Dear Alan,

Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC. Total
unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for an entire
season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver entries are 14 OW
and 49 CW, about half prior years.

These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.

Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?

And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year of
course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have you
retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this year.
Not so much?

On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
> Dear Alan,
>
> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC. Total
> unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for an entire
> season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver entries are 14 OW
> and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>
> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>
> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>
> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year of
> course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have you
> retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this year.
> Not so much?

So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!

I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.

Done much flying lately?

On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>> Dear Alan,
>>
>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC. Total
>> unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for an
>> entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver entries
>> are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>
>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>
>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>
>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year
>> of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have
>> you retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this
>> year. Not so much?
>
> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>
> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>
> Done much flying lately?

Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP hours,
and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight from
Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into Indy
Metro. Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
before the end of September.

RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg

My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be up
on the channel by end of today.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and do
some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my Part
107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good for
another 2 on that front years too.

So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!

We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and a
Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip in
all. So still traveling too.

How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
outside Canada this year?

On 2024-06-28 08:10, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> Dear Alan,
>>>
>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>
>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>
>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>
>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>
>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>
>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>
>> Done much flying lately?
>
> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
> Indy Metro. Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost
> to my 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
> checkride before the end of September.

Really?

That's interesting.

Because the FAA's registry of airmen has no record of you.

<https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx>

The only "Elam" it lists in Indiana...

....isn't you.

Care to explain?

On 6/28/2024 12:59 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-06-28 08:10, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>
>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>
>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>
>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>
>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>
>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>
>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>
>>> Done much flying lately?
>>
>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
>> Indy Metro. Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost
>> to my 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>> checkride before the end of September.
>
> Really?
>
> That's interesting.
>
> Because the FAA's registry of airmen has no record of you.
>
> <https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx>
>
> The only "Elam" it lists in Indiana...
>
> ...isn't you.
>
> Care to explain?
>

I can. I opted out of including my address in the public facing
database, Liarboy.

Look up Thomas Elam with no address info. Want any salt or sauce on
those words? Results:

Personal Information

THOMAS EARL ELAM

Airman opted-out of releasing address

Medical Information:
Medical Class: Third Medical Date: 1/2023
MUST USE CORRECTIVE LENS(ES) TO MEET VISION STANDARDS AT ALL REQUIRED
DISTANCES.
BasicMed Course Date: None BasicMed CMEC Date: None

Certificates

PRIVATE PILOT

Certificates Description
Certificate: PRIVATE PILOT
Date of Issue: 12/20/2018

Ratings:
PRIVATE PILOT
AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE
Limits:
ENGLISH PROFICIENT.

Certificates

REMOTE PILOT
Certificates Description
Certificate: REMOTE PILOT
Date of Issue: 7/8/2022

Ratings:
SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM

On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> Dear Alan,
>>>
>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC. Total
>>> unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for an
>>> entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver entries
>>> are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>
>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>
>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>
>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year
>>> of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have
>>> you retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this
>>> year. Not so much?
>>
>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>
>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>
>> Done much flying lately?
>
> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP hours,
> and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight from
> Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into Indy
> Metro.

Christmas of 2023, of course.

> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
> before the end of September.
>
> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>
> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be up
> on the channel by end of today.
>
> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and do
> some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my Part
> 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good for
> another 2 on that front years too.
>
> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!

Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising speed
is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.

> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and a
> Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip in
> all. So still traveling too.

Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February? /s

> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
> outside Canada this year?

Life invariably takes different turns. My last travel comment here was
in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for our
CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had been
hoped for: indeed, it could have changed. Cancelled outright, or even
perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of that
year's international flights! /s

Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer trivial,
so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on cruise ships.

In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so it
does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior fiscal
constraint, as I'd long advised. Yay, you!.

-hh

On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>
>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for
>>>> an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver
>>>> entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>
>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>
>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>
>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year
>>>> of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have
>>>> you retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this
>>>> year. Not so much?
>>>
>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>
>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>
>>> Done much flying lately?
>>
>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
>> Indy Metro.
>
> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>
>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>> before the end of September.
>>
>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>
>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be
>> up on the channel by end of today.
>>
>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and
>> do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my
>> Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good
>> for another 2 on that front years too.
>>
>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!
>
> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising speed
> is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>
>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
>> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and
>> a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip
>> in all. So still traveling too.
>
> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>
>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
>> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
>> outside Canada this year?
>
> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here was
> in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for our
> CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had been
> hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright, or even
> perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of that
> year's international flights! /s
>
> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
> this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
> finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
> Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer trivial,
> so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on cruise ships.
>
> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so it
> does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior fiscal
> constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>
>
> -hh
>
>
>
Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
travel that I did not include in a prior post.

