Not something we often think about. Pilots out there who are in their twenties, thirties and forties, have probably never had the thought cross their mind, I mean they’re bullet proof aren’t they!?
Well it is stating the obvious when I say, they’re not.
There are many reasons why you will give up flying, the main one for most would be the lack of easy access to an aircraft and having the finances to carry on with the pastime.
Once your health takes a turn for the worst, and you have no medical therefore no license, it is game over.
The increase in bureaucracy associated with maintaining ones licence and keeping abreast of all the increasing changes in rules and regulations regarding owning and operating an aircraft, is another significant factor.
Then there is always the possibility that the authorities will legislate in such a way, that personal flying is untenable.
It was all so simple when I started flying forty odd years ago. You had a flying licence for life and only had to have your logbook annoted by an instructor once in a while. I am not going into some “golden age” scenario. I wouldn’t want to go back to the days before GPS was invented because I know I wouldn’t be able to stay out of trouble with airspace busts using traditional methods of navigation
I started musing about how much time I have left only in the last three years. During that time I had a downgrading of my license due to a medical event which fortunately has been resolved so I am back to a class 2 medical.
I have some bucket list flights that I have not managed yet but hope lingers on.
A pilot friend of mine passed away recently. It brought back a flood of memories of our notable flights together. My first flight over the channel to France. He was the experienced pilot, I was the green newbie. A five day trip to the south of France, again him being top man. Much later, an IFR trip to Dresden when I was the senior man having acquired an instrument rating.
It’s my birthday today (late seventies) and I remember reading an article many years ago, in one of the flying magazines, where there was an account of a successful ditching off the coast of Dorset. I was in my late thirties at the time and I can remember thinking with the arrogance of my relative youth, “what the hell where those two old dodderers doing flying anyway?” One was 73 the other was 72! Now I am past their age and would be affronted that anybody would judge me that harshly.
How could you explain to a non pilot the feeling of leaving the ground and climbing up through an overcast into brilliant sunshine and settling down in the cruise? Or looking down at the ground based traffic snarl up as you pass overhead en route to somewhere that is going to take the car driver hours and hours.
So before my rambling turns into a rant, let me say, enjoy every minute of your flying time once we are out of lock-down and are able to fly.
One thing is for sure, when the day comes when you can’t fly anymore, you won’t be thinking
“I wish I had done less flying!”
Thanks much for the thoughtful post… I have 20 or maybe few more years to fly if no health issue intrudes, but already I find myself thinking about it. In my case it’s mainly centered on what kind of plane(s) would I like to devote my time to owning and what kind of flying do I want to do… two issues with answers that don’t always coincide.
A good friend is about 76 and has flown virtually everything there is to fly, several times a week since he was a teenager. He’s been a great teacher to me over the last 10 years or more. Recently he had a huge scare, diagnosed with heart failure, and was about to sell his RV and a lot more serious things, Then more testing was done and it’s turned out to be a viral attack on his heart, now gone, which is manageable within FAA Basic Med. So he flies on for a while, and we’re all very happy for it!
Good luck with your continued flying and thanks again for the thoughtful reminder that tempus fugit…
At 79, I understand I may be uninsurable in a few years time. (83?)
I hope the restrictions will lift enough to fly soon. I need 3 more hours logged to make 1000 in our Group Jodel, which is for sale. And I’ve 80% of a Bolkow Junior.
Propman wrote:
One thing is for sure, when the day comes when you can’t fly anymore, you won’t be thinking
“I wish I had done less flying!”
I thought about this. I probably came closer than I ever expected, waking up with a doctor imploring me to wiggle my toes. ‘Lost track of time, and didn’t know that I’d been out for four days, with 19 broken bones. I wondered if I’d fly again, and prepared that I might not. Seven months later, I did, and it felt like I’d flown the day before, the plane fit like a glove. So, then I knew I was not finished flying just yet. I eased back into it, and indeed, have been called to do some interesting test flying since.
The passion is still there, but the urgency has passed. I can look out at a nice day, and look at my planes, and decide whether to fly one. I don’t have to. Some time prior to my student crashing us, I had had one of those nice, relaxed conversations with my daughter and her husband. During that conversation, I told them to never worry about me, that my life as a parent, husband, pilot and traveler had been more that I ever could have imagined, and I was totally rewarded, and happy with my life. I’d done everything I’d ever dreamed of, and so much more. Whatever came of life to come was simply more of a great life. My son and law recounted this to me during one of his many visits to me in hospital, telling me that they worried less for me, as they knew that I was not worried – and it was true, I was not.
Enjoy your life, and enjoy flying as a part of it if you have the opportunity. But, enjoy your life, it can be shorter than expected. After 44 years of flying, I’m not ready to give it up yet, but, if my grandchildren are going for a family walk, I’d rather do that than go flying! Happily as we walk, if either of them see a plane, they point up, and say “Grandpa!”. Then look to see that I’m with them, so I think I have more flying to do yet – with them….
As an instructor, it would be interesting to hear more about that accident in a separate thread(unless it has already been posted).
Propman and Pilot_DAR
I have to say its hearing from guys like you that bring us all back to reality. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. My Grandfathers favourite saying was ‘the more you know the more you realise you don’t know’. My Grandmothers – ‘you cant put an old head on young shoulders’… Both are so true for life, flying, or frankly any pursuit.
Both these people have passed on now and I still love hearing from people who have wisdom to share. Thanks again… its great to appreciate what we have in these difficult times.
Great post @Propman, and a belated happy birthday 
I think one observation is that in life you never know what is just around the corner. I’ve seen so many lose their medicals… and most never get back into flying because once you pop up on the “medical radar” it becomes a load of expensive hassle.
