Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Congratulations Pugs!... on your solo today

From a Prowler to a 172 ...You are slowing down in your old age.

Cut his shirttail off!



Congrats!

Aeronautical version of a rocking chair?

Congrats, Allen!

Well, to be fair. I did solo before but it was in the last century Lot of fun getting back into flying but it's sure not the $32 an hour Piper Warrior I used to rent. Actually, the plane is about the same, the price sure isn't!

I have not missed the Navy but I have sure missed flying.

What's a 172 go for an hour now? (Been awhile since I had a check ride too...)

Congratulations Pugs!!

Fly it like you stole it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes sir. Congratulations and thank you for your military aviation service

Congrats! What airport you flying out of?

We used to get a Cessna 150 for $15 an hour at the AF Aero Club. But then $15 was hard to come by washing dishes after school (college so that had to cover partying too). Damn I've gotten old somewhere along the line!

Got my lic. in 1984. I forgot how much a 152 went for back then. It wasn't too bad, even given the instructor rate then too for required dual time. Maybe $55 an hour with instructor?

Never rented many planes after I got my license though... Had a friend that was in the aircraft business. He had a sales business as well as an FBO. He'd let me take whatever he had in the hangar if I kept the tank full.... Plus, I had to go pickup or deliver aircraft that he bought and sold. Got plenty of hours that way.

Congrats on getting your wings back Pugs. I just know we'll be hearing from one of our members about some wildman in a 172 buzzing then while they were hunting out in the boonies somewhere, won't we Pugs?

What't the armament load?

Got my Private SEL in 1971, Dad had to drive me to the exam. Funny, could fly a plane but not old enough to get a driver's license yet. Don't remember what the hourly rates were then, AF aero club again with AF instructor pilots picking up a little change on the side. Those guys were tough, no fooling around. Much more demanding of precision than the civilian instructors I had.

Five pounds of flour bombs.

I was thinking 2 bolt guns, a couple pistols and a brace of rods and reels and tackle box...

Congratulations!!

$145 an hour and you get a $200 credit if you fly 10 hours a month. They are a little nicer. Fuel injected, 180 Hp, GPS and such but still beat up rental planes. Flying out of Frederick MD and sharing the pattern with a wide mix of stuff. Love to hear the Gulfstream V being told to hold for me. We go through life balancing time and money and it's finally aligned for me at age 54. Retired from the Navy in 07 and don't miss any aspect of the Navy but I've missed flying terribly and SWMBO told me "stop looking up at every single airplane, go do this" so who am I to argue? As a plus, I've not seen a SAM go by me on any of these flights but I've not gotten to shoot a HARM either.

My instructor did wonder why I thought an engine failure passing 5000 feet AGL with no relight we should eject but he got over it. Actually, he's a retired USMC A-4 and AV-8A guy so very cool and kind of gets me even though he never flew with a Naval Flight Officer being a single seat puke.

I suspect I'll end up looking at joining one of several local clubs for the time we have left in MD (<5 years) and then we'll see what I do once we retire to central NH. It's either mind boggling how cheap airplanes have become or my perception of cheap has changed over time.

If I were still 54, I'd think about it. But turning 71? With something like 40 years since I last flew? Too much to relearn.

Congrats, Pugs. Maybe you can take me up some time.

Only have my multi-engine rating to go before heading to Compass. Started out in a T41C (essentially a C172, but with 210hp) @ $93 an hour, then went to the T41D (210hp, constant speed prop, IFR, Garmin 430 and ADSB installed) @ $99/hr. Then moved up to the 182RG ($145/hr), which feels like a real plane and not some little kit plane like a 172. Now on to the 300hp per side (upgraded from 265 I believe), Baron @ $244/hr. All current wet rates.

Lot of former AF pilots out here, even had an instructor who was a Thunderbird pilot.

Try to mix it up with different airports, airspaces, get out of a set route and go have fun. Been to
Goodland KS
Wichita Falls, Kickapoo TX
Laramie, Cheyenne WY
Rocky Mountain Regional, Centennial, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, LaJunta, Lamar, Limon, Fremont County, Spanish Peaks, Salida, Montrose, Gunnison, Trinidad, Durango, Telluride, Aspen, and Leadville, CO
Taos, Raton NM

Favorite of all of those was Telluride. VFR corridor up to Fort Colins takes you right by downtown Denver for a pretty good view. Only thing I don't like about flying the Colorado mountains is the turbulence. It can get bad. Great way to spot elk though.