Not sure what to say for an early retirement, Congrats or Sorry !
If you love it sell it (all or share) to someone who can fly it 50h/year, you can always buy it later (all of it or share), if you hate it: store it or rent it 
Dear Chris,
It would be a pleasure to host your baby in my area close to Paris, I have a hangar available and could pay for the fuel to keep her healthy
Enjoy your round the world boat trip. I have one planned but by the air…
172driver wrote:
I think you have already answered your own question. You are going sailing around the world, not flying around the world.
I think this sums it up. I mean, you are 65 and are going to sail until you are 70. That’s definitely the better part of the rest of your life. All kinds of things can happen in that time, and the 18 months before.
I would also probably hold on to it until that world trip is 100% certain. If it already is 100% certain, I would sell it ASAP.
With 17 years still to go I’d love to swap positions with you Chris. Also considering the ARC in 2021 for my 50th.
Bring it to Cannes and I’ll look after it?
Failing that, many airlines store their aircraft in Teruel where there is maintenance on-hand to keep her up to scratch.
Brgds
Jonathan
Hello Chris, I’ve send you a private message!
Shanwick wrote:
Bring it to Cannes and I’ll look after it?
Cannes would be great as I may be interested to fly a bit.
I have also seen many bonanzas at R.P.M. just near Cannes Aviation, there is a solution for maintenance. I have no idea of the price or skills, they are mostly working on Diamonds.
LeSving wrote:
I think this sums it up. I mean, you are 65 and are going to sail until you are 70. That’s definitely the better part of the rest of your life. All kinds of things can happen in that time, and the 18 months before.
Not really.
I met a gentleman a couple of years back at Bucklers Hard who owned an Oyster. He had spent the last ten years in the WI’s almost entirely living aboard and cruising around. He explained that reluctantly the yacht was now on the market, and he wouldnt be returning to the WIs with her; at the grand old age of 75, he had decided that it was now too much for him and it was time to settle down to a more sedate way of life.
He was hanging up his lifejacket fot the very last time.
(He got off the yacht a few weeks later, tripped and fell in the water, banging his head on the way down. Sadly he passed away as, or shortly after, he landed in the water. Possibly, if he had been wearing his life jacket, he would be enjoying that more sedate way of life now, but it wasnt to be).
With life, you never know what is just around the corner.
That is not to say one should live with reckless abandon but one should pursue an interesting activity. I got into skiing 4 years ago (at age 58!) which everybody thought was totally mad, but it’s brilliant, plus it gets one away from the OVC002/+RA of the UK winters.
Whether I would give up flying for 5 years and hope to get back in afterwards, I don’t know. Getting the licenses and medicals back could be a nightmare. Currency will be minus zero (ok for a C150 down to the stent-inducing fry-up at Sandown on a CAVOK day, but an IFR tourer?). Especially medicals, if say the AME you used has died / moved on / doesn’t want to do you anymore.
I think that assuming Chris will deffo not be flying for 5 years, he should sell the plane, or long term rent it to somebody really good and liquid (gonna be hard to find such a person; every one of them already has their own plane).
Peter wrote:
Whether I would give up flying for 5 years and hope to get back in afterwards, I don’t know. Getting the licenses and medicals back could be a nightmare. Currency will be minus zero (ok for a C150 down to the stent-inducing fry-up at Sandown on a CAVOK day, but an IFR tourer?).
The medical could be a problem, but if that works out I don’t think you’d have any problem regaining the SEP and IFR ratings.
Peter wrote:
Whether I would give up flying for 5 years and hope to get back in afterwards, I don’t know. Getting the licenses and medicals back could be a nightmare. Currency will be minus zero (ok for a C150 down to the stent-inducing fry-up at Sandown on a CAVOK day, but an IFR tourer?). Especially medicals, if say the AME you used has died / moved on / doesn’t want to do you anymore.
I think it depends whether there will be some returns to the UK. With the O/P’s background I would have thought a couple of renewals and some medicals to keep things alive shouldnt be too much of an issue during a few weeks back in the UK. I agree, if no returns are planned then it becomes more complicated. So light GA in the WI’s, Americas etc for a bit of currency is really pretty straight forward if you want to.
As to the aircraft, a more difficult decision. If money is not much of an issue, finding a good home on some basis for the next five years seems a good plan. Worse scenario is you all but write off the asset at some point – not the end of the world. If money is more of an issue, it would make a lot more sense to sell it. However, I think so much depends on finding the “right” arranangement with someone you can trust – if you do it shouuldnt be a problem. Regrettably that part isnt necessarily easy.
