Here is sunny Cal we are fortunate to fly year round. It's not unheard of to log 800 or more flights per year. I'm attempting a survey so all info greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Billy

When I had a nice local field to fly at, I was putting in 15 to 20 turbine flights per week.

Now that I travel 1.5 -> 3.5 hrs to fly, unfortunately I'm down to about 10 per month.

Billy,

If I had to guess, I'm easily at 800 this year.

Raf

Jeez, I know guys who get 5 flights a year and guys who get 1000.

What in the world could these numbers tell you about anything?

I've seen a kingcat flown from sun up to sun down logging 20 flights or more.

Don't know any bug drivers that slam their jets to the pavement that many times in a day. So the aircraft being flown has a lot to do with it. Cost of fuel, oil, time to the field, time available for flying.

There are so many contributing factors, pilots in Alaska, Wisconsin etc.

Is there something more specific you are trying to learn?

to me the number of flights is irrelevant and useless, one should do as they do in full scale and go by hours not flights.

kc

Sean, your so right! I was joking with Ehab yesterday, that to fly a super hornet at Tomcats (our closest field with some rather large trees on final) it is vital to bring another jet to fly incase of a misshap on landing!!

Raf

Without creating a thread within a thread, It's a simple question,How many flights per year?

Personally I treat any plane the same. They ALL get flow the same amount. I think it's a waste to have a "hanger queen" but that's just my opinon. I always get a kick out of those who show up to an event with there $20000.00 plus model and sit around the whole day.

I'm a pretty fair guy, but your statement makes you sound so ignorant, I just don't know what to think of you. Are you including touch and go's as flights? How about touch and gos that came to a full stop? Are we talking every time the engine is turned on and then turned off and a flight occurred in between? I need some more specifics and then I'll give you a detailed answer.

Also, I'll need to know if landing in the grass off the runway counts, cause I've done that a bunch of times as well.

I don't even know if hours count is accurate, cause damn, when Jetcat came out with engine install kits, I quit keeping count of hours on engines cause the damn jetcats, it didn't seem to matter how many hours they were running, they just would not stop!

150 a year for me... average 3 flts per trip to the strip x 50 trips a year.. may not be a lot but they are all extremely rung out flts. [sm=bananahead.gif]

i think we'd agree one would in most occurrences have more flight experience from 10 hours of flight time then if they'd taken off, turned a 180 then shot an approach and landed, came to a complete stop, turned the turbine off, started it back up and then did the same and logged 200 flights in a single day.

on our helis here at Rucker we keep track of airframe hours as a primary, you're supposed to log the number of auto's, number of landings and so on and so forth but nobody counts much more then hours, engines are tracked by hours and number of starts as well as HIT (health indication test) checks. the only reference to number of flights are in the log book (DA 2408-13-1) where write ups consist of examples such as..........'Flight 1 OK' next entry 'Flight 2 OK' next entry 'Flight 3 PNVS not cooled', etc....... and these are simply to let

kc

Hey, Billy is just asking a question to see how many flights pilots fly, not a big question to ask, whats the problem, just answer the question or stay out of the thread. Joe C

not nearly enough for me, unfortunately. This year I have an airport available much closer, so hope to go out more often during our too-short flying season.
I have started logging everything now, and it has sure come in handy....

Thanks Joe, for those who need a definition of " a flight" , lets call it a standard 6 to 10 minute flight, take-off do whatever your heart desires and land again. Do as many touch-n-goes as you want, fly in circles, just burn a tank of gas. That is what I would call a "flight"
Any other info you need, start your own thread. This is all I'm concerned about.

Billy

ORIGINAL: Philo

I always get a kick out of those who show up to an event with there $20000.00 plus model and sit around the whole day.



