how many hours and years?

[Ak Steve]

I finally got off my duff and started flying this spring. I only have 3.5 hours, so I have a way to go still.....gotta figure out that whole landing thing....

How long have you guys been flying, and how many hours total do you have?

I hope to get 100 hrs by years end. I fell into a sweet deal on instructor, aircraft, and fuel, so I can't not fly. I'll definately be scouting out some rams

 

[martentrapper]

19 years. Something like 2500 hrs. It's just another way to travel these days.

 

[Adison]

Hours?

Hours?

Well I started flying back in 1992. Since I work as an active A&P mechanic, I got alot of my hours thru my job doing test flights. Some days I wouldn't even log my time. Looking back now I wish that I had. I finally got around to doing the ground school a few years back and soloed in 2003. I never took my check ride. I guess that I have around 250+ hours even though the logbook only reads 72.3.
Adison

 

[echolmbe]

Hours

Hours

15 years
2500+ hours
All fun but a couple.
90% in the front of a Cub

 

[DanC]

Time

Time

I started flying in the 60's but gave it up for many years after a friend flew into the side of a mountain. Bought my skyhawk 12 years ago and will add my thousandth hour to the tach during my flight back to AK in a couple of weeks. Nearly all of my time is cross country. I maintain instrument proficiency and have logged a few hours in the clouds but don't intend to do that anymore. Being retired, I don't have to get anywhere on time anymore.

 

[ifrflyboy]

It's Still Fun!

It's Still Fun!

I started in 96. I have 1200 hr inst, multi, com. I am a hobby flyer, but have flown for a good pheasant hunt. I still enjoy going to safety meetings. Most have the same old stuff, but I don't get tired of seeing my avation buddys. One day I plan on chunking my job & getting a paying job flying. That's what I want for my retirement, a laid back flying job & maybe an A&P ticket.

 

[fishnflyak]

how many years and hours...

how many years and hours...

Hello all! neat idea for a new forum!! got my private at 17 in 84 and have racked up just over 17,000 hours since then...and a lot of gray hairs too.

I've flown just about everything up here, but my favorite will always be the supercub on 2000's or some fat airwheels.

 

[Louis]

I've got between 15-16000 hours. This coming September will be the 30'th anniversity of my first solo. I learned at Nielsen Aviation on Merrill Field...anyone else out there that remembers that outfit?.....Louis

 

[fishnflyak]

Nielsen aviation...hmmm

Nielsen aviation...hmmm

You say that was 30 years ago? Where bouts on the field were they? my old man soloed me on my 16th on the beach at Moose Point. Got legal at Aero Tech that same year. Taught there as well for a couple years.

 

[Louis]

Nielsen Aviation was on the Fifth Avenue side just to the West of the Flight Service Station. They went out of business in '78 or 79. Sometime after that the building was leveled and the lot was turned into transient parking.

I had a little experience with Aero-Tech, Jack Nielsen operated the Pitts Special over there after his business clossed and I got a couple of hours of dual with him then.

Dick and Ramona must have done something right, that company definitely has staying power. I think they've been around about 50 years now, haven't they? That's got to be close to a record for any Alaskan flight operation!.....Louis

 

[Adison]

along time

along time

hey louis, last I heard Ramona had passed away and Dick was still running things. It's been a few years, but still activly involved with avation is a great legacy to have. I hope that I am able to pass on a few things when I'm that age, of course we will be using hydrogen fuel and flying supersonic to hong kong in 30 minutes by then.
Adison

 

[BrianW]

Not a pilot, yet. But I had the pleasure of being an Army crewchief on Hueys and Blackhawks at Ft Wainwright from 1987-91. Then switched to the US Coast Guard and was a Flight Mechanic from 1992-2004. Flew in H3 Pelicans and the Jayhawks.

Seen most of Alaska, looking out a side door. Seen the Interior, North Slope (course I work there now), the coast line from Annette to Nome, St Paul, and down the chain to Cold Bay.

I'm an A&P and have worked part-time at the local Part 135 operation on C-185s mostly, with some Beaver time and even a Pitts annual (naturally I didn't sign it off.) Also a lot of work on Piper Chieftans.

I've gotten pretty good a taking apart, inspecting, and reassembling the Aerocet amphip floats, as that's what the boss likes to run on the 185.

Funny, after all these years, now I run boats for a living. The change of pace has been refreshing, but I do love aviation.

 

[Brian M]

I got my license on my 23rd birthday, but sadly only have about 300 hours so far (I turn 28 in about a week). I was one of Tom Wardleigh's last students...what an amazing man with incredible Alaskan flying stories. I was sad to see him go, but just felt incredibly blessed that I got to fly with him.

