I’m late on this (sorry, other air-bloggers), but here goes …
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Expand my horizons. This year, I pushed my southern limit a bit by flying all the way south to Dulles Airport. My other extremes flying from Ottawa are Sault Ste. Marie to the west, Baie Comeau to the north, and Port Hawkesbury (Cape Breton) to the east. Maybe this is the summer I’ll fly up to Hudson Bay, just for the hell of it.
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Seriously consider taking on one or two partners for my Warrior. It’s a lot of work taking care of an airplane, and it could be fun to share.
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Ace my IFR renewal and my medical. I did my last medical when I was 39, so it was good for five years. My last IFR flight test was in 2007, and was good for two years. They both come due this summer/fall, and the medical will be every two years from now on (since I’m over 40). Recurrent training will help with the first one, and exercise and healthy eating will help with the second.
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Don’t get stressed. After around 700 hours, I still get stressed (as in can’t-eat, rush-to-the-bathroom stressed) before almost every flight, especially if I have passengers. Some time between starting the pre-flight and starting the engine, it all melts away. I’d like to enjoy the anticipation of the flight as well as the actual flying.
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Use the blog test for all my flying decisions. Would I be comfortable blogging tomorrow about my decisions and actions today, without making any excuses, modifications, or omissions? If not, time to come up with a new plan.
Support and encouragement from my friends reading this will be very welcome.
Land and Hold Short 
Intersting thoughts. In particular I very much like number 1. If a pilot thinks of writing down every step of his/her preparation and then decison making for a flight as if they would be eagerly read by others, it is likely a lot of accident reports would bever be written.
years ago a favorite instructor imparted a somewaht similar thought … in particular he was trying to prepare me for one of the well-know risk plateaus in a young pilot’s career … the 200-hour or so private pilot ‘zone’.
His advice? Plan and conduct the flight as if your mom was a passeneger and you were explaing each decison, during planning and during the flight to her. It’s the kind of advice that can never hurt, won’t cost a thing, and might very well ‘save the bacon’ some day.
All the best in 2009 and beyond.
Hello David! It sounds to me like you hit the best 5 items possible to want to brush up with! I also like that you made them specific and realistic goals. Shows that you have yourself grounded even when you think of flying. Reminds me of someone else I know who can’t seem to get off the ground for love or money!
If you are looking for someone to share in your pre flight anxiousness, I’m the guy looking kinda restless on the ramp.. 😉
All the best for 2009!
Relating to no. 1 as well: IF a description of my flight decisions or actions begins to sound like the opening remarks in an accident investigation report, I know it is time to slow down and take a close double-look at what I am doing.
(I.e. The pilot pressed on into deteriorating conditions… or the pilot neglected to top up his fuel tanks during an enroute stop as he was in a hurry to arrive at his destination… etc..)
Oh, dear God, I’m at 130 hours, and I’m waiting for that pre-flight stress feeling to go away… and you’re saying that it’s still there at 700! Boy, I’ve got a long way to go…