The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the Fairmont
Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff Springs.
Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of the people,
a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very suddenly. The
wife has to cancel. It may still be an open reservation for two.
Interested? Starts July 20.

The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on our
own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local transportation and
sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.

Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.

We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a week
with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up there, only
about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY nice restaurant or
two.

We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a splurge
but not that different from many prior years.

On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>
>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for
>>>> an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver
>>>> entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>
>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>
>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>
>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year
>>>> of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have
>>>> you retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this
>>>> year. Not so much?
>>>
>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>
>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>
>>> Done much flying lately?
>>
>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
>> Indy Metro.
>
> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>
>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>> before the end of September.
>>
>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>
>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be
>> up on the channel by end of today.
>>
>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and
>> do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my
>> Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good
>> for another 2 on that front years too.
>>
>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!
>
> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising speed
> is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>
>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
>> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and
>> a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip
>> in all. So still traveling too.
>
> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>
>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
>> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
>> outside Canada this year?
>
> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here was
> in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for our
> CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had been
> hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright, or even
> perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of that
> year's international flights! /s
>
> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
> this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
> finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
> Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer trivial,
> so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on cruise ships.
>
> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so it
> does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior fiscal
> constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>
>
> -hh
>
>
>
Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to include
2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so that kept the
cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k all-in.

On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>
>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for
>>>> an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver
>>>> entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>
>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>
>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>
>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year
>>>> of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have
>>>> you retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this
>>>> year. Not so much?
>>>
>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>
>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>
>>> Done much flying lately?
>>
>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
>> Indy Metro.
>
> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>
>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>> before the end of September.
>>
>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>
>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be
>> up on the channel by end of today.
>>
>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and
>> do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my
>> Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good
>> for another 2 on that front years too.
>>
>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!
>
> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising speed
> is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>
>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
>> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and
>> a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip
>> in all. So still traveling too.
>
> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>
>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
>> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
>> outside Canada this year?
>
> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here was
> in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for our
> CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had been
> hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright, or even
> perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of that
> year's international flights! /s
>
> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
> this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
> finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
> Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer trivial,
> so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on cruise ships.
>
> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so it
> does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior fiscal
> constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>
>
> -hh
>
>
>
Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125. It's a little
over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind. Delta makes it in
1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a 1+ hour drive to my
sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, and what do we do with all the
Christmas presents in Cessna luggage compartment? :)

On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>
>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>
>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>
>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>
>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>
>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>
>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>
>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into
>>> Indy Metro.
>>
>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>
>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>>> before the end of September.
>>>
>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>
>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be
>>> up on the channel by end of today.
>>>
>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and
>>> do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my
>>> Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and
>>> good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>
>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future
>>> too!
>>
>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>>
>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
>>> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg
>>> and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day
>>> trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>
>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>
>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
>>> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
>>> outside Canada this year?
>>
>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for
>> our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had
>> been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright, or
>> even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of
>> that year's international flights! /s
>>
>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
>> this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
>> finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
>> Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer
>> trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on
>> cruise ships.
>>
>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
>> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so
>> it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior
>> fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>>
>>
>> -hh
>>
>>
>>
> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
> travel that I did not include in a prior post.

But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before and
mentioned again below.

> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the Fairmont
> Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff Springs.
> Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of the people,
> a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very suddenly. The
> wife has to cancel. It may still be an open reservation for two.
> Interested? Starts July 20.

We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that start
date hits a schedule conflict. Plus we learned last month that we're
out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that this rail
journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip prep time either.

> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on our
> own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local transportation and
> sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.

Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.

> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.

As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end tour
than what you actually chose.

> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a week
> with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up there, only
> about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY nice restaurant or
> two.
>
> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a splurge
> but not that different from many prior years.

I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks in
Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the Epic is
still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite variable. Even
so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving. So without the ski
trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida bit (next below):

{merge}
>
> Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
> include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
> that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
> all-in.

{merge}
>
> Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.

So its an 5,760 miles upper limit. That's still not enough to cross the
pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.

> It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
> Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a 1+
> hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...

TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial. And since someone else
is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...

> ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
> luggage compartment? 🙂

Have Amazon send them direct to final destination. Or ship them out in
advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS. Or small gifts which fit easily in
one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.

