Winter / Focus / Fuel

[Del Rykert]

No Wonder some pilots get burned out and leave the hobby. 
 
    del
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Anthony Abdullah 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 11:34 AM
  Subject: Re: Winter / Focus / Fuel


  George, you obviously have not met Bob Fortino. Eating, sleeping, social interaction, trips to a stylist for grooming, shopping for trendy clothes, etc have all been eliminated from his schedule. The man is a flying machine. I look at the numbers and 28 cases sounds like about the max that you could possibly do, but he really has streamlined his life to maxamize his pattern time. Don't get me wrong, I like him a lot and all my coments are said with affection. I think he is a really great guy, but his level of focus in our short flying season is other worldly (perhaps he's an alien). I followed him home from the Andy Herider memorial competition near Dayton and when we stopped for gas he advised me that he would be pulling off on RT. 13 to head to his local flying field. Mind you, we had just baked in the sun and flown 6 rounds at a contest all weekend, and he wants to stop on the way home and practice! Have you ever seen him post on the list her! e? No, because he is out flying, or standing in a dark room visualizing his flying. Margretta and I have a policy of going fishing the Monday after a contest, then flying again on Tuesday, that might explain why I don't win more. I think the point is, for those of us with a short flying season we pack a huge number of intense flights into a very short time so that flying the pattern becomes as close to second nature as possible.

  Anthony

  george kennie <geobet at gis.net> wrote:
    Northeast coast of Mass, fly approx. 150 to 175 flights a year on about
    16 gallons.
    I can't conceive of anyone burning 80 gals in four months. Lets see, 16
    weeks @ flying 4 times a week, four flights per session, 256 flights @
    16 oz.per, ....we're up to 32 gallons, that's 8 cases, hmmm, let's see
    Troy says 28 cases, c'mon guys, there's such a thing as eating and
    sleeping. I gotta be missing something here. No wonder these guys don't
    do any building.
    Georgie

    "Atwood, Mark" wrote:

    > That begs an interesting question.
    >
    > How much fuel do people burn in a calendar year?
    >
    > I'd be interested to hear responses and where you're from (or maybe more specifically, how many months that fuel is spread over.
    >
    > In a competitive year (the last three not withstanding) I was burning 40-50 gal over 3.5 - 4 months ! (late May - Mid Sept.)
    >
    > -Mark
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Anthony Abdullah [mailto:aabdu at sbcglobal.net]
    > Sent: Wed 12/3/2003 9:58 AM
    > To: discussion at nsrca.org
    > Cc:
    > Subject: Re: Winter
    >
    > Silly question / observation.
    >
    > You would think with the advantage of an extended flying season, ceteras perabus, the nats champion in every class would be someone from a warm weather state the majority of the time. Perhaps that is the case as I am not sure where all the top competitors are from. I do know that a couple of my neighbors to the immediate north west are always very competitive, and the Ohio contingent has not exactly embarrassed themselves, present company excluded of course. Maybe there is an advantage to a flying off season when it comes to being able to focus. Bob Fortino is the picture of focus and concentration, I wonder if he could keep up that level of intense concentration for a 1! 0 month flying season. Not to mention what he would spend on fuel.
    >
    > Just a random thought as I watch the winter winds blow across frigid lake Erie.
    >
    > Wayne Galligan wrote:
    > I know that feeling all to well as I lived in the frigid confines of
    > northern Iowa years ago... you could get some serious building done in the
    > winter months. Then I got to Texas as fast as I could and not regretting it
    > one moment. But you are right about the changes. Here I am building and
    > flying at the same time seems. Two planes ready for next year now so I
    > knock on wood all I have to do this winter,spring,summer,fall is fly...
    > heh! heh! (no bad feelings at all)
    >
    > Wayne G.
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "Atwood, Mark"
    > To: ;
    > Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 12:57 PM
    > Subject: RE: Winter
    >
    > I feel bad for you "year round" fl! yers. Not sure how you stay "excited"
    > about the sport. In this neck of the woods (Cleveland) we have a pretty
    > even split...6 months of building, 6 months of flying. Without it, I'd have
    > been burnt out years ago.
    >
    > As it is now...come September, October...I'm tired of dragging the plane to
    > the field...and start to get an itch to clean the workshop, and embark on a
    > new project (This year is ambitious for me...2 35% IMAC planes, Painting a
    > new all composite Pattern plane, some comprehensive repairs, and a new
    > trainer for my son (building from scratch with a 7 year old is ambitious all
    > by itself))
    >
    > Come April..and the Toledo show...The desire to get out and fly is almost
    > overwhelming. I get to start the season with a whole new lust for the
    > sport.
    >
    > On days like today...cold, windy, dreary...I'm jealous. But in general,
    > I'll keep changing seasons...and changin! g hobbies :):):)
    >
    > -Mark
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Wayne Galligan [mailto:wgalligan at goodsonacura.com]
    > Sent: Tue 12/2/2003 1:46 PM
    > To: discussion at nsrca.org
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