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Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:25 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:49 pm
by FastEddieB
Welcome, Jim!

What part of GA? I'm in Mineral Bluff, near Blue Ridge in the mountains.

Love to get together sometime and compare notes. I've owned a Light Sport Sky Arrow since 2007 and would love to swap rides some time.

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:56 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:59 pm
by drseti
Welcome aboard, Jim. We have similar backgrounds. I'm 67, and also started at age 15 (in a 7AC Champ, not a Cub!). I had a ten-year lapse in my flying between VietNam and sanity, getting back in the air with a vengance in 1979 (and adding ratings as quickly as I could). I'm now at over 4000 hours, with just over 650 of them in LSA. Four years ago, I let my medical lapse, and started a flight school specializing in Sport Pilot. I really believe LSA is the future of general aviation.

As for the medical, it's risky. If you apply and are denied (or lose it downstream), you lose your Sport Pilot privileges. If flying under SP restrictions scratches your itch, I wouldn't bother applying for even a 3rd Class. And, I wouldn't hold your breath for FAA action on the joint EAA/AOPA/NAFI proposal.

I hope you've kept your CFI active - we need more CFIs who understand and appreciate LSAs.

Safe skies,
Paul

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:19 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:25 pm
by drseti
Hmmm... Wife who likes to eat... Tough choice. I'm sure there are things you like to do that wouldn't be possible if your wife weren't able to eat. :wink:

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:27 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:29 pm
by FastEddieB
If it ever stops raining, let's get together!

I could fly to where you are or you can come up here.

I'm retired, and so pretty flexible.

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:30 pm
by drseti
I'm glad you can still recall, Jim. That means senility hasn't set in yet.

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:41 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:57 pm
by FastEddieB
Weight should not be a problem as long as we're not much over 3/4 fuel.

My cheat sheet:

Image

The 33 lbs you lost (congratulations, BTW) helps a lot.

I'll PM you soon about flying after the monsoon season is over!

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 8:40 am
by Jack Tyler
Jim, let me add a welcome as well. As you probably have already seen, we have a nice mix of experienced pilots & plane owners here. Also much less testosterone flowing and 'I have more hours than you...' humbugging than seems to be present on some aviation boards. Paul deserves much credit for expanding this forum's structure and making it more current re: SP & LSA issues. And it's also worth noting that Paul has documented a great deal of his a/c, school and training activities - even 'annual reports' for his flight training business - so be sure to sniff around his website when you have a chance.

Your concern about LSA weight (and so range) limitations can be quite legitimate, depending on what kinds of flying you' hope to do. (And trying to enjoy any diversity of flying experiences using rental a/c, as you noted, is just damn difficult). 'Payload plus range' issues were how I came to be interested in the RV-12 (and so this forum)...plus I thought the RV-12 flew wonderfully. In the end, we stayed with a Part 23 a/c but the diversity of LSA models does make for many choices.

Let me counter Paul's comment on the Class 3 medical issue. You can consider obtaining a fresh Class 3 medical with zero risk provided you approach it properly. After you do the normal grapevine research, perhaps zeroing in on older pilots for feedback, scheduling a 'Consult' with an AME stands totally outside the FAA medical issuance process. (You do not touch Form 8500, let alone file it). Moreover, the FAA recently introduced a new CACI ("Conditions an AME Can Issue") procedure that places even more discretion in the hands of the AME and out of the 'special issuance' process. This means they can provide definitive info on an even broader set of medical issues. Anyone can sit down with an AME, have a frank discussion about their current state of health, previous medical issues & treatments (ONLY since the last medical was issued, of course, as everything before then is already on file and was accepted) and even have a physical exam that replicates the Class 3 medical. Depending on how far you want to take the Consult, you can get a clear AME-qualified estimate of your ability to get a new medical while retaining your 'expired medical' status. AOPA is a good source for more on this, especially their Pilot Protection Services group.

One reason seeking a Consult may make sense is if LSA a/c costs and/or capabilities won't accommodate one's flying goals. I'd argue it's far better to explicitly know all of my options before restricting my a/c choices based on my assumptions.

By the way, you and also Eddie should consider joining the RAF. You folks just got a brand new Georgia State Liaison, Eric Davis, who's a great guy and is busily building a series of diverse flying events to interesting places in the state. E.g. he and I are partnering on an October camping event on Jekyll Is. That may be a bit far for you but last month he organized a grass strip event for some currency training in the Atlanta area, and he's busy talking with some of the state forest managers about gaining access to their park airstrips for other events. The RAF is - bottom line - focused on protecting the diverse recreational backcountry airstrips around the country which do offer public access and reopening some of the hundreds that have been closed. We recently got Blackwater Airfield (8FD3) - in the heart of one of Florida's most beautiful state forests - reopened to the public and we'll be doing another event there this winter. (Blackwater is just south of the GA-FL border in FL's Panhandle). You're welcome to look at what we do - www.theraf.org - and you're also welcome to join for free, which will put you on Eric's email list that publicizes other events. One last pitch: We won the last two annual Lightspeed Foundation awards based on votes cast by the GA public. We do really good things, and would love to have you - and anyone else here who is interested in interesting recreational airstrip destinations - join us.

Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:34 pm
by FlyingForFun
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 5:32 pm
by Flocker
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Re: Hello From Georgia

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:06 am
by Nomore767
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