-hh

On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>
>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>
>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>
>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>
>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>>>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>>>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>>>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach
>>>> into Indy Metro.
>>>
>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>
>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>>>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>>>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>>>> before the end of September.
>>>>
>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>>>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>
>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>
>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed
>>>> my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and
>>>> good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>
>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future
>>>> too!
>>>
>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>>>
>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>
>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>
>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>
>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for
>>> our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had
>>> been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright,
>>> or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all
>>> of that year's international flights! /s
>>>
>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's
>>> body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one
>>> wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no
>>> longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to guided
>>> tours on cruise ships.
>>>
>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
>>> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so
>>> it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior
>>> fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>>>
>>>
>>> -hh
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>
> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before and
> mentioned again below.
>
>
>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open reservation
>> for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>
>
> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that start
> date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that we're
> out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that this rail
> journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip prep time either.
>
>
>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>
> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>
>
>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>
> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end tour
> than what you actually chose.
>
>
>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY nice
>> restaurant or two.
>>
>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a splurge
>> but not that different from many prior years.
>
> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks in
> Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the Epic is
> still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite variable.  Even
> so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So without the ski
> trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida bit (next below):
>
> {merge}
> >
> > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
> > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
> > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
> > all-in.
>
>
> {merge}
> >
> > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>
> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross the
> pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>
>
> > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
> > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a 1+
> > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>
> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone else
> is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>
> > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
> > luggage compartment? 🙂
>
> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out in
> advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily in
> one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>
>
> -hh

On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>>>>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>>>>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>>>>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach
>>>>> into Indy Metro.
>>>>
>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>
>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>>>>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>>>>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>>>>> before the end of September.
>>>>>
>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>
>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>
>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>
>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>> future too!
>>>>
>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>>>>
>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>
>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>
>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>
>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as
>>>> had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>
>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's
>>>> body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one
>>>> wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no
>>>> longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to guided
>>>> tours on cruise ships.
>>>>
>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
>>>> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp,
>>>> so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his
>>>> prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>
>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>> and mentioned again below.
>>
>>
>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open reservation
>>> for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>
>>
>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that start
>> date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that we're
>> out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that this rail
>> journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip prep time either.
>>
>>
>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>
>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>
>>
>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>
>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end tour
>> than what you actually chose.
>>
>>
>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>
>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>
>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>> bit (next below):
>>
>> {merge}
>>  >
>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>  > all-in.
>>
>>
>> {merge}
>>  >
>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>
>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>
>>
>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>
>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone else
>> is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>
>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>
>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>
>>
>> -hh
>
> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You will
> never experience that.

On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>>>>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP
>>>>> hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight
>>>>> from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach
>>>>> into Indy Metro.
>>>>
>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>
>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>>>>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those
>>>>> are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride
>>>>> before the end of September.
>>>>>
>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>
>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>
>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>
>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>> future too!
>>>>
>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>>>>
>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>
>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>
>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>
>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as
>>>> had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>
>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's
>>>> body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one
>>>> wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no
>>>> longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to guided
>>>> tours on cruise ships.
>>>>
>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
>>>> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp,
>>>> so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his
>>>> prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>
>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>> and mentioned again below.
>>
>>
>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open reservation
>>> for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>
>>
>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that start
>> date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that we're
>> out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that this rail
>> journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip prep time either.
>>
>>
>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>
>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>
>>
>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>
>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end tour
>> than what you actually chose.
>>
>>
>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>
>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>
>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>> bit (next below):
>>
>> {merge}
>>  >
>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>  > all-in.
>>
>>
>> {merge}
>>  >
>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>
>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>
>>
>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>
>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone else
>> is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>
>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>
>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>
>>
>> -hh
>
> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.

