What are your thoughts

[Roger Mole]

I don't know about you but I've not flown now for several weeks and the same applies to the great majority of pilots here in France. I was driving yesterday and thinking that although we're now allowed to leave home and travel for up to 3 hours in a radius of 25km, meaning that we can conduct local flights, I almost feel like I'm getting out of the habit. Of flying that is. If I feel like this, I'm sure that there are a large number of pilots who are less committed than I am who must be thinking the same way and that maybe it won't be worth starting up again, especially if they don't have that many hours in, don't own their own aircraft and even if they do, that as their insurance will be running out in a few weeks that maybe they won't bother renewing it and will sell it.
If I'm correct in this, maybe there's a possibilty of there being a large exodus of pilots from ULM/microlight flying, even the largest that anyone has seen in recent years, over the coming weeks and months, especially if the threat of Covid and all of the restrictions that it entails continues to hang over us as, has been suggested, possibly for the whole of the first half of next year.
What do others on here think about this?

 

[frozendreamer]

I guess, depending on the restrictions you have in your local area, it's very possible something like this could happen which would be a real shame. You have to hope that the desire to fly in the first place will prevail and when they're able to - health wise and financially - get back into the sport and spread their wings again.

Happy Flying.....!

 

[Martin Watson]

Broadly I agree with Roger's view. I'd add that having the social side of flying restricted has been a real downer - not being able to use the club house as we'd like and having fly-ins cancelled. As we've discussed in another thread, the social side is important.
So I'm very much hoping that 2021 feels a bit more normal! Ginge has been posting notes on planned fly-ins. Let's hope they happen.
If things like Popham and the LAA rally get cancelled again next year then we'll be in real trouble. On the other hand a few good fly-ins and some good weather and I'm sure things will bounce back

 

[Martin Watson]

Silver lining might be that it'll be a buyer's market if you're interested in purchasing a machine...

 

[Dave Morton]

I think the saving grace at the moment is winter and the "normal" restrictions that this time of year places upon us that we unquestionably accept.
I can't see how as a country we can financially afford to implement such restrictions again next year so being a pint half full person am already looking forward to the trips from our airfield that usually includes a dozen or more aircraft.

 

[ginge]

I must admit that I'm rather more optimistic than Roger, most areas I think, have had the two lockdowns this is of course far worse than normal. However thinking back to when I was working 5 days a week at my real job and on Saturdays helping out at the wifes flying school I had one available day a week. How many times did I go a month when Sundays weather was rubbish, it did seem a fair number of occasions.
Now stuck flightless at least I'm penned in with another flier who is as eager as myself to get in the air. Rather than feeling put off I feel rather more like the pet dog, sitting at the door, tongue lolling, lead in mouth itching to go.
The present restrictions will come to an end, by what we are being told, probably around the middle of next year. meantime we will be able to fly localy in most places. Will I still be up for it, you bet I will!

 

[Roger Mole]

I hope that things do bounce back. I was chatting with a flying pal this morning over our usual Sunday morning coffee and he agreed that even when we were flying together pre-Covid we were finding that there was hardly anyone else flying over here and airfields we landed at were practically deserted. The last time I flew there was also much less other radio traffic than usual on the national shared frequency (123.5, the equivalent to Safetycom but French pilots are much less disciplined on it than UK and tend to be much too chatty) so I hope that my fears aren't realised. Perhaps the fact that French pilots have less 'invested' in their flying because of the differences in the two countries' systems will actually work against the sport in France compared to the UK , if you understand me.

 

[ginge]

quote (123.5, the equivalent to Safetycom but French pilots are much less disciplined on it than UK and tend to be much too chatty) quote

Yea gods do you mean that, I remember a few occasions of trunding around a circuit unable to get a word in. Where they circuit traffic, were they heck, they were miles away chatting about have you seen Fred or disscusing their holidays. These days I wind the squelch right up so I can't hear anything a few miles away when nearing the airfield, it helps but doesn't always sort it. Mind you after being stuck on the ground since March I'd be very happy to hear them rattling on as long as I was up there as well.
I'm sure your guys will bouce back as soon as they feel that life is returning closer to normal, they'll look up at a beautiful sky and wonder why they're not in it. Then they get right back to driving you nuts on the radio.

 

[Roger Mole]

Know what you mean Ginge. I remember when I was bashing around the Kentish Essex borders in MYRO hearing one young lady somewhere or other (La La Land probably) advising everyone on Safetycom how she was leaving the circuit to the north and how she would be advising everyone when she would be returning to rejoin the circuit. Trouble was she didn't mention which airfield she was talking to so having taken up the best part of a minute enlightening us all about that we were still none the wiser. She wasn't in a microlight though so I guess it must have had something to do with those pips on her shoulders
I hope that you're right though about things getting back to some kind of normality some time fairly soon.

 

[Jinx]

After all of the grounding this year I am itching to get off the ground and will appreciate it even more than before. I have lost hours to make up for and you can be sure I will be making the most of the reduced restrictions. Pretty sure the other club members will be thinking similar things. I have loads of unused holiday time owing from the office and it is all being saved for aviation time. Covid will not win!

 

[BobH]

I suppose the one good thing about covid and the relaxing of flying restrictions is that we can at least get to our airfields and do some much needed maintenance on our planes. I have to do some remedial work on the Spectrum before I fly it again, and I want to get the Minimax back together so that I can fly it while I'm refurbing the Speccie. The good thing is that once I've reassembled the 'max I can fly it straight away, and when I've finished with the Speccie I'll be able to take that up as well.