Nice job!
Yes; great to hear of your progress 
We don’t have enough of these reports…
Great report, thanks for sharing your adventure with us all. I know your report will inspire others.
MedEwok wrote:
This might have been the most boring trip report any of you ever read but nevermind.
Not in the slightest – I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t interested!
Thanks you guys for the positive feedback, I will keep reporting on my experiences. Now I only have less than 4 flight hours to go until I can do the checkride. I already have enough solo hours as it is.
The trip to Hannover was highly encouraging for me regarding my ability to do actual travel in an SEP and not just local “blimbing”. Although I must say it requires stamina to fly longer legs. 1:24h was no real problem but I can imagine myself needing a break after 3 hours or so.
MedEwok wrote:
1:24h was no real problem but I can imagine myself needing a break after 3 hours or so.
That’s what I usually do – three to four hour legs. Obviously, @Peter can tell you stories about much longer legs and how to deal with them.
But you also need to consider that in your later flying, the workload will be somewhat less. Chances are, you will be using the navigation tool of your choice rather than following landmarks and you may also be using an autopilot for long legs.
After 3-4 hours, I find taking a break, doing what you have to do, and simply enjoying being where you are at that point are a very good thing in leisurely flying.
I prefer 2 hour legs – could be age/bladder related
I know we did this before here many times but not having a provision for an in-flight pee will one day place you in a very difficult situation, where you will be absolutely desperate for a pee, will not want to pee yourself because (a) it will cost 4 figures to re-upholster the seat and (b) you probably don’t have a change of clothes with you, and your resulting decisionmaking will be similarly desperate and probably very bad.
The best way to achieve this situation is to have a coffee or two, get a bit cold standing around outside, and do a flight after sunset, in the winter… with a heater which is not working properly.
The desire to keep flights under 3hrs (or whatever) is entirely separate. You can get the above situation on a 1hr flight.
For me, I am happy to do longer flights, say 5-6hrs planned (plus or minus wind), because they deliver such great value and improved safety by avoiding an approach, landing, and a departure, with the approach in possible icing conditions, and with the departure quite possibly impossible due to icing conditions. Whereas if you do one long leg you can sit there in sunshine and peace. But then my plane has a 1300nm+ range (to zero fuel) which is very rare.
My decision making gets very bad when I urgently need to pee on the ground already, so I can emphasize easily with what you describe Peter. I reckon for a man an in-flight pee should not be much of a technical difficulty on a plane with autopilot. It gets a bit more complicated for women I guess. But what I cannot imagine is how to have an in-flight pee provision for little kids once they grow out of the diaper age. As I will be facing this situation rather soon (IF I can take my family along, this was discussed at lenght in other threads), I am curious for how to solve it.
Are they boys or girls?
Boys can always pee into a bottle but children generally can be very shy about doing it in front of others, even when everybody is looking away (as they should).
Girls have it more complicated. The Lady Jane adapter works well but may need one to orientate oneself backwards on the seat (i.e. facing towards the back of the plane, sitting on one’s knees). Accordingly, one lady pilot told me she uses the silica gel packs which you just shove down your knickers and get on with it Obviously they can be used only once.
Whether you can get kids to do this is much more a psychological challenge than a physical one.
Peter wrote:
I know we did this before here many times but not having a provision for an in-flight pee will one day place you in a very difficult situation, where you will be absolutely desperate for a pee, will not want to pee yourself because (a) it will cost 4 figures to re-upholster the seat and (b) you probably don’t have a change of clothes with you, and your resulting decisionmaking will be similarly desperate and probably very bad.
Peter, i have to say I have not known this to be a real problem. Perhaps it becomes an issue at a certain stage of life….
As to kids, don’t give them much to drink just before flight and get them to go to the toilet just before departure.
