Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Miscellaneous
#1844999
@Iceman I'd guess you are correct in your assumption, however I would also hazard a guess that you are one of few who don't have a spare set discretely placed for just such an inevitable occurrence. :D
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By Rob P
#1845000
Half way?

No.

To the airfield gate?

Yes

Twice :(

Rob P
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By Human Factor
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845001
Iceman wrote:
proteus wrote:The extra drive time is a bit of a pain, especially if you forget something.


I don’t expect that I’m the only person who has found themselves to be more than half way to the airport (30 miles away), and then gone ‘bugger, forgot the aircraft keys :roll:’.

Iceman 8)


Yak pilots have the opposite. “Bugger, forgot to turn the air off”.
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845002
I misread the question :oops: :oops:

The correct answer is up to an hour, but mostly about half that.
By Bill McCarthy
#1845019
Soon to be 250 yards and a 10 minute walk. But I reckon @the farmer could black cat us all after seeing his mount parked up in the garden.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845042
Iceman wrote:I don’t expect that I’m the only person who has found themselves to be more than half way to the airport (30 miles away), and then gone ‘bugger, forgot the aircraft keys :roll:’.

You're not.

Years and years I had only one set. Then I got all the way to the field.

Then I got four sets cut.
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By WelshRichy
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845046
When I was younger, much younger, I learnt to fly prior to learning to drive and having to take public transport to and from Cardiff Airport was not too bad at around 1.5-2 hours each way depending on whether I missed my connecting bus or not. Flying was a whole day affair but it was my life and I didn't know any better.

Learnt to drive Sep/Oct '03, bought my first car and passed my test in Nov '03 because I thought I'd better obtain a driving licence when I arrived home with a newly printed FAA CPL/IR that August. Wow what a difference. My journey time to and from the airport was now only 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. Why didn't I do this earlier? :D

Fast forward to moving up to Scotland, I had a 45 minute drive to Fife when I lived in Stirling. Then we knew we were moving to the other side of Glasgow so I transferred to Prestwick. Initially, for a year or so, I had a 1:20 drive each way but now we have moved it is only 55 minutes each way which, whilst only 25-30 minutes difference, makes such a difference. Glasgow Airport is only 20 minutes away... :D

Since moving up here, I did drive down to Cardiff (~7 hours) to fly the pup I'm so fond of one weekend in '19 but that was a one off and I stayed over for a few nights at my parents house (they were away on a cruise, but it was the only weekend I could do!) It was lovely taking 'CZ out once again.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845051
I used to drive 1 hr 15min to Goodwood, where I first learned to fly in 1992. Traffic was a lot lighter then, and the drive took longer and longer. It's still more than that, even with the Hindhead tunnel now open.

Moved to White Waltham in 2001, 40 minutes is a lot more bearable.
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By Peter Gristwood
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845055
When I started:

20 minute by bike to RAF Hendon for T31 time
2 hrs by bus to Bovingdon, with a hitchhike to the station

Then:
2 1/2 hrs to Nympsfield
1 hr to Luton by train and bus
20 minutes to Exeter by car
20 minutes to Dunkeswell by car

Don't have the stamina for a 2 hour drive and then a day's flying. Too old now
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845084
Iceman wrote:
proteus wrote:The extra drive time is a bit of a pain, especially if you forget something.


I don’t expect that I’m the only person who has found themselves to be more than half way to the airport (30 miles away), and then gone ‘bugger, forgot the aircraft keys :roll:’.

Iceman 8)


Hook inside flight bag, hangar, buggy and aircraft keys on one keyring, put on hook immediately after hangar locked, ready for next time.

Never gone flying without flight bag>

The day I do will be time to give up.........................

Peter
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845136
PeteSpencer wrote:Never gone flying without flight bag>

The day I do will be time to give up.........................


I did, once. It was when I was with my (now ex) girlfriend and we were meeting up with a load of other people to go fly-camping. I loaded all the camping gear in the car, along with food, beer, wine, lots of stuff. I forgot one thing...

Still, I kept the headsets, a flight guide, checklist and map in the aeroplane, so it didn't matter. My flight bag had the kneeboard and GPS, but I could write on the back of an envelope and navigate using the map. Bonus points, my girlfriend was very impressed with me being able to navigate by map. :D
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845139
Paul_Sengupta wrote:
PeteSpencer wrote:Never gone flying without flight bag>

The day I do will be time to give up.........................


I did, once.

I did too. I borrowed a map, wrote some frequencies on a bit of paper, and flew somewhere I knew well. Still checked NOTAMs and weather.

I went flying after someone had nicked the checklist from the aeroplane too. It slowed me down, and I was very careful. It was actually interesting being forced to actually think through exactly what I needed to be working before taking to the air, and why.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend either, but with careful thought, it doesn't need to be a big deal, provided one is acutely aware of any limitations.
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By Awful Charlie
#1845149
About1 -1.5 hours, but then my homebase airfield is in the next country. Border checks are rare going, but more frequent when returning - a queue there can easily add 20 mins