On 2024-07-10 12:22, -hh wrote:
> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>
>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but
>>>>>> those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>>>>>> checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>
>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>> back.
>>>>>
>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>
>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>
>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went
>>>>> as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>
>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car
>>>>> is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to
>>>>> guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>
>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>
>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>
>>>
>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that
>>> we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that
>>> this rail journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip
>>> prep time either.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>
>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>
>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>
>>>
>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>
>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>
>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>> bit (next below):
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>  > all-in.
>>>
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>
>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>>
>>>
>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>
>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>
>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>
>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>
>>>
>>> -hh
>>
>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>
> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to go
> to the bathroom.
>
>
>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>> will never experience that.
>
> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>
> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a strong
> opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few questions."
>
> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>
> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog RC
> aircraft days.
>
> -hh
>
>

Interesting
On 2024-07-05 18:28:13 +0000, Tom Elam said:

> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>
>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC. Total
>>>>> unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical for an
>>>>> entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique driver entries
>>>>> are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>
>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>
>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last year of
>>>>> course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in 2021-22. Have you
>>>>> retired? I thought you were looking forward to getting back this year.
>>>>> Not so much?
>>>>
>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>
>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>
>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>
>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months, 36
>>> hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some CAP hours,
>>> and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return flight from
>>> Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument approach into Indy
>>> Metro.
>>
>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>
>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my 80th
>>> birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but those are
>>> perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test checkride before
>>> the end of September.
>>>
>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in April.
>>> Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>
>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will be
>>> up on the channel by end of today.
>>>
>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie and
>>> do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just passed my
>>> Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA refresher, and good
>>> for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>
>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near future too!
>>
>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising speed
>> is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not back.
>>
>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to Calgary
>>> then flying home from there. August takes us to France, Luxembourg and
>>> a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from Zurich. Ten day trip
>>> in all. So still traveling too.
>>
>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>
>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that, at
>>> least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going anywhere
>>> outside Canada this year?
>>
>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here was
>> in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up for our
>> CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went as had been
>> hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled outright, or even
>> perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of Coach on all of that
>> year's international flights! /s
>>
>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve balls;
>> this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while one's body (&
>> finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do what one wishes.
>> Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car is no longer
>> trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to guided tours on
>> cruise ships.
>>
>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the aforementioned
>> Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of ($7500+air)/pp, so
>> it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally breaking out of his prior
>> fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.  Yay, you!.
>>
>>
>> -hh
>>
>>
>>
> Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
> include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so that
> kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k all-in.

On 7/10/2024 1:22 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>
>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but
>>>>>> those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>>>>>> checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>
>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>> back.
>>>>>
>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>
>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>
>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went
>>>>> as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>
>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car
>>>>> is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to
>>>>> guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>
>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>
>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>
>>>
>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that
>>> we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that
>>> this rail journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip
>>> prep time either.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>
>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>
>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>
>>>
>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>
>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>
>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>> bit (next below):
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>  > all-in.
>>>
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>
>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>>
>>>
>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>
>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>
>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>
>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>
>>>
>>> -hh
>>
>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>> will never experience that.
>
> Flying if done properly is utterly boring once you're in cruise.

On 2024-07-15 10:37, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 7/10/2024 1:22 PM, Alan wrote:
>> On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward
>>>>>>>>> to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available
>>>>>>> at:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it
>>>>>> all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>
>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one
>>>>> of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died
>>>>> very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>
>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>
>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>
>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>
>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>  > all-in.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>
>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the
>>>> controls.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>
>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>
>>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>
>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>
>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front
>>> seat. You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and
>>> engaging way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a
>>> vacation. You will never experience that.
>>
>> Flying if done properly is utterly boring once you're in cruise.
>
> And your personal experience with pilot in command on long cross country
> trips is how many hours? Passengers are supposed to be bored. If they
> are not you are not a very good pilot.
>
> Yet another Alan Baker lie based on zero personal experience.

On 7/10/2024 3:22 PM, -hh wrote:
> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>
>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but
>>>>>> those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>>>>>> checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>
>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>> back.
>>>>>
>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>
>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>
>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went
>>>>> as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>
>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car
>>>>> is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to
>>>>> guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>
>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>
>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>
>>>
>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that
>>> we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that
>>> this rail journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip
>>> prep time either.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>
>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>
>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>
>>>
>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>
>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>
>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>> bit (next below):
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>  > all-in.
>>>
>>>
>>> {merge}
>>>  >
>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>
>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>>
>>>
>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>
>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>
>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>
>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>
>>>
>>> -hh
>>
>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>
> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to go
> to the bathroom.
>
>
>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>> will never experience that.
>
> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>
> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a strong
> opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few questions."
>
> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>
> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog RC
> aircraft days.
>
> -hh
>
>

