Biggest things which stop people giving up flying?

WhiskeyPapa wrote:

This is far too negative. My dispatch rate VFR has been much higher (true, mainly spring and summer) for long x-countries. I would like an IR, but it’s not required for touring.

It depends where you live. Along the North Atlantic west coast 20% is perhaps negative on average, but there could bee weeks at a time where it’s zero for anything but “burger runs” if at all. In the summer it is much better, but this UK VFR-IMC (or whatever it’s called) would be very useful it seems to me. I think it’s kind of strange EASA focus on EIR (which is completely useless here for anything but training for IR) instead of the UK IMC variant.

I think I can count as many active VFR pilots with lapsed IRs as I can “vanilla” PPLs who have given up. So I would say the main things which stop us giving up flying are:

- Convenient access to aircraft and airfield (ideally own or share at least one of each).
- Friends (or family) with similar interests (touring, backcountry, vintage, taildraggers, aerobatics, hamburgers or whatever).

Incidentally, if anyone is looking for an inexpensive first airplane, there’s a decent Condor with nearly new O-200 coming up for sale locally (owner just bought a Pitts S1).

Jacko wrote:

I think I can count as many active VFR pilots with lapsed IRs as I can “vanilla” PPLs who have given up

Good point.

Jacko wrote:

Incidentally, if anyone is looking for an inexpensive first airplane, there’s a decent Condor with nearly new O-200 coming up for sale locally

Don’t tempt me. I can’t afford another aircraft! The LAA mag had an article about the Rollason Condor a few months back, while not setting the world alight in performance it did look like a reasonably economical and fun aircraft.

As for ‘availability’ stopping people give up, I’d strongly agree with that. Although keeping the Auster is in no way cheaper than going to Ronaldsway and renting a Cherokee from time to time, the fact it’s there and I can just go for as long as I feel like without having to ask someone for permission or get the plane back for the next person is something that’s very hard to put a value on.

I often see on other forums people asking about aircraft ownership to “save money”. My response is never do it to save money because it probably won’t, but there are certain intangible benefits of ownership which are enormously valuable.

Peter wrote:

The reason many IR holders stop using it is because they got it without a proper appreciation of what sort of plane one needs to use it.

For example some years ago a sizeable group in the UK did it, following some trivial discount and extra flexible school hours from CATS. Today, about 2/3 have given up, and about 1/4 never used it. I was peripherally involved and have the original list.

One cannot do the IR as a fanciful project.

I was one of that group and have just done my 7th renewal this week.

WhiskeyPapa wrote:

This is far too negative. My dispatch rate VFR has been much higher (true, mainly spring and summer) for long x-countries. I would like an IR, but it’s not required for touring. What is required is a good block of time.

Depends strongly where you are based and where you want to fly to.

Where I live and operate from, I stand by my post, particularly if it involves an alpine crossing. I am in process of developing a statistic on that, and from what I see over the year the alps are at around 30% VFR crossable at a given day. Add to that time constraints, meaning you have to fly on a given day or at least within 1 or 2 days and the availability will go down even more.

It is a VERY different story if you live south of the alps or in flat territory, where a 2000 ft AMSL ceiling will allow long VFR flights.

Peter wrote:

you avoid Switzerland (IME FL129 max in their Class C – do they still operate that mad system?)

They never operated such a system. It’s quite easy to get clearance for class C in the alpine area if you know how to operate a VHF transceiver (and a transponder)…