What do you find to be the greatest challenge?

[Nostalgair]

Hi All,

 

I am interested in hearing what you find to be the greatest challenge in flying these days? It doesn't have to be a manipulative skill, it may be the ability to stay current. Personally, finding the time for private, non-commercial flying is the challenge for me.

 

And when I mention a challenge, it can be a positive thing in aviation. After all, this is a skill that we'll never perfect, but get a real kick out of on the odd occasion when we get close.

 

I look forward to hearing what's the challenge. :-)

 

Cheers,

 

Owen

 

 

[dazza 38]

My challenge is finding work to pay for flying. Currently my status is JOB. JOB- stands for "Just over broke"

 

 

[HeadInTheClouds]

I have 5 years of uni ahead of me which will leave my with close to a 50 thousand dollar HECS debt, and I also have to try pay for somewhere to live in those 5 years while only working at a supermarket.

 

The challenge is finding time and money for flying

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

ditto - time and money to slip those surly bonds !

 

 

[pudestcon]

We all seem to be too busy earning a living to make any money!

 

I'm in that class too.

 

Pud

 

 

[Yenn]

Ive got adifferent problem, anything over about 40 minutes plats hell with my back and there is not much room for improving the seating, so it is little and often, rather than long trips. A low cost plane helps financially.

 

 

[Tomo]

Time for me, got plenty of work... which is good for the income but bad for flying time!

 

That's why I'm trying to work it in so I use my flying to help with my work... gotta make this work somehow!

 

 

[Neil_S]

For me it's getting decent weather to coincide with time when not working....

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[eightyknots]

What do you find to be the greatest challenge?

 

Definitely money and time.

 

 

[rgmwa]

Same - money and time. In fact, with all due modesty, I have no doubt that my personal cash contributions to the Australian economy are at least partly responsible for the country's successful recovery from the GFC, and are a significant factor in us now being considered the world's finest economy. I wouldn't be at all surprised to receive an invitation to the Lodge to accept a small token for my efforts.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Nostalgair]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the great answers, thus far.

 

I have been running the same question around with pilots I know and the diversity of answers is amazing and extremely interesting. Paying for flying, time and the challenges of VFR do seem to be a recurring themes.

 

This is great feedback, thank you.

 

Cheers,

 

Owen

 

 

[skeptic36]

The only disadvantage of flying from home is you don't spend much time around airports talking to other more experienced pilots learning things you sometimes don't even notice you learned.

 

I wish I could remember better because flying around out in the paddocks not needing to use the charts, different airspace all that sort of stuff you just don't get the practice. I often have to go look things up to refresh.

 

So I guess it is staying current for me. Not current with handling the aircraft but more the air law and that kind of thing

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[shags_j]

I was going to say money as well. Seems like a common theme here...

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Remembering all the codes for the various security gates!

 

 

[Nostalgair]

Hi again,

 

The point raised about airspace and procedures is actually quite a common one that I've heard. Some folks I've spoken to have avoided certain airspace, even though appropriately rated to fly there.

 

Thanks again,

 

Cheers,

 

Owen

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

The safety trade off......

 

Because we have a lower standard of medical and training we are excluded from certain areas, which is logical, but in some cases that trade off of safety is stacked seriously against us.

 

I need to avoid the class D airspace of Coffs for example, as busy as it is....not..... and fly west over tiger country up valleys under cloud never sure if Im entering one of those "dont go there" valleys all in the name of safety, yet can fly over Port Macquarie and Ballina both with the same levels of RPT movements without issues......doesnt seem fair that where I am, I have to be at significant extra risk, to mitigate a minimal percieved risk to the general public, that is judged not to exist at a place north and south of here with the same circumstances, excpet no Great dividing range right next to the airport..

 

Andy

 

 

[Tomo]

Remembering all the codes for the various security gates!

Yeah, and just when you think you have it figured, they go an change it!