On 2024-07-15 10:47, Tom Elam wrote:
> On 7/10/2024 3:22 PM, -hh wrote:
>> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward
>>>>>>>>> to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available
>>>>>>> at:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it
>>>>>> all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>
>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one
>>>>> of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died
>>>>> very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>
>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>
>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>
>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>
>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>  > all-in.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>
>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the
>>>> controls.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>
>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>
>>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>
>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>
>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>
>> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to
>> go to the bathroom.
>>
>>
>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>>> will never experience that.
>>
>> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
>> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>>
>> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a
>> strong opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few questions."
>>
>> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
>> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>>
>> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog RC
>> aircraft days.
>>
>> -hh
>>
>>
>
> Not irrelevant at all. I do it BECAUSE I love and value every minute as
> pilot in command. We plan our air trips just like you plan car trips,
> including potty stops. No big deal. Most are within the bathroom break
> window, but with an airplane like N182SV that has up to 6-7 hours
> endurance it can be an issue to be planned for.
>
> I have no issue that your preferences are different. My issue is you
> projecting your preferences to others, including yours truly.
>
> On Saturday we leave for Vancouver on Air Canada. Looking forward to
> that too. Flying is flying. :)

Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 7/10/2024 1:22 PM, Alan wrote:
>> On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but
>>>>>>> those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>>>>>>> checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went
>>>>>> as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car
>>>>>> is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to
>>>>>> guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>
>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that
>>>> we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that
>>>> this rail journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip
>>>> prep time either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>
>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>
>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>
>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>
>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>>
>>>>> Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>> include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>> that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>> all-in.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>>
>>>>> Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>
>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>> Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>>>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>
>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>
>>>>> ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>> luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>
>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>
>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>>> will never experience that.
>>
>> Flying if done properly is utterly boring once you're in cruise.
>
> And your personal experience with pilot in command …

Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> wrote:
> On 2024-07-15 10:47, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/10/2024 3:22 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward
>>>>>>>>>> to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available
>>>>>>>> at:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it
>>>>>>> all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>>
>>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one
>>>>>> of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died
>>>>>> very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>>
>>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>>
>>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>>> include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>>> that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>>> all-in.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>>
>>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the
>>>>> controls.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>>> Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>>
>>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>>
>>>>>> ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>>> luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>>
>>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>>
>>> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to
>>> go to the bathroom.
>>>
>>>
>>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>>>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>>>> will never experience that.
>>>
>>> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
>>> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>>>
>>> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a
>>> strong opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few questions."
>>>
>>> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
>>> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>>>
>>> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog RC
>>> aircraft days.
>>>
>>
>> Not irrelevant at all. I do it BECAUSE I love and value every minute as
>> pilot in command. We plan our air trips just like you plan car trips,
>> including potty stops.

On 7/15/2024 1:45 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-07-15 10:37, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/10/2024 1:22 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at
>>>>>>>>>> SBBC. Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior
>>>>>>>>>> years.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None
>>>>>>>>>> last year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34
>>>>>>>>>> in 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking
>>>>>>>>>> forward to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel
>>>>>>>> available at:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in
>>>>>>>> Muncie and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also
>>>>>>>> just passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license
>>>>>>>> FAA refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve
>>>>>>> day Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that
>>>>>>> it all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for
>>>>>> to-from travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>>
>>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to
>>>>>> Banff Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2.
>>>>>> Sadly, one of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to
>>>>>> go but died very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be
>>>>>> an open reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>>
>>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>>
>>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from,
>>>>> of varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher
>>>>> end tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend
>>>>>> a week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3
>>>>> weeks in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect
>>>>> that the Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are
>>>>> quite variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when
>>>>> driving.  So without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024,
>>>>> including the Florida bit (next below):
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>  >
>>>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe
>>>>> $3-4k
>>>>>  > all-in.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>  >
>>>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>>
>>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to
>>>>> cross the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at
>>>>> the controls.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>>
>>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>>
>>>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>>
>>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them
>>>>> out in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit
>>>>> easily in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front
>>>> seat. You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and
>>>> engaging way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a
>>>> vacation. You will never experience that.
>>>
>>> Flying if done properly is utterly boring once you're in cruise.
>>
>> And your personal experience with pilot in command on long cross
>> country trips is how many hours? Passengers are supposed to be bored.
>> If they are not you are not a very good pilot.
>>
>> Yet another Alan Baker lie based on zero personal experience.
>
> Please, Liarboy.
>
> What "excites" you in cruise on a cross country trip?

