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 Post subject: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 07 May 2023, 17:53 
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Joined: 09/09/19
Posts: 68
Post Likes: +141
Location: Los Angeles
Hello BT Community,

My name is Sam, and I have been a long-time lurker on this forum. After more than a year of learning from and enjoying the contributions of many of you, I have finally decided it is time to introduce myself. Aviation has been a lifelong passion of mine but I am a low-time rusty pilot who hasn't been at the controls since 2012. I didn’t feel like I had much to contribute.

I now realize that there is more to BT than just aviation and that I have value to add. If anything my perspective may be under represented. I came here as a lover of all things Beech, especially the V-tail Bo but I’ve never even sat in one.

I’ve had a long career as a professional drummer performing all over, 160+ dates per year. I live in Los Angeles but I started flying in the mid-90s in my hometown of Tulsa where I soloed a C150 at 18. My dad is retired from American's TUL maintenance base and my grandfather was an engineer at Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas.
I had an uncle with a Navajo in Texas and another had a Cherokee in OK.

I’m really just a good ol’ boy who found himself in a big city because of a love for writing, recording and performing music. :rock:

I finally passed my checkride in the mid-2000s after joining a flying club out of VNY. My touring schedule took over, and I found myself flying less and less. I didn’t feel safe flying so little, I often had weeks in between. I miss flying terribly, although I have built an elaborate sim and have been an active contributor to the flight sim community designing accurate models of airports I've visited. It's a poor substitute for being in the cockpit. I live between SMO and VNY so I’m always enjoying a stream of GA, commercial and military flying over. I'm sure I've looked up to see some of you flying over!

Now in my late 40s, my finances are more stable but time is still a factor. I would hate to start back up only to hang it up again. If I learned one thing from you guys it's that I made the right decision to go on hiatus when I no longer felt I was safely staying current.
I daydream about getting an instrument rating and maybe one day joining a partnership or small club with anything I can afford.

I'm not sure what my path back to the cockpit is. I am grateful to have been a part of this community and hope to contribute something worthwhile. Thank you for allowing me to be a fly(er) on the wall for so long, and I look forward to participating in the BT community.

Best regards,
Sam


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 07 May 2023, 20:13 
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Joined: 09/16/10
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Hi Sam, glad to know you and that you made the introduction! :thumbup:

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If you think nobody cares about you. Try not paying your income tax.


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 07 May 2023, 21:44 
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Joined: 12/03/14
Posts: 1106
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Location: Houston, TX KDWH
Aircraft: '81 Baron 58
Welcome! Have you crossed paths with Pat Brown, our local DPE in Houston. He seems to know all the drummers….worked in the industry but don’t recall in what capacity.


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 07 May 2023, 23:31 
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Joined: 12/17/13
Posts: 6322
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Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Aircraft: Turbo Commander 680V
I had a 16 year hiatus from flying in the 90's and early 2000's. Don't sweat it - it comes back pretty fast with a little training. And I would highly recommend to fold that training into IFR training if you can. It's a challenging rating and I felt like a failure many times during the process, but it's also really rewarding.

Welcome back to aviation! :thumbup:

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Problem is the intelligent people are full of doubt, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 08 May 2023, 13:27 
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Joined: 09/09/19
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Location: Los Angeles
Username Protected wrote:
Hi Sam, glad to know you and that you made the introduction! :thumbup:


Thanks John!


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 19 May 2023, 13:06 
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Joined: 04/29/18
Posts: 4
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Aircraft: Bonanza N35
Hi Sam,

We both just posted our first posts so we are sort of related. :D

Recommendation: pursue your dreams! It requires sacrifice and commitment but if it is what you really want it is worth it.

It sounds like you are/were short on time with all your work travel. That’s really difficult.

What I wish I’d known:
- find a great airport with lots of active pilots and spend time there.
- Help people work on their planes. Clean them.
- Pump gas at the FBO in exchange for reduced rental rates.
- see if there is a local EAA chapter building a plane. They often offer them to members at reduced hourly rates!
- Buy a cheap tail dragger. And fly it all day long.

But please be careful and do what your wife says. The most important thing in life is the people you love and who love you.

Wishing you all the best. Carl

PS I’m proud of you for posting!


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 Post subject: Re: Hello From A Long Time Lurker In Los Angeles!
PostPosted: 20 May 2023, 18:54 
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Joined: 09/09/19
Posts: 68
Post Likes: +141
Location: Los Angeles
Username Protected wrote:
Hi Sam,

We both just posted our first posts so we are sort of related. :D

Recommendation: pursue your dreams! It requires sacrifice and commitment but if it is what you really want it is worth it.

It sounds like you are/were short on time with all your work travel. That’s really difficult.

What I wish I’d known:
- find a great airport with lots of active pilots and spend time there.
- Help people work on their planes. Clean them.
- Pump gas at the FBO in exchange for reduced rental rates.
- see if there is a local EAA chapter building a plane. They often offer them to members at reduced hourly rates!
- Buy a cheap tail dragger. And fly it all day long.

But please be careful and do what your wife says. The most important thing in life is the people you love and who love you.

Wishing you all the best. Carl

PS I’m proud of you for posting!


Hi Carl

Thanks for your response. I'll look for your intro post!

Money is less of an issue now than time. I think about ways to make time to fly until I'm back to current and comfortable - possibly going to one of those accelerated instrument courses or training every day to speed the process.

The nagging thought is that as soon as I do, I'm back to my normal routine of not being able to fly for weeks at a time due to my work-travel schedule.
I don't know how many of you find time with families and careers.

You're right about getting out there and being around aviation again. After I left the flying club, I stopped hanging around the airport and lost touch with my pilot pals.

Somehow finally posting here and interacting with other pilots seems to be motivating.


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