 

 

[eastmeg2]

The one that bugs me is Area Frequencies. The airstrip I most often use is at 2,500ft AMSL so it doesn't take much to need to be at 5,000ft AMSL or more to maintain safety in flight. Other than carrying a VNC or VTC, (which requires a lot of folding especially in an open cockpit) what other compact methods are there available for determining the area frequency at your location in flight which you should be making calls on when above 5,000ft AMSL?

 

If some could tell me how to get it from the Jeppesen database on my Garmin296 that would be great, or maybe which electronic aid I could get next to "confirm" it on.

 

Or, should we lobby ASA to include Area Frequencies on WAC charts, which I think is the case in the USA?

 

 

[Tomo]

Or, should we lobby ASA to include Area Frequencies on WAC charts, which I think is the case in the USA?

Draw them on yourself... I have a WAC chart laminated which I use in the local area, covers where I fly most locally, so I draw everything on it, including runways. And it's always there when I need to go for a quick run.

 

For long distance nav's using the ERC gives you a good idea.

 

 

[spacesailor]

As still a trainee No sooner have I learned it, IT gets changed, like "skeptic36" getting ALL the info needed, is the biggest problem.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Only time. Time is the most precious commodity any individual has & I have to travel too far to the airfield currently.

 

As I'm not flying often enough currently (too much work) I worry that I'll forget some important and otherwise obvious air law such as who I have to give way to or something so I tend to be glancing through the text books to remind me.

 

 

[ayavner]

Yeah same here.. .time and money... and WEATHER! They always somehow seem to be mutually exclusive - any time i actually do have the time and money, the weather is horrible. Great weather and lots of time? Yup... broke. so I find my lessons can sometimes have a month or 2 in between. I started this in August of 11 and am only up to 5 hours :-(

 

I would say the next biggest challenge is consistency of information. It seems, at least in RA, that there are a few "grey areas" on certain things.. for example the Radio Exam. Come to think of it I'll start a different thread for that. I Have Questions.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Being retired, time is no problem. Here in South Aus, generally speaking, the weather is no problem. Even now I've just turned 70, health is no problem, but, with only my pension, and still having a huge mortgage, lack of funds leads to flying 'once in a while'. This leads to lack of currency which requires check flights, which lead to the need for more money, which leads to even longer time between flights, which leads to ........etc, etc, etc.

 

All I need is about $15k to by a used low and slow and then I could fly just about every day.

 

Any-one feeling benevolent?

 

 

[naremman]

Agriculture induced debt and being a Volunteer Ambulance Officer with St John Ambulance have had a distinct influence on ink into the logbook. Hopefully a small lessening of the farm debt and a better balance on ambulance duties improves the flying time.

 

As someone who learnt to fly in the first half of the 1970s there is a remarkable contrast to what we could access and achieve to the current situation. You could fly into a Primary like Perth with just your licence and a medical (before the days of A/BFR), no transponder, using ERSA and VTC that were provided for no cost, land and park for zippo, and walk out through the security gates with licence in your pocket and a casual wave!! And what do we need now?

 

One of the owners of the C172 that I fly is a retired Engineer, and he purchased his share in the old Cessna and proceeded to learn to fly at Jandakot. It was interesting to observe his progress to GFPT, and quite frankly I marvelled at his determination to succeed. The flying component is manageable, but all the other aspects act as inertia and impediments to something that should really be reasonably straightforward.

 

Learning to fly is challenging enough, learning in a Class D environment just increases the degree of difficulty. In the GAAP days pilots at least were given the independance of thought to get to the Holding Point and call "Ready". Whilst Jandakot has a high level of movements, the private component of the activity is significantly reduced, and are we surprised?

 

When my daughter wanted to learn to fly she was going to head to Jandakot. I advocated that she learn RAA, and then swing back to GA if she wanted. She is now the proud possessor of a RAA Pilot Certificate.

 

Thankfully Recreational Aviation has allowed pilots who just want to fly for the joy of flight some more straight forward, and affordable options. Long may it continue.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Thankfully Recreational Aviation has allowed pilots who just want to fly for the joy of flight some more straight forward, and affordable options. Long may it continue.

As they say in Parliament: HEAR, HEAR!!