On 7/15/2024 3:34 PM, -hh wrote:
> Tom Elam <thomas.e.elam@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 7/10/2024 1:22 PM, Alan wrote:
>>> On 2024-07-10 07:51, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are typical
>>>>>>>>>> for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024 unique
>>>>>>>>>> driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward to
>>>>>>>>>> getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable, but
>>>>>>>> those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills test
>>>>>>>> checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available at:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It will
>>>>>>>> be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to that,
>>>>>>>> at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022. Going
>>>>>>>> anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment here
>>>>>>> was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be making up
>>>>>>> for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it all went
>>>>>>> as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.  Cancelled
>>>>>>> outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class instead of
>>>>>>> Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a car
>>>>>>> is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained to
>>>>>>> guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>>
>>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one of
>>>>>> the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died very
>>>>>> suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month that
>>>>> we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not that
>>>>> this rail journey would really have much), so not enough pre-trip
>>>>> prep time either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights on
>>>>>> our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>>
>>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>>
>>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>>> include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>>> that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>>> all-in.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>>
>>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the controls.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>>> Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have a
>>>>> 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>>
>>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>>
>>>>>> ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>>> luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>>
>>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>>>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>>>> will never experience that.
>>>
>>> Flying if done properly is utterly boring once you're in cruise.
>>
>> And your personal experience with pilot in command …
>
> Why is the goalpost set here by Tom as nothing short of “pilot in charge”?
> Be specific in trying to justify this. Good luck!
>
>> …on long cross country trips is how many hours? Passengers are
>> supposed to be bored. If they are not you are not a very good pilot.
>
> Particularly since this statement makes it clear that being a passenger is
> a valid experiential perspective to judge if a flight was “boring”
> (uneventful) for those same passengers.
>
>
>> Yet another Alan Baker lie based on zero personal experience.
>
> Ignoring Tommy’s fake qualifications requirement to include passenger BIS
> hours, it’s certainly not a zero. Likewise for other CSMA readers, some of
> which probably have more BIS miles than Tommy does…
>
>
> -hh
>

On 7/15/2024 1:53 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-07-15 10:47, Tom Elam wrote:
>> On 7/10/2024 3:22 PM, -hh wrote:
>>> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at
>>>>>>>>>> SBBC. Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior
>>>>>>>>>> years.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None
>>>>>>>>>> last year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34
>>>>>>>>>> in 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking
>>>>>>>>>> forward to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel
>>>>>>>> available at:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in
>>>>>>>> Muncie and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also
>>>>>>>> just passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license
>>>>>>>> FAA refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve
>>>>>>> day Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that
>>>>>>> it all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for
>>>>>> to-from travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>>
>>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to
>>>>>> Banff Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2.
>>>>>> Sadly, one of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to
>>>>>> go but died very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be
>>>>>> an open reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>>
>>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>>
>>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from,
>>>>> of varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher
>>>>> end tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend
>>>>>> a week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>>
>>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3
>>>>> weeks in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect
>>>>> that the Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are
>>>>> quite variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when
>>>>> driving.  So without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024,
>>>>> including the Florida bit (next below):
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>  >
>>>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe
>>>>> $3-4k
>>>>>  > all-in.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> {merge}
>>>>>  >
>>>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>>
>>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to
>>>>> cross the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at
>>>>> the controls.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>>
>>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>>
>>>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>>
>>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them
>>>>> out in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit
>>>>> easily in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -hh
>>>>
>>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>>
>>> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to
>>> go to the bathroom.
>>>
>>>
>>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and
>>>> engaging way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a
>>>> vacation. You will never experience that.
>>>
>>> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
>>> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>>>
>>> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a
>>> strong opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few
>>> questions."
>>>
>>> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
>>> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>>>
>>> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog
>>> RC aircraft days.
>>>
>>> -hh
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Not irrelevant at all. I do it BECAUSE I love and value every minute
>> as pilot in command. We plan our air trips just like you plan car
>> trips, including potty stops. No big deal. Most are within the
>> bathroom break window, but with an airplane like N182SV that has up to
>> 6-7 hours endurance it can be an issue to be planned for.
>>
>> I have no issue that your preferences are different. My issue is you
>> projecting your preferences to others, including yours truly.
>>
>> On Saturday we leave for Vancouver on Air Canada. Looking forward to
>> that too. Flying is flying. :)
>
> That you are "looking forward" to "flying" as a passenger in what is
> about the same comfort as a bus says everything I need to know about
> your taste.

