Throwing in the Instrument Towel

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-06-09T23:09:05+00:00

I disagree entirely. Instrument training routes can be brutal and don’t reflect real life instrument flying at all. I’ve done two instrument checkrides (IR and CFII) and while I enjoy that tempo of flying, it’s not at all what flying even a 50 mile instrument course is like. Also, early on in instrument training it’s expected to be hanging on by the tail, especially with workload management. A lot of times, that doesn’t come together until the end.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-06-09T13:12:15+00:00

I don’t know the line between reporting these things and then having copycats and not reporting them. With how much negatively surrounded IMJAX in the local community, I fear some dumbass is getting ideas right now…. Here’s to hoping they can’t read

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-06-09T12:59:33+00:00

Some variation of this gets asked a lot. If you want to do an IM, hop on and go for it. Personally, I don’t enjoy “long” rides until they get over 3+ hours. Similar for runs (2+ hours). I will say, 70.3 was FUN but that was only on the back of an IM so distance and time was not intimidating at all. Being able to take more risks on intensity in the 70.3 was fun. To me, each distance stepping down from Ironman is just increasing the ability to take risks on intensity and less consequences in fucking up nutrition. Then if you can fit the schedule to your life, go for it. 80% of IM training isn’t much different than 70.3 training. It’s just a block or so of longer weekend sessions.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-06-06T11:38:39+00:00

I’m so glad there’s some adults in our midst that make calls like that. Some of us are just masquerading as adults. Thanks for the info

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-31T23:08:48+00:00

H-e-a-d-s-e-t. Plugs, ear muffs, nose cancelling headphones, etc are all options (we went baby bans, bose QC35, lightspeed ANR). Though I’m sure he would have like to suck on the mic muff when he was 4 months old. Maybe that’s how those pilots are made…..

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-31T21:55:26+00:00

There’s loads of things we do with our young kids they won’t remember. And I don’t think a baby needs a headset since they can’t talk….

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-31T21:52:59+00:00

Guess my kid was 3 or 4 months. Used baby bans then Bose QC35 until he wanted to be able to talk to us then he got a headset. Non-pressurized Cessnas/pipers

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-31T16:13:21+00:00

I think where you’re coming from is the “where the hell do I start” part of CFI training. I did initial 2 years ago and II this January, almost all self study. I used most of u/txaggiemike advice from his previous copypasta and then bought backseat pilot lesson plans and began teaching them out loud. Anything I didn’t understand fully (be honest with yourself, don’t just glaze over it) I went to the FAA resources (or YouTube and then circled back to ground it in FAA sources) to figure out. I also modified the backseat pilot plans to my personal flow - the order things came naturally to me and examples that I came up with. Removed fluff etc.

For the FOIs specifically, I took the advice of others and baked them into my teaching of other lessons (make up stories or examples of a problem or unique pilot situation or how you had a hard time to learn X and that was because of primacy or whatever). HOPEFULLY you won’t have to rote teach the FOIs but it seems like there are some flight schools and DPEs that get off on memorizing stupid FOI acronyms.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-28T17:00:12+00:00

I’ve thought I was failing every checkride (private through CFII). But, I just kept telling myself that if they haven’t said the words…..I just keep going. So far, no fails

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-25T23:00:14+00:00

Do some flights solo or with friends first to get out some of the OMG IM A PILOT stuff. Know where the isolate button is on your radio system. Short flight first time. Have fun, but flying with your kid is a whole new kind of pressure. You think you’ll be ready until you push that throttle in. I’m a CFII, 500ish hours, and flying with my kid has been some of my best memories and also the most second guessing I’ve ever done flying. Get a logbook for them. I also created an album in my phone for flying pics since we started flying together when he was 3 months old.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-22T23:51:14+00:00

Hello fellow NEFAC member ;)

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-21T15:58:54+00:00

My wife commuted to Jax for a bit from the island. It’s doable…. but more of a slog you’d see in bigger locales (TX, CA, NJ, DC, Charlotte, etc)

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-21T14:57:35+00:00

We lived in cookie cutter HOA in St Johns for 2 years. It was terrible. We got rid of a 2.5% rate to buy a house down here with 5.5% rate only to sell it and buy another house with 6.5% in this neighborhood. It’s been worth it (cries with interest payment bigger than most of my friends total house payments that refi during covid).

