After 3 yrs and 6 months of procrastination, I finally got checked out to fly a couple of 172’s at my local airport which is 2 minutes away versus 45 minutes for the flying club. With winter coming I want to try to stay current and this seemed like a reasonable option…and it gives me two more planes to fly.
For the time being my Cirrus training is on hold. The reality is that the cost of currency in a Cirrus isn’t that economical and I would be flying a 172 or a Cherokee anyway to avoid the $145 hr price tag on the Cirrus. It’s more important for me to fly more often than to fly glass. That’s not to say it wouldn’t be nice to have the option, but such is life and that’s all I’ll say about that. I don’t plan on doing more than keeping current over the winter, so the flying will be minimal. If my income changes than I’ll see what happens and plan accordingly.
In all it took me 3.3 hours total for my checkout and BFR (biannual flight review). It was interesting being in a plane with no GPS. Tracking a VOR was simplistic and worry free and I could keep my eyes outside the aircraft. True flight planning would be in order before I would consider a cross-country in these aircraft, but there is something to be said about actual aviating and navigating without an autopilot or moving map.
I’m suppose to get checked out in the G1000 equipped Cessna 182 with the Civil Air Patrol…will see how that goes. The training is free but the plane is not and 182’s aren’t known for sipping fuel. That would also involve working in the Rochester airspace and getting use to ATC again. I should probably get the questionnaire for the aircraft completed and see what it would take schedule wise to make it happen. This time of year weather has the upper hand both mentally and physically. That’s all for now!
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