I've done all of my flying up to this point in a Cessna 172XP, but am learning to fly a cub this summer. I'll give it a year or two before I start landing on the tundra/gravel bars, but that's the goal. We've also got skis for it, and floats for the Cessna, so I've got my plate full with flying goals. Can't wait to get started!

-Brian

 

[AKmud]

17

17

I started back in 1995, solo'd at 11 hrs. then made it to 17 and had to quit. I was flying in Oklahoma and graduated from Spartan School of Aeronautics prior to finishing my flight time and was in too much of a hurry to get home. Came back to Alaska and planned on finishing it until I found out how much more it cost up here! I had a package deal 40 hours wet in a Cherokee 6 (20 with an instructor and 20 without) all for $995. Up here I couldn't touch a plane (lessons) for less than $2,000. I guess I will have to stick with my snowmachine.

 

[Water_Gremlin]

I got my private pilots license when I was 17. I logged about 70 hours in 2 years and then passed on the first check flight. Once I got my private I flew 3 more times and quit. Its expensive and I simply did not enjoy it anymore. There was a lot of pressure on me to climb the ladder and eventually get my commercial. It was a hobby that I enjoyed, but it was pressed on me so hard it wasnt a hobby anymore.

When I was 19 I tried to pick it up again. I went out to a flying school on Merrill for my bi-annual flight review. Everything went well, I retained most of my flight knowledge, the flight went very well too. I felt like I didnt even skip a beat. Moving from Birchwood to Merrill kind of threw me off, but I picked up the whole controlled airspace thing. Then my new instructor double checked my maps and found out one map was expired by a couple of days. He flipping lost it and exploded. I told the guy to cancel my next flight because I will NEVER come back. I havnt even thought about flying since.

 

[tccak71]

Hours

Hours

WG: bummer. I don't think I've flown with current charts EVER!

I began flying in 92; I soloed after 10 hours. I finished my license in 2003! (The fbo I flew with went out of business-Far North Aviation.) I began flying again in 96 at Birchwood, but didn't like my instuctor. I eventually finished with Aero Tech at Merril field. So far I have about 120 hours. I haven't flown much since getting my license; too spendy with gas prices being high. I have stayed current with my medical and biennial(sp).

Tim

 

[Jktimm]

Checking in...

Checking in...

I have a little over 3000 hours since 1990. I learned to fly in Fairbanks at Philips Field. It's now the Johansen Expressway. I have commercial, single engine land / sea with instrument and CFI. I flew C206 and DHC2 off Lake Hood for 3 years and stacked up hours pretty quickly. I have a Taylorcraft on floats and a Lake Buccaneer (flying boat) that I'd like to sell.

 

[Adison]

Lakes

Lakes

Hey jktimm, which lake do you have? I have worked on most of the LA4-200's in alaska at one time or another. Why are you looking to sell?
Adison

 

[jetdriver21]

Any other military flyers?

Any other military flyers?

I learned to fly the best way: on Uncle Sam's dime.

Started with my private in 2000 and then went to military flight training -- graduating in 2002. I have flown some high performance military jets -- T-37 (fully acro), T-1 and KC-10. I have also flown some not so high performance civilian types Cessna 150, 172 and various Pipers. All told I have around 400 hrs with private, comm, ME and instr. -- unfortunately the docs got a hold of me a few years back and I am still on the sidelines -- but they didnt get my ratings (military or civilian).

 

[TBLOOMA]

hours

hours

soled on '90 at 17 in Maine, went college in New hampshire, was a flight instructor in maine for a yr, couldn't get a charter job, there were none to be had. Came up here(AK) with my flight bag and a back pack, got a job a ERA, worked for them for almost a yr, then went to SCA based in Kenai, flew everything they had. They went out of busieness and continental express called me right away, they based me in EWR (YUCK!) Flew for them for 2 yrs, then FedEx picked me up in 2000. So I went from bush flying to jet flying pretty quick. Probably have 5000+ hours up here in AK. Bush flying is WWAAYYY more fun, but doesn't pay as well. Currently living 2 miles from birchwood saving like crazy for a 180-185 as those are my favorite flying machines. Currently 9000+ hours Airplane single engine land and sea, multi-engine land, CFII (and current if anyone cares!) Be-1900, MD11, and ERJ-145 types, also got my advanced ground instructor.
Be safe guys, and if the chart isn't tooo far out of date, doubt if much has moved!!! BUT they did change 6L and 6R to 7L and 7R!!!