On 7/10/2024 4:05 PM, Alan wrote:
> On 2024-07-10 12:22, -hh wrote:
>> On 7/10/24 10:51 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>> On 7/6/2024 4:42 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>> On 7/5/24 2:19 PM, Tom Elam wrote (plus merged posts):
>>>>> On 6/28/2024 8:04 PM, -hh wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/28/24 11:10 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>> On 6/27/2024 3:55 PM, Alan wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2024-06-25 10:34, Tom Elam wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Dear Alan,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Last year, 2023, April-June, there 3 weekends, 9 races at SBBC.
>>>>>>>>> Total unique CW driver entries were 97, OW 37. These are
>>>>>>>>> typical for an entire season for 2021-2023. In April-June 2024
>>>>>>>>> unique driver entries are 14 OW and 49 CW, about half prior years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> These stats are from the SBBC season championship records.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Wow, quite the drop. What's going on, Alan?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And, BTW, you entered 11 out of a 71 2021-2024 races. None last
>>>>>>>>> year of course, but also none this year and 11 out of 34 in
>>>>>>>>> 2021-22. Have you retired? I thought you were looking forward
>>>>>>>>> to getting back this year. Not so much?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So great to see you taking such an interest in my life, Liarboy!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I wonder if I might take a little interest in yours.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Done much flying lately?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well, yes. Two very different flavors. Full scale last 6 months,
>>>>>>> 36 hours logged including 2 family visit trips to Georgia, some
>>>>>>> CAP hours, and just passed a VFR checkride. The Christmas return
>>>>>>> flight from Georgia was IFR all the way home and an instrument
>>>>>>> approach into Indy Metro.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Christmas of 2023, of course.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now good for 2 another years on my BFR, taking me almost to my
>>>>>>> 80th birthday. At this time I am also IFR current and capable,
>>>>>>> but those are perishable skills. I'll be taking an IFR skills
>>>>>>> test checkride before the end of September.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> RC model flying has been active since the weather improved in
>>>>>>> April. Some of that is documented on my YouTube channel available
>>>>>>> at:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvZXi-36GQkeHr0FdB4cTg
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My latest YT video is rendering as I write this. That one is on
>>>>>>> programming my 3 meter Fox sailplane for solo hand launch. It
>>>>>>> will be up on the channel by end of today.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tomorrow I am scheduled to go to the AMA annual Fun Fly in Muncie
>>>>>>> and do some instructing with beginning RC pilots. I also just
>>>>>>> passed my Part 107 Remote Pilot/commercial drone license FAA
>>>>>>> refresher, and good for another 2 on that front years too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So yes, done a lot of flying. Some airline flying in the near
>>>>>>> future too!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Because even 36 hours droning along at a Cessna's 125mph cruising
>>>>>> speed is just 4500 miles: enough to cross the pond once...but not
>>>>>> back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We will be flying to Vancouver next month to catch a train to
>>>>>>> Calgary then flying home from there. August takes us to France,
>>>>>>> Luxembourg and a Viking river cruise to Basel. Flying home from
>>>>>>> Zurich. Ten day trip in all. So still traveling too.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Oh, so now its a ten day trip for what previously was a twelve day
>>>>>> Paris-Rhine cruise claimed back in February?  /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How about you, doing any racing lately? I know the answer to
>>>>>>> that, at least for SBBC events. Null, zero, nada since 2022.
>>>>>>> Going anywhere outside Canada this year?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Life invariably takes different turns.  My last travel comment
>>>>>> here was in early 2023, that we were looking (in 2023) to be
>>>>>> making up for our CoVid travel lull, but that doesn't mean that it
>>>>>> all went as had been hoped for: indeed, it could have changed.
>>>>>> Cancelled outright, or even perhaps upgraded to be in First Class
>>>>>> instead of Coach on all of that year's international flights! /s
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Same applies for 2024 as well, for life invariably throws curve
>>>>>> balls; this is why the advice was to 'do the hard stuff' while
>>>>>> one's body (& finances) are healthy enough to be still able to do
>>>>>> what one wishes. Otherwise, one can be pushing 80 and renting a
>>>>>> car is no longer trivial, so one can get increasingly constrained
