Review of 2010
The year is slipping away now as we enter the last week of December 2010. Looking back over the years flying brings satisfaction and disappointment: pleasure in all the things that were achieved and regrets on those missed out on. It’s a good year if the fine things outweigh the bad and I can say that this year they certainly do. My only regrets were that I did not get to Galway as planned or to the Aero Expo at Booker earlier in the summer. Rather than missed, these are just deferred to another time.
Come April 2011, I will have been flying for 29 years without ever losing the privileges of my licence. I consider that to be amazing when you think of all that could get in the way. Regular, well paid, employment is a must as is good health to enable continuation of my medical certificate. Loss of interest did affect me for many of those years but I never gave up. The best thing I ever did in relation to my flying was to buy a share in an aeroplane back in 2002. Shared trips with new friends really rejuvenated me. I suppose a milestone target will be April 2012, when I hope to celebrate 30 years of private flying -but I mustn’t dwell on that or it may tempt fate.
Returning to 2010, it was a year where I continued to fly the Diamond DA42 Twinstar, a lovely two engine aeroplane that I could only have dreamed of flying a few years ago. My multi rating and IMC ratings are both valid and current and I can also fly Cirrus, Cessna and Piper single engine aircraft. A large part of my high satisfaction factor is down to a company called Aircraft Grouping Ltd and its MD, Craig Seville. Craig has revolutionised general aviation in the North West of England, providing pilots with very modern aircraft to fly at relatively low costs. Aviation will never be inexpensive but now we get real value in the planes we fly. Thanks Craig!
Flicking through my log book shows that I took the Twinstar to Caernarfon twice, Halfpenny Green, Kirkbride, Waterford, Alderney, Swansea and Newquay as well as completing four or five local lights from Blackpool. I also flew out of Liverpool twice in the Twinstar, once on my multi renewal test. One particular highlight was a flight from Gamston in the DA42 NG (next generation) Twinstar. This was kindly allowed by Henrik Burkal of Diamond Aircraft. This aircraft is awesome, by far the best I have ever flown (or ever will, I suspect). With Garmin Perspective avionics and new, more powerful engines, it was a joy to fly both visually and on instruments.
Over the last couple of years I have been seduced by the twin engine aeroplane, largely, but not totally, to the exclusion of single engine planes. This started with the desire to fly the Diamond Twinstar, an aircraft I thought to be all I wanted: two engines for extra safety and the most advanced avionics package available. I have not been disappointed, and, as a result, trips in my own share aircraft have been very few this year. In fact, I have to go back to late July to find the last time I flew G-HALC. That was over 22 weeks ago. This has led me to question, for the first time since I bought her, if I need her at all. The early attraction has faded and been replaced by a new one with two engines. For now, I will maintain the status quo and see how I feel come the spring.
Trips in HALC this year included land-aways at Sleap (x2), Caernarfon (x2), Kirkbride, Blackpool, Sywell and Shobdon, with one other flight around Preston and back to Barton. I flew with Niels only twice this year.
There have been a few helicopter rides this year in both the Enstrom turbine and Bell Jet Ranger thanks to Steve and Joel and although I would love to train for a PPL(H), both the time that would be required and the cash investment would be considerable. I cannot see how it would work as I don’t fly as much as I would like now. With a helicopter in the picture I would be stretched even further. Something would have to give.
So, there goes 2010. Early next year I will turn my attention to renewing my IMC rating and multi engine rating, hopefully in a single flight in the Twinstar. For now, the weather is poor with snow and ice effectively putting a stop to flying. Barton is closed to fixed wing aircraft again due to surface conditions and all is glum, but not for too long. Here’s to 2011.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Come April 2011, I will have been flying for 29 years without ever losing the privileges of my licence. I consider that to be amazing when you think of all that could get in the way. Regular, well paid, employment is a must as is good health to enable continuation of my medical certificate. Loss of interest did affect me for many of those years but I never gave up. The best thing I ever did in relation to my flying was to buy a share in an aeroplane back in 2002. Shared trips with new friends really rejuvenated me. I suppose a milestone target will be April 2012, when I hope to celebrate 30 years of private flying -but I mustn’t dwell on that or it may tempt fate.
Returning to 2010, it was a year where I continued to fly the Diamond DA42 Twinstar, a lovely two engine aeroplane that I could only have dreamed of flying a few years ago. My multi rating and IMC ratings are both valid and current and I can also fly Cirrus, Cessna and Piper single engine aircraft. A large part of my high satisfaction factor is down to a company called Aircraft Grouping Ltd and its MD, Craig Seville. Craig has revolutionised general aviation in the North West of England, providing pilots with very modern aircraft to fly at relatively low costs. Aviation will never be inexpensive but now we get real value in the planes we fly. Thanks Craig!
Flicking through my log book shows that I took the Twinstar to Caernarfon twice, Halfpenny Green, Kirkbride, Waterford, Alderney, Swansea and Newquay as well as completing four or five local lights from Blackpool. I also flew out of Liverpool twice in the Twinstar, once on my multi renewal test. One particular highlight was a flight from Gamston in the DA42 NG (next generation) Twinstar. This was kindly allowed by Henrik Burkal of Diamond Aircraft. This aircraft is awesome, by far the best I have ever flown (or ever will, I suspect). With Garmin Perspective avionics and new, more powerful engines, it was a joy to fly both visually and on instruments.
Over the last couple of years I have been seduced by the twin engine aeroplane, largely, but not totally, to the exclusion of single engine planes. This started with the desire to fly the Diamond Twinstar, an aircraft I thought to be all I wanted: two engines for extra safety and the most advanced avionics package available. I have not been disappointed, and, as a result, trips in my own share aircraft have been very few this year. In fact, I have to go back to late July to find the last time I flew G-HALC. That was over 22 weeks ago. This has led me to question, for the first time since I bought her, if I need her at all. The early attraction has faded and been replaced by a new one with two engines. For now, I will maintain the status quo and see how I feel come the spring.
Trips in HALC this year included land-aways at Sleap (x2), Caernarfon (x2), Kirkbride, Blackpool, Sywell and Shobdon, with one other flight around Preston and back to Barton. I flew with Niels only twice this year.
There have been a few helicopter rides this year in both the Enstrom turbine and Bell Jet Ranger thanks to Steve and Joel and although I would love to train for a PPL(H), both the time that would be required and the cash investment would be considerable. I cannot see how it would work as I don’t fly as much as I would like now. With a helicopter in the picture I would be stretched even further. Something would have to give.
So, there goes 2010. Early next year I will turn my attention to renewing my IMC rating and multi engine rating, hopefully in a single flight in the Twinstar. For now, the weather is poor with snow and ice effectively putting a stop to flying. Barton is closed to fixed wing aircraft again due to surface conditions and all is glum, but not for too long. Here’s to 2011.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
posted by David M at 5:29 PM
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