PlasticPilot.net

It seems to me that over the last months, time no longer going-by, but kind of going away. My new life in Frankfurt is cool, but with all the new things to handle, there’s not much time left for reading aviation magazines.

The single survivor is AOPA PILOT, the magazine from the US AOPA. I continue to read it because it comes to me per mail. If I had to buy it in a kiosk, it would probably be gone as well. I already told all the good I think of Rod Machado’s column (click here to read more about it), and I continue to read it, but it’s no longer my favorite one (sorry for that, Rod). There will always be a special place in my heart for the “Never again” column, but it also went down a bit in my personal hierarchy.

One of the things I know yet about aviation is that it’s not only about going from A to B, but also about how to do it. And most imporant is with whom to do it. Aviation is a small world, but no one will ever know all the passionating persons making it.

Without the “Pilots” column of the AOPA PILOT magazine, what were the chances for me to hear about Joiwind Alexander, Dennis Flanagan, or Deana Martin ? I don’t know them personally, but knowing a bit about what they do, and want to do makes me feel optimistic about aviation.

It’s always good, when in doubt, to read about above the average persons. There are many ways to be an exceptional pilot, and not all of them are infamous or mediatic. They probably don’t even look for that, but if the result is that aviation looks more friendly, fun, cool, attractive, this is a very positive side effect.

So, if you want to know a bit more about a less ordinary pilot each month, check the “Pilots” column - now my favotire - in the AOPA PILOT magazine. No need to go through the table of contents to find that page: it’s the last one.

Many things no longer look like they did seven years ago, when I started flying. Some things actually changed, and the way I perceive some other also changed. Here is a small list of objective and subjective changes over this period.

Fuel price increased. Severly. As a rental pilot, I don’t see it directly, except when I buy some fuel away from my home-base. The fuel price increase was included in the hourly cost I pay to clubs or schools. In Switzerland, the possibility to get tax-free fuel for any private flight to a foreign country has been supressed, at least for relatively short flights.

The second major change occured after the 9/11 events. All light aircraft pilots were suddenly perceived as terrorists, and restricted areas grown like mushrooms after the rain. Another side-effect of the 9/11 is the strong and sometimes ridiculous increase of security. Tarmac access is no longer that easy, even at small, local airfields.

When I started, I thought that all other pilots were serious, instructors were like half-gods able of anything in a plane, and maintenance never released a plane with a problem.

Now, I know that pilots can do stupid things, that some fly like cow-boys, and I even have a personal “black-list” of pilots with whom I’ll never fly. It’s rather short - 3 persons only, and I know more than 150 pilots - but two of them are instructors !

Even the shorter flight was an adventure when I started, and the concept of “routine” flight seemed remote. Now that I flew to Sion (one of my favorite destinations) 30 times, including 15 times out of Geneva, it became far less exciting. There is still pleasure in doing it, typically with new passengers, and being used to a route does not mean one can overlook the preparation.

The traffic itself also evolved. After a small decrease due to 9/11 events, the airline traffic bounced, we see more and more business jets, and the airspace left for light aviation is more and more restricted. Flying VFR is still possible, but it requires more attention and co-ordination.

Last but not least, the technical evolution over the last seven years has been rather impressive. The comparison below show the kind of cockpits I learn to fly in, and the kind I like to fly in now.

This evolution is the more visible, but airframes and engines also evolved a lot, as I like to talk about on this blog…

All in all, the changes over these seven years were not always positive, but aviation is not dead, and will not die. There still a good bunch of motivated pilots in the aero-clubs, and the new technology now available will probably motivate many other to join.

Whether you’ve been flying for longer or shorter than me, I’d really like to know what was the bigger change since you started, be it personal or factual. Please let me know in comments, and discuss that together.

Did you noticed the logo that popped-up few weeks ago ? Blogging Pilots is simply a directory of blogging pilots - including plasticpilot.net. I found it bia the logo on a blog I regularly read, and I like the concept.

Thanks to it, I discovered a few good blogs, and it also helped me getting new readers. May be you come from there ? If not you should take a look, it will certainly make new blogs pop on your radar. But hey ! Don’t forget to continue reading my blog.

I hesitated before posting about it, because it sounded like sending readers away. But blogging pilots is a good service, and it deserves support. I’m preparing a blogs compilation for a later post. As a preview, look at this

I found it through www.bloggingpilots.com, and I hope to find more new cool blogs by using this directory. Browse it, and if you find new jewels, don’t hesitate to send me a link - let’s grow the blogosphere together.