Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Been a while...

So did you think that I forgot about this blog? Well, I didn't quite forget about it but haven't yet found a way to make updating it a frequent occurrence. Too much else going on I guess.

I attentively follow my flying-buddy Rob's blog. He just landed a sweet deal on a non-equity partnership, so his musing are more entertaining than ever. Maybe once I find a similar opportunity I'll have much more interesting commentary to share.

In the meantime, there are a few new notes from my flying life.

First and foremost, the boat is gone. How is this flying related, you may ask? Well, I've come to the realization that I have far to many hobbies and precious little free time. Something's got to give. When it came down to flying vs. sailing, it's a no-brainer. My beloved Hobie Cat hit craigslist last week. I figured I'd list it at a fair but optimistic price, something I could live with if it sold. Well, the first guy to see the ad came out and took it home at full asking price! It was a sweet set up. The $1500 I got for it won't make or break my flying, but it's another contribution to the "airplane fund." Kelly just kind of laughed. She has agreed not to try to touch my airplane savings so long as the funds are derived from my ebay and craigslist sales, so I can't complain.
I've still got a ton of sailing and Jeep accessories to sell, so hopefully the account will continue to grow. No big ticket items except for the Jeep itself, but that's not going anywhere.

I've been getting in the air about once a week, which isn't too bad considering work, school, babysitting, etc. Last week I took a personal day on Wednesday and flew over the Wings and then home by way of Pottstown/Limerick. I'm trying to save in earnest to I've resorted to the 152. Still a great little plane but seems to anemic and small compared even to the PA-28s that I've been flying lately. But it gets me in the air for $75/hour and that's all that I need. The flight was great. Weather was iffy with a huge front lingering over Lancaster when I departed. I studied the radar loop and spent a good amount of time with the briefer. The front was heading eastward but the ceilings were staying high and visibility reports were good, so I decided to depart and see how things looked when airborne. Climbing out of Doylestown I could see the front but, as briefed, the ceiling was high and vis was great. I began circumnavigating the KNXX airspace keeping an eye to the west. I stopped at Wings and after waiting for landing PennStar chopper, climbed back out. The front hadn't moved so I decided to stop by Pottstown/Limerick. Dialed in the VOR and programmed direct on the GPS, but neither was necessary given the airport's proximity to the cooling towers. Nice landing over the outlets and then followed a Skyhawk who departed from the opposite direction. Back to DYL with 1.1 on the Hobbs and two new airports in the log book.

Kelly was working on Father's Day and the weather was iffy, so I put the kids in the car and we drove up to check out Pennridge Airport. Looks like a nice little field. I think that this will be my next excursion.

I was disappointed to learn last week that that 172M that I rent when we're visiting the inlaws is being taken off the flight line. It was a nice bird. It was a leaseback, so who knows what transpired. But DUJ has a nice, huge runway and 61674 was hangared, so it was always a treat to go flying when we were in the area. There nothing else for rent there so I'll have to explore other options. Punxsutawney, where we stay, has a small field that offers instruction, so I'm going to see if I can check out in their 152.

I think I'm going to create a "Non-equity partnership wanted" sign to hang at the airport. If I can find the right situation, I really think that this could be a win-win situation for myself and the owner.

Just need to make it happen.

2 comments:

  1. Jim,

    The non-equity partnerships are out there, it just takes some time to find the deal. I stumbled into my deal at a birthday party. Ended up sitting across the table from my Brides friends daughter who we found out was a pilot and she told us about a slot open at KILG in an Archer II. We joined, she left six months later and took up sky diving.....crazy!

    Good luck and keep the blog going.

    Gary

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  2. Thanks, Gary. I agree that the non-equity thing will probably boil down to being in the right place at the right time. I came really, really close on that Cherokee 180 that I mentioned to you a few weeks back. So close, in fact, that I dare say I let my mind get ahead of me. Now that I've had a taste, the rental line just ain't the same.

    Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the rentals, per se. But availability has been an issue lately and I'd really like to be flying a PA-28, which right now is setting me back about $103/hour. Plus, because of availability and funds, I'm bouncing between a C152, C172 and PA-28-161. It's a pain keeping the speeds straight, not to mention the different handling characteristics of each of these aircraft. I'd like to just fly one bird, and get to know her inside and out. Right now I can't afford to buy, so a partnership is the way to go.

    I really think that I can bring a lot to an owner through a non-equity role. My challenge has been to first find someone who is willing to consider a non-equity partner and then convince them that they can trust me with their plane.

    On a different note, I've been following your progress on Facebook. So glad to hear that you are feeling better and recovering ahead of schedule. I think you'll feel like a new man once you get behind the yoke of 679'er. Keep up the good work!

    Jim

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