and agreements with all the training aircraft from Aims and Leading Edge. Problem is that not ALL planes operating at that field are from a flight school.
Larry, I have the same issues. This is what helps me: I’ve found if I speak slower to ATC, they usually respond slower to me. I’ve given up trying to remember what ATC says- I always write it down, and then repeat back to them. Slow down and think before speaking. And as you said, listening to ATC helps. Each area has their quirks, but the general ATC language is the same.
Thanks for posting this. I've received poor service from their contract tower in the past. The worst was tower opening at 8am when I was cleared for the RNAV 33, after the FAF, in hard IMC, and giving me an instruction to circle to 15 to join the prevailing direction of traffic. Except there was absolutely no one flying into FNL as the field was IFR. I listened on the radio, and checked ADS-B and live ATC at the time and afterwards. Nobody into the field, +/- 30m at least. I don't know what they were thinking, but I went missed.
DR,
I'm afraid of the same things! I have nothing else....
Good to be proactive and your nursing experience can give your doctor some helpful input. Couple of things to note and that your doctor may tell you...carotid ultrasound in the absence of a bruit is generally not useful. A bruit is definitely something your doctor should listen for as a starting point in assessing cardiovascular health, assuming you don't have other neurological symptoms. EKG is likewise of very limited value (many would say no value) in asymptomatic adults, and your Apple Watch can give you just as much useful information. None of these tests would be dangerous or harmful in any way, however, and peace of mind is always a good thing. Of more value might be a cardiac calcium scoring CT, although that is debated and its value (and Medicare payment) is usually stratified according to cardiac risk factors. Cardiac echo would be valuable if there's suspicion of valvular disease (again, bruit) but the true test of cardiovascular risk would be a stress echo to 10 mets. If you're concerned, I'd ask your doctor to schedule one if your insurance will cover it, and they probably will.
We all know how you feel. The one thing I learned while operating from a towered field is to keep things "simple and the same" every time. For example, I always taxi to a know place on the AOA and then request taxi clearance after receiving ADIS. We also write-down ADIS wind, runway in-use and code letter. I now know the runway being used and can expect a clearance to that runway and its possible taxi route(s). When calling ground, I make sure I'm not focused on other things around me that could distract my attention and go into "listing mode" (e.g. "cool looking paint job on that RV over there"). When requesting taxi clearance, I keep it simple, the same and always include my departure direction. For example "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo, near self-service fuel, ready to taxi for a North bound departure with Echo". While copying taxi clearance, I write down runway, taxi way(s) and runway intersection. I also write-down any "hold-short" or "give-way" inductions in shorthand form. When reading back a taxi clearance, I always include runway assignment, which they really like to hear. Before takeoff, I keep it simple and include where I am, the runway I'm using and the direction of flight. Example -- "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo, at Alpha-5, 34-leff, ready for northbound departure". When coming back into the airport, I listen to ADIS, write down the wind, runway in-use and code letter. Again, I pick the same known reporting point depending on the direction I'm approaching from. For example, when coming in from the North for 34R -- "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo over North Everett at 2000, inbound for landing 34-right with Tango. Tower will generally say "report right-downwind for runway 34-right" and might also add "departing traffic at your one o-clock, opposite direction, same altitude". Again, keeping it simple -- "9'er Whisky Bravo, report right-downwind for 34-right, looking for traffic". From there, it's generally "cleared to land, 34-right behind the Cessna on downwind". Always remember to include the runway assignment -- this is where guys get corrected by our tower if they don't.
I tell people (a) my RV-9A is even easier to fly and land than my Warrior was, and (b) that's really, really saying something.
Best to make the decision ourselves then have an official paying a visit and demanding the surrender of our ticket.
Sounds like you are being proactive!We all know how you feel. The one thing I learned while operating from a towered field is to keep things "simple and the same" every time. For example, I always taxi to a know place on the AOA and then request taxi clearance after receiving ADIS. We also write-down ADIS wind, runway in-use and code letter. I now know the runway being used and can expect a clearance to that runway and its possible taxi route(s). When calling ground, I make sure I'm not focusing on other things around me that could distract my attention and go into "listing mode" (e.g. "cool looking paint job on that RV over there"). When requesting taxi clearance, I keep it simple, the same and always include my departure direction. For example "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo, near self-service fuel, ready to taxi for a North bound departure with Echo". While copying taxi clearance, I write down runway, taxi way(s) and runway intersection. I also write-down any "hold-short" or "give-way" inductions in shorthand form. When reading back a taxi clearance, I always include runway assignment, which they really like to hear! Before takeoff, I keep is simple and include where I am, the runway I'm using and the direction of flight. For example -- "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo, at Alpha-5, 34-leff, ready for northbound departure". When coming back into the airport, I listen to ADIS, write down the wind, runway in-use and code letter. Again, I pick the same known reporting point depending on the direction I'm approaching from. For example, when coming in from the North for 34R -- "One One 9'er Whisky Bravo over North Everett at 2000, inbound for landing 34-right with Tango. Tower will generally say "report right-downwind for runway 34-right" and might also add "departing traffic at your one o-clock, opposite direction, same altitude". Again, keeping it simple -- "9'er Whisky Bravo, report right-downwind for 34-right, looking for traffic". From there, it's generally "cleared to land, 34-right behind the Cessna on downwind". Always remember to include the runway assignment -- this is where guys get corrected by our tower here if they don't.
I believe I said "possible taxi route(s)", meaning plural -- right? Not being prepared can cause bigger problems at busy towered airports. For example, if we are at the self-service fuel island for a mid-field takeoff on 34L at KPAE, then we can expect either "taxi via Charlie, Alpha to Alpha 5" or "taxi via Delta, Alpha to Alpha 5" or "taxi via Charlie, Juliet, Alpha to Alpha 5". And, we also know that it might be to either the Alpha-5, Alpha-6 or Alpha 7 intersection. This is what I meant in saying "possible taxi route(s)". But, you are also right about the dangers of "expectation bias".
And, we're glad we started building our RV-9A when we were both 42 -- how time flies then you're having fun! Getting older was much better than we thought it would be too, but we never used alcohol, drugs nor smoked and got our sleep. When we were both in our lower 20's and started flying together, my wife's grandparents, who lived into their late 90's, told us that these things wear-out the body quickly, so we listened. And, there we were back then.
No need to get upset; just illustrating the potential problems with preloading yourself. Yes, expectation bias is real. KPAE is a valid example but there are certainly bigger and definitely more complicated airports. Those airports make it virtually impossible to predict one, much less multiple taxi routes (for this example).
No worries on my side -- just trying to help a fellow VAF member who has had very little prior tower experience, and then had one move-in on him at FNL, where they were not being considerate to flyers based there. I had lived in Colorado too and flew from GXY, FNL and many others there. FNL was the airport he was referring to. The idea was to not over complicate comms at tower controlled airports. FNL is a unique situation to say the least, and it doesn't help when ATC snaps back at pilots -- right?
When you hear the little voice.