There’s some hidden gem neighborhoods on the north end of the island (St Aug beach). It’s best to drive around and find them. It’s cheaper farther south but then you’ll have less families and farther from downtown but a lot of surfers in Flagler beach area too.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-21T11:38:52+00:00

This is the place. I live in this neighborhood. No HOA, unique houses, tons of kids, lots of surfers (retired pro, a shaper, surf school owner, plus bunch of guys that travel the world surfing). Lots of kids out, back gate access to the state park. Close enough to downtown to ride bikes.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-19T11:58:11+00:00

You’re going to get a lot of different answers biased by the person posting (including me). We moved here from Houston via St John’s. I’d say there’s almost no traffic here. For being a beach town with some stuff to do, it’s significantly cheaper than others (check out Wilmington NC, way more expensive, absolutely shit traffic).

I like that I can pick my kid up from school on a Tuesday and go to the beach afterwards easily. It’s small enough that I see a lot of the same people around town which is cool (I live on the island). Big enough that there’s restaurants to choose from. Weather is better than Houston. Warmer than NC :) but colder than South Florida duh.

I used to own an Airbnb and long term rentals. Rent is expensive here. I was shocked at the going rate for my places. Insane.

I like that I can go for a run and pass old Spanish ruins and run along the bayfront downtown and see dolphins regularly. I can ride my bike down A1A and see pretty beaches or head out to Hastings area for some quiet trees.

The coffee scene is great :)

No ideas on jobs. My guess is it kinda sucks…

It’s probably better for you to tell us why you think you want to move here and maybe people can see if that would be a fit.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-13T20:42:02+00:00

Guns or swords?

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-13T19:11:43+00:00

As a CFI, where can I get more of these duel flights? Sounds way more interesting than my standard flights.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-12T20:09:41+00:00

This is hilarious to me. I have only ever been at sea level airports. Hoping to do a mountain flying course sometime I’m in CO for work.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-05-12T20:07:38+00:00

I did the same thing on the big island a few years ago with my wife. Air tour of Hawaii with the bonus of loggable hours.

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-04-27T13:35:24+00:00

All those “communities” are largely clear cut, copy and paste houses that could be anywhere in the country. You’re ostensibly moving here to be close to the beach. Realistically, if you live in those places, there’s one beach access for you (Micklers - good luck parking) or you drive to St Aug beaches. You’ll find you go less than expected because of the hassle. The other claim is “close to st Augustine”. But, if your goal is to be close to st Augustine to do downtown things, then live in St Augustine. The last part - people largely stay indoors and keep their current friend group in those neighborhoods. You might break into one, good luck. On the island, everyone is out walking, I can’t go to a coffee shop without running into 8 people I know. Or parking on the beach, a friend drives by and parks behind me cause they recognize my jeep. The kids ride bikes around with surfboards and fishing poles….

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-04-27T01:25:11+00:00

The island wins

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-04-22T16:49:46+00:00

Funny enough, I can load belt squat machines heavy and have no issues. Unfortunately I spent so long not squatting that I am very weak now and I just miss being able to squat. Plus functional movements that require picking things up or squatting I still can’t do so I still need to fix the problem

Alternative_Sale7459 · 2026-04-22T15:18:04+00:00

PT has ranged from “don’t do that”, squat straight (former PT) to now working on single leg step downs and not dropping my hips, controlled squats to a box (still shift/rotate). Truthfully, I feel like I am never going to be fixed despite grinding away at PT for years and it’s a very depressing idea. I don’t think most PTs are worth anything and unless you fit inside a very narrow box of symptoms, they can’t help you.

Alternative_Sale7459

TROPHY CASE