On 7/16/24 9:20 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
> 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.
>
> LOL! A bus does not fly and travels at about 10% of the speed of a
> commercial jet. Not comparable.

Fun fact: a bus on a highway is moving a lot closer to a Cessna's
cruise speed than a Cessna is to a commercial jet, which makes the bus
must *more* comparable to the Cessna.

Similarly, the windows on a bus & Cessna are much larger than a 737
jet's "porthole", & have more forward views.

> What would you take on a long trip that
> is more comfortable than an aircraft? Car? Bus? Train? Motorcycle? I
> suppose a ship could be, but very slow.

I'm reminded of and joke that some of my former military (and later 747)
pilot friends have told me:

One day, a fighter jock pulls up next to a 747 to have a chat. He
proceeds with a "watch this!", showing the 747 a loop, barrel roll, etc.

Then the 747 pilot responds with his own "watch this".

Time passes as the jock just is watching the 747 cruising along straight
& level. After 15 minutes, the 747 pilot comes back on the radio and
says "well how did you like that?".

Jock replies: "how did I like .. what?"

747 pilot explains: "Well, I switched to auto-pilot, then got up and
went to the bathroom. Then I stopped & brewed a fresh cup of coffee and
had that while I stretched my legs..." :-)

Remind us how long the corridor is in a Cessna, Tommy. Oh, and headroom
to stand up in the cabin too.

-hh