Good Morning NI - I'm here..

[Ben]

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Ray.R wrote:

Well fitted, since you are now a Knight!

How are your horseback riding skills??

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Judging by the last (and only) time I was on a horse, I am fine as long as there is a guy following behind me smacking the critter with a stick.

Ben

[Ray.R]

LOL!  You could be in for a surprise.. 😄

As long as you can save your princess is all that matters..  😉

I prefer flying over horseback riding..   I don't know if I couldtake flying lessons or get a pilot's license with my current eyesight..  😞

[craigc]

Ray,

You could always try paragliding.  One of the cheapest foms of aviation there is (costs me around £120 a year to keep up to date).  Dont know about the laws where you are but in the UK theres no eyesight checks! (Which may not be a good thing).  Plus the gliding speed / no sound gets you close to birds if you so desire.  I have flown with himalayan griffin vultures, lamaguires, buzzrds etc.  Would highly recommend it!!

Craig

[Ray.R]

Sounds like fun.  I would need to live in an area with cliffs or mountain. Although the nearby hills may be high enough. 

Here, you see hot-air balloons.  I have not yet seen any paragliders.  I will check..

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Ray:

You could get a motorized (paraglider?), I do not know the proper name for them. They fly around my place all the time, even though there are plenty of mountains nearby.

-AK2DM

[DianeS]

Re: pilot's license...I assume you wear some kind of prescription to correct your eyesight?  If so, your eyesight won't affect your ability to obtain a private pilot's license.  (It would affect your ability to obtain a commercial license, however)  My dad has a private pilot's license and his eyesight is about 2 steps above legally blind.  In fact, I know several private pilots with lousy eyesight, come to think of it...

I don't have a pilot's license myself, but I grew up flying a Cessna 172 and it's really pretty cool.  My grandfather was a flight instructor during WWII, so flying is just something my family does.  I learned to fly in a black-and-red 172 named Raggedy Ann...my later flying was done in the Irish Rover (picture attached -- my nephew is piloting the plane in this picture, taxiing to the runway for his first solo takeoff), previously my grandfather's plane but inherited by my dad and my uncle when Grandpa passed away.

So go for it!

Message Edited by DianeS on 02-16-2010 12:23 PM

[Ray.R]

My case is a bit... different..

I was leagally blind even when wearing prescription glasses in the right eye.  Thus the black eye patch on Dilbert.

Fortunately, the vision is coming back...  And soon the patch may become grey.. Actually, I only need the patch when programming / working long hours in front of the computer screen.. 

So who knows, maybe I'll fly to an airport near you in the future.. 😉

I'll have to talk to my buddy who is getting his private license this spring.

Nice photo.

[DianeS]

I believe that legal blindness is indeed an impediment to obtaining any kind of pilot's license (for good reason).  However, it sounds like your vision is improving, so hopefully it continues to do so and you can eventually achieve your goal!  Should you some day fly in to an airport near me, I'm taking you out for a beer to celebrate your accomplishment!

Pretty little airplane, isn't she?

[craigc]

Well you dont really need cliffs / mountains.  You can soar a hill of about 300' minimum.  From there if you thermal you can gain altitude all the way up to cloudbase (Where the thermal loses its energy as it becomes the same temperature as the surrounding air).  Even if you do not have a hill you can always get towed up to a couple of thousand feet and catch thermals from there on in.

I have always wanted to get a PPL as well although it can cost quite a lot here in the UK.  I have heard of people going to the USA or Canada to get their liscence in as little as a few weeks for less money and making a holiday of it at the same time.  Maybey someday I will take the plunge 🙂

Craig

[Ray.R]

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DianeS wrote:

Pretty little airplane, isn't she?

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Beautiful plane.

I used to fly RC planes, many years ago.

Had 7 different style planes and a glider.  Many of which are crash survivors and will need repairs if they are to fly again.

One of the plane was actually a prototype idea.  The engine power was insufficient to the weight ratio and lift capacity of the design.  A slightly larger motor would have done the trick.  Fun hobbies...  🙂 

Hopefully, in the not so distant future, I will take the time to get back into the hobby.  I can still see perfectly with the left eye, so that's no problem.  🙂