>>>>>> to guided tours on cruise ships.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In any event, a week on the Rocky Mountaineer and the
>>>>>> aforementioned Rhine cruise sounds to be in the rough ballpark of
>>>>>> ($7500+air)/pp, so it does seem like Tommy is perhaps finally
>>>>>> breaking out of his prior fiscal constraint, as I'd long advised.
>>>>>> Yay, you!.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -hh
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Ten was a wrong number for Europe. It IS 12 days plus 2 for to-from
>>>>> travel that I did not include in a prior post.
>>>>
>>>> But also plus +3 days pre-tour in Paris, as you've mentioned before
>>>> and mentioned again below.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Canada trip is a package tour via a local company. It includes
>>>>> several side trips, most meals, air, and several nights in the
>>>>> Fairmont Banff Springs and others of similar quality prior to Banff
>>>>> Springs. Check the rates on that hotel. $11,990 for 2. Sadly, one
>>>>> of the people, a good friend at that, was scheduled to go but died
>>>>> very suddenly. The wife has to cancel. It may still be an open
>>>>> reservation for two. Interested? Starts July 20.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> We've been meaning to get back to the Canadian Rockies, but that
>>>> start date hits a schedule conflict.  Plus we learned last month
>>>> that we're out of shape for any decent hiking in the Rockies (not
>>>> that this rail journey would really have much), so not enough
>>>> pre-trip prep time either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The Europe trip including air is a bit over $10,000 plus 3 nights
>>>>> on our own in a Paris hotel at $300/night, plus meals, local
>>>>> transportation and sundries. Likely to also come to about $12,000.
>>>>
>>>> Figured about that, as a cabin on Viking is ~$3800/pp on its own.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Your $7,500 pp is spot-on but includes airfare.
>>>>
>>>> As you know, there's several rail journey options to choose from, of
>>>> varying lengths; I'd conservatively parameterized to a higher end
>>>> tour than what you actually chose.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> We also just this week scheduled a trip to Luddington MI to spend a
>>>>> week with some good friends at their cabin. I'll be flying us up
>>>>> there, only about $600 R/T for air plus taking them out to a VERY
>>>>> nice restaurant or two.
>>>>>
>>>>> We also have the annual ski trip of course. 2024 is a bit of a
>>>>> splurge but not that different from many prior years.
>>>>
>>>> I've not chatted skiing lately with a colleague who spends 2-3 weeks
>>>> in Vail each season to know current rates, but I'd expect that the
>>>> Epic is still just ~$1K/pp and that condo/AirBNB rates are quite
>>>> variable.  Even so, $10K probably covers ~3 weeks when driving.  So
>>>> without the ski trip, ballpark $25K for 2024, including the Florida
>>>> bit (next below):
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Second reply. I just updated the 2024 travel diary and forgot to
>>>>  > include 2 January Florida weeks. We stayed with friends week 1, so
>>>>  > that kept the cost down. I think the whole trip was only maybe $3-4k
>>>>  > all-in.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> {merge}
>>>>  >
>>>>  > Back again. FYI the club 182 cruises at 160+ mph, not 125.
>>>>
>>>> So its an 5,760 miles upper limit.  That's still not enough to cross
>>>> the pond & back...and one still can't nap (safely) when at the
>>>> controls.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  > It's a little over 2.5 hours including taxi time, with no headwind.
>>>>  > Delta makes it in 1:30 of droning on in a B737 but them you have
>>>> a 1+  > hour drive to my sister's place in Woodstock, TSA hassles, ...
>>>>
>>>> TSA Pre makes airport security pretty trivial.  And since someone
>>>> else is driving, its easy to take a nap, watch a movie, read a book...
>>>>
>>>>  > ... and what do we do with all the Christmas presents in Cessna
>>>>  > luggage compartment? 🙂
>>>>
>>>> Have Amazon send them direct to final destination.  Or ship them out
>>>> in advance via FedEx, USPS, or UPS.  Or small gifts which fit easily
>>>> in one's pocket, and/or a small carry-on bag.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -hh
>>>
>>> I NEVER feel the need to nap when I'm in the aircraft left front seat.
>>
>> Irrelevant, because you have no other choice.  Ditto for going up to
>> go to the bathroom.
>>
>>
>>> You have no clue, do you? Flying yourself is an exciting and engaging
>>> way to get there that adds a whole new dimension to a vacation. You
>>> will never experience that.
>>
>> You should have said "never again", because you've not recalled my
>> comment from a 2011 post which is germane:
>>
>> "Personally, I've not had sufficient stick time to have much of a
>> strong opinion, but enough to know a few things and ask a few questions."
>>
>> Plus I've also mentioned that I had had a coworker who was trying to
>> encourage me to get my ticket and buy his C172...remember?
>>
>> There might even be a few random comments from my even older analog RC
>> aircraft days.
>>
>> -hh
>>
>>
>
> Our Tommie has what I would term a very "convenient" memory.