The Independence of Being a Private Pilot

Posted on Jul 8, 2012

July 4, 2012 – Prepping for my Fourth Pilotversary Flight.

Well, I know it’s been a long while since I’ve shared my pilot experiences but as they say, “it’s better late than never.” Perhaps the significance of the Independence Day week is all I needed to get my creative juices going for this latest post.

For me each July 4 – Independence Day is special for a couple of reasons. First on July 1, 2011, I worked my last day as an employee of Stanford Hospital & Clinics and stepped into the world of independent consulting. Second, and most importantly, on July 5, 2008, I earned my wings as a private pilot. So this year’s Independence Week for me is just a bit more special in that I’m not only celebrating my fourth year of being a pilot but also my first year of being an independent consultant.

While sharing experiences is one key component of my blogs, I also enjoy reflecting on my experiences, lessons learned, and moments shared with friends, family, and “newbies.” This last year has included everything from sunset flights, wine flights, bay tours, business flights, surprise flights, and much more. It all happened so fast and yet it all meant so much. To honor the amazing year that I’ve had structuring my new independent style of life and creating memorable moments in the sky, I’ve created a quick photo recap of all my flights over the last year starting from July 1, 2011 to July 4, 2012. Enjoy!

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Total Hours Flown July 1, 2011 – July 4, 2012 = 28.3 hrs
Total Hours Logged as of July 4, 2012 = 160.7 hrs
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July 5, 2011 – Biennial Flight with Dad in the Chicago Area (1.3 hrs)

July 19, 2011 – A quick trip around the pattern at Erie, CO with Scott in his Comanche (0.5 hrs)

July 31,2011 – Junie’s Bay Tour (SF, Sonoma, and Napa). (1.4 hrs)

Aug 7, 2011 – Repositioned Patrick’s Warrior to LHM near Sacramento, CA. (1.2 hrs)

Aug 8, 2011 – Clara and Claudia Wine Flight to Sonoma, CA. (1.6 hrs)

Aug 28,2011 – Laura and Rob’s Sunset Bay Tour. (1.2 hrs)

Sept 2011 - Biz flight to Petaluma for a client meeting.

Sept 1,2011 – Biz flight to Petaluma for a client meeting. (1.6 hrs)

Sept 3, 2011 – Hassan’s First GA Flight and SF Bay Tour. (1.2 hrs)

Sept 11, 2011 – Wolfgang’s First GA Flight around the Petaluma area. (2.0 hrs)

Oct 9, 2011 – Kaitlyn’s “Surprise Wine Flight” to Monterey, CA. (2.0 hrs)

Oct 31,2011 – Serving as Will’s Safety Pilot to Salinas, CA. 1.2 hrs)

Dec 27, 2011 – Annual End-of-The-Year Flight at SQL. (0.8hrs)

Jan 12, 2012 – Last minute “charter” flight to MCC in Patrick’s Warrior. (1.1 hrs)

Jan 30, 2012 – Biz flight to Petaluma for a client meeting. (2.0 hrs)

March 8, 2012 – Sunset Ocean and Valley Flight with Kaitlyn. (1.5 hrs)

April 28, 2012 – Elvis’ Wine Flight to Sonoma. (1.4 hrs)

April 29, 2012 – Marc and Christianne’s Engagement Anniversary Sunset Bay Tour Flight. (1.1 hrs)

May 5, 2012 – Flight out to Merced, CA with Gary to Visit the Castle Museum. (1.1 hrs)

June 24, 2012 – Sunday AM flight out to SBN with dad for breakfast. (1.6 hrs)

July 4, 2012 – Fourth Pilotversary Flight with Kaitlyn to Healdsburg for a Picnic Lunch, Dinner in Napa, and a Sunset Bay Tour Landing. (2.4 hrs)