As I CFIT wrote:kanga wrote:Go to meetings (especially when they cease having to be virtual ones!). Introduce yourself ('lean in' in the ghastly US management-speak which a certain truth nevertheless underlies). Volunteer (unashamedly, proactively, frequently) in both aviation and social ways: offer to host a Strut summer BBQ when that is again allowed ? Offer articles, photos or even to edit the Strut newsletter/website ? Help with hosting (organisation and on the day: admin, refreshments, photography, ..?) Strut fly-ins; and if they've not traditionally done one, suggest it ?
The chap just wants an aircraft share for some relatively inexpensive flying. He's given no indication that he wants to spend his time doing the things that you suggest.
I'm happy to do whatever it takes. Equally, I'm happy to adjust my expectations, change my budget or whatever is required to get flying. Well, everything except fly a Thruster
Cessna571 wrote:@flyingearly
I think there are a lot of people on here flying less than 48 hours per year.
I think you’ve lost a lot of people there by saying that’s just not enough.
I too would like to fly at £50 ph, so I can fly more than 48 hours per year!
I didn’t realise you were flying that much, with a flying budget of over £6000 pa
I think most people were coming at it from the point of view that you couldn’t afford it, not that you wanted it that way round.
You could never land in a flex wing with that sort of budget!
Sorry, I did say my choice of words was quite clumsy!
I'm able to devote a healthy £500 a month to flying every month, give or take a bit more when I'm feeling flush or perhaps have been lucky enough to get a small bonus at work, perhaps slightly less when feeling tight or when Christmas is killing me.
With my current rates, plus landing fees, plus monthly club membership (and ignoring Covid), I eat up that budget in a couple of flights. But put a different way - if I fly twice then I can't fly a third time because I'll exceed my budget - as a 1 hour rental is a minimum of £124 (£109 + £15 landing fee). And yet, this is on 12 lph (if that, if I fly more economically at 70 knts).
At £1.25/litre, my thinking was anything sipping less than 24 lph is costing £30 a fuel, so once you add on an engine fund and a bit extra, you'd be in the £50 - £60 territory. £100 a month within a bigger syndicate would cover hangarage and insurance quite readily (but maybe I'm wrong).
What I'd like is for the ability to look out of the window, see it's a nice afternoon, check the diary to see if the aircraft is booked and then go for a quick bimble after work, that's all, knowing that there is no real pressure to get back by a certain time, or that I have to limit myself to an hour because it's costing me £109/hr.
Basically, to make flying less planned, more opportunistic, where a short 30 minute flight is 'worth my while' (as it were), or where an unplanned longer flight is equally satisfying rather than looking at the clock and counting down £1.50 every minute.
I remain confident that such groups exist elsewhere in the UK; it's just the SE I'm struggling, but very happy to volunteer, get involved and do whatever it takes to make it happen.