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Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

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Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#41

Post by ars »

mistercow wrote: post #28
lutusp wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> By the way, are there some kind of autopilots on modern amateur planes? By "amateur planes" do you mean ultralights or experimental homebuilts? The answer depends on which -- an ultralight could hardly tolerate the extra weight that a decent autopilot would require. And most experimental homebuilt owners probably want the pleasure of actually flying their planes. Autopilots are more attractive to people who fly lon…

>an ultralight could hardly tolerate the extra weight that a decent autopilot would require Where does most of the weight come from in an autopilot?

I would assume the actuators to actually control the plane. I doubt ultralights are fly by wire.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#42

Post by gambiting »

jeiting wrote: post #18
mmanfrin wrote: post #6

13 MPG is surprisingly good, I always thought it was much, much less.

Yeah, its like an SUV but twice as fast.

Well, I used to drive my Land Rover LR3 4.4 V8 on the german autobahn regularly and I would say 13MPG is exactly what I was getting while cruising at 120mph.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#43

Post by Vespasian »

apunic wrote: post #15

Don't get me wrong but I do not get what's so exciting about flying yourself or owning a plane. Flying is for getting from point A to B. Flying just for fun missing any purpose might be fun the first couple of times but then it's like driving a bus from A to A.

Disclaimer: Highly biased of course ;)

Speaking as a glider pilot in training, its hard to beat the feeling of winch launch or the rising in a thermal column. Flying small planes connects you to the elements while still leaving you in control (if everything goes well). To me its the perfect combination of technology and outside activity.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#44

Post by Udo »

lutusp wrote: post #2

It's important to say that the general aviation population has gotten much smaller over the last few decades. It was a lot more popular 25 years ago when I flew much more than I do now. A number of aircraft manufacturers have stopped building small general-aviation planes for a number of reasons including liability and a reduction in public interest. I started flying about 1980. By 1992, 12 years later, about half th…

> about half the pilots I knew in 1980 (instructors as well as students) had been killed in flying accidents.

That's extreme. Is there any pattern? Where are you located?

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#45

Post by rurounijones »

Vespasian wrote: post #43
apunic wrote: post #15

Don't get me wrong but I do not get what's so exciting about flying yourself or owning a plane. Flying is for getting from point A to B. Flying just for fun missing any purpose might be fun the first couple of times but then it's like driving a bus from A to A.

Disclaimer: Highly biased of course ;) Speaking as a glider pilot in training, its hard to beat the feeling of winch launch or the rising in a thermal column. Flying small planes connects you to the elements while still leaving you in control (if everything goes well). To me its the perfect combination of technology and outside activity.

Amen to that, your first successful solo flight is something everyone remembers.

It is just fun!

Regarding the elements bit: The first time I went solo the only reason I stayed up for more than 15 minutes was finding a large bird (kestrel maybe) circling in a thermal and joining it. You don't get much more "with the elements" when in the air than that (Hang gliders excepted).

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#46

Post by MattBearman »

lutusp wrote: post #2

It's important to say that the general aviation population has gotten much smaller over the last few decades. It was a lot more popular 25 years ago when I flew much more than I do now. A number of aircraft manufacturers have stopped building small general-aviation planes for a number of reasons including liability and a reduction in public interest. I started flying about 1980. By 1992, 12 years later, about half th…

Wow, I knew flying light aircrafts was dangerous, but this really surprised me. And people tell me I'm taking risks riding a motorcycle.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#47

Post by kokey »

gambiting wrote: post #42
jeiting wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, its like an SUV but twice as fast.

Well, I used to drive my Land Rover LR3 4.4 V8 on the german autobahn regularly and I would say 13MPG is exactly what I was getting while cruising at 120mph.

US or UK MPG?

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#49

Post by gambiting »

apunic wrote: post #15

Don't get me wrong but I do not get what's so exciting about flying yourself or owning a plane. Flying is for getting from point A to B. Flying just for fun missing any purpose might be fun the first couple of times but then it's like driving a bus from A to A.

You could say the same thing about cars - they are only for getting from point A to B,right?

Yet I very often take my car for a drive, without a purpose or a destination in mind. Drive for a couple hours, through the nearest forests or hills, and then head home. It's fun.

Re: Questions People Ask When I Tell Them I Own an Airplane

#50

Post by gambiting »

kokey wrote: post #47
gambiting wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I used to drive my Land Rover LR3 4.4 V8 on the german autobahn regularly and I would say 13MPG is exactly what I was getting while cruising at 120mph.

US or UK MPG?

UK gallons.
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