Billy,
I am one of Those Guys who Thinks that "Sometimes One Flight" is all "I Need ", and in some cases ,, not even one..... ha ha ha !!
For some of us , putting 20 fligths on a weekend, It is not of our interest ,,,

I Always get a Kick out of those who show up to an event and burn 20 Gallons of Kero .........It is very entertaining ...
Thanks ;

Geronimo

Billy,

My hours & numbers for the last few years are on JetCat's web site under "News". 708 flights in 2006 for 108 hrs 20min.

Rick

Geronimo, Whatever floats your boat. If that's what makes you happy then good for you. The point that I was trying to make was I wasn't interested in what kind of plane one was flying just how many flights. Some people seemed to look into this question a little too hard. Now get back to work on the A-10 so you can bring it out and set it next to the other one all day.

I am Planning on doing that ha ha ha ha
G..............................

Dude!!! C'mon man... Are you really asking what a flight is???

1. Fill it up with gas.
2. Start it up
3. Fly it
4. Land it.
5. Shut it down

= 1 FLIGHT
Not tooooo tough to figure out..

BTW B/E 500+ flights a year minimun for me bro...

The guys who burn 20+ gallons per show are the ones who are usually putting on the show for the crowd to enjoy. They are the ones who will fly in the 30mph crosswind to keep the show going. If we waited for all of the pilots who fly for TEAM MEGUIARS to put all of their buffing towels down knobody would ever show up at a show.

The guys who burn 20+ gallons per show are the ones who are usually putting on the show for the crowd to enjoy. They are the ones who will fly in the 30mph crosswind to keep the show going. If we waited for all of the pilots who fly for TEAM MEGUIARS to put all of their buffing towels down knobody would ever show up at a show.


Doug , You , and The "20 Gallon Club" Members are what Jet Rallies are "all About ",without you Guys will be Just to boooring!!
G............................

BTW, there is Also Very nice to see "TEAM MEGUIARS" and their "Inmaculate Jets" on display

hmm...

Hi Billy

You are a rare breed in that a very, very small percentage of jet modelers world wide fly as much as you do. [X(] Engine manufactures have for years based warranty periods on 25 - 50 hours of engine time or 1 - 2 years. Most pilots never see those 25 - 50 hours in the first two years and that is what the manufacturers count on. And they have pretty well been right.
You are their worst nightmare!

In my experience in turbine retail ( 10 years/couple hundred customers ) and dealing with jet guys and gals very few fly more than 40 - 50 flights per year. Reasons include: problems with the airframe, mishaps, long trips to appropriate fields, the seasons ( too hot, too cold, too windy ), intimidated by their aircraft, fly jets only at major events etc etc.

The average flight lasts 12-14 minutes ( start up to shut down ) So lets say 4 1/4 flights per hour x 25 hours --- about 106 flights or 212 ( 50 hours ) over two years. At most events I have been to the magic number is 3 - 4 flights per day- then you have to charge the silly stuff ( well, most think - O.K. I have cheated death again - time for a beer ). So at that event they fly say 6-9 flights and many are proud of the achievement! Some won't fly again for a month...

Now lets say you do have the good fortune to fly every other weekend during flying season ( lets say 9 months of the year ) 3-4 flights per Sunday. That still works out to only 72 flights per year. Manufacturers are still happy

Now this is not scientific by any means. This has just been my general observation. You have seen me fly at events and I usually am there to fly. Guys think I fly alot but even I only log 150 - 180 flights per year. There are many that struggle to get in just 20 flights in two years.

Maybe times are changing and guys are flying more - but given what I have seen at events - the average guy is still happy to just get up and down in one piece ( you have seen their eyes when you start talking touch and goes ! )

Cheers

Dean Wichmann

Billy,

2006 was my first full year as a jet pilot, I completed 125 flights (~21 hours total turbine run time) with my Rookie II.

How many flights did you have last year?

Ken

Doug, maybe we should fly to Texas and show him what a flight is, in post #7, still trying to figure out why he had a hard time understanding Billy, better yet, trying to figure what the hell he is talking about. Billy ask one simple question and he made a big deal over his question. does touch & go"s consider a flight etc., etc., BLA BLA BLA. Joe C!!