Welcome back. Your absence was noticed. Glad to see you posting again.

So what does unretired mean, what's that look like

Wait ... you were gone for a while?

What did you unretire to? Inquiring minds want to know.

Welcome back.

quote:

Several longtime Sigforumites have passed:
Vero8
Jim Shugart
Rotndad
HenryAZ
Others that my memory fails me

Thank you all for the warm welcome back. It’s thoughtful and much appreciated.

I was afraid of this. It’s the price to be paid when you decide to be absent. I fondly remember every name. Thank you for sharing what is really important.

quote:

Originally posted by Timdogg6:
So what does unretired mean, what's that look like

Well, unfortunately it looks a hell of a lot like pre-retirement. Only you’re working twice as hard because you’re older, and not getting paid what you were before because…well…you’re “retired”. lol

quote:

Originally posted by mjlennon:
So what's your advice to those of us on the eve of retirement?

Honestly? Have a plan. I mean like a REAL plan. With paper and stuff. lol.

I “thought” I had a plan. I was mistaken. I retired at the end of August 3 years ago. September I woke up every day next to my wife. Something that previously never happened. We both enjoyed that. I hit the road in October with the dog and went thru the Dakotas bird hunting. That was fun. Then it was the Holidays with the family. That was fun too.

Then came the New Year.


We were in the process of moving and putting an addition on what became our retirement home. It was a disaster, but even though I was busy…I was bored as hell. My “plan” of finding something minimal to do locally began to show its flaws. What I believed to be “sufficient” to keep my brain occupied at the “pre-retirement” level didn’t match reality. I quickly became aware that (believe it or not) one’s mind cannot rely on golf, visiting the neighbors for cocktails, and arguing with the contractor to run at any reasonable level of efficiency. At least mine can’t.

My advice? Don’t do what I did. lol. Have a plan with a timeline and deadlines. Take a few months to unwind, then implement the plan. Don’t think the plan will just come to you and unfold. Nope. Nope. Nope. I got enthralled with the IDEA of retirement. Ideas and reality??? Two different things!

Good luck! I mean this in a good way. Maybe you’re way smarter than me all around and got it all covered. I was told by several guys to expect turmoil for 2 years minimum. I was like “yeah…whatever.” Nope again. It was true. lol

Have fun, enjoy the ride, keep both arms inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop. No wait…that sounds bad. Until the ride slows down to a safe speed. That sounds better!

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Wait ... you were gone for a while?

What did you unretire to? Inquiring minds want to know.

Welcome back.

Thanks.

Aviation. The only thing I know how to do…

Got a gig flying a Lear part time for a nearby corporation. We’re all about the same age and luckily the Lear has a range to match our bladders. lol. Also dipping my hand into some flight operations management stuff. “Oh…you’ve worked with the .feds before? Perfect!!”


Well it’s keeping my mind busy right?

Welcome back, glad you found a flying gig to keep you engaged and active.

I must be an outlier, as I lost my medical at 61 so I've been practicing for retirement for just over 4 years now, and I'm very happy in what is now my official retirement.

After 20 years in the Coast Guard flying all over the place, and 23 years at FedEx flying mostly domestic (my choice) I am fine with staying home and don't seem to have any problem keeping "busy".

I'm just kicking back and enjoying the ability to do just about whatever I want to on any given day. Sometimes that is not much at all.

Once my wife retires (end of 2026) things will really settle down, but for now my only side gig is umpiring high school baseball and that's just to pay back the game that I have loved all of my life.

I do miss some aspects of the flying, but the bag drags and all of the time on the road I can do without.

Wishing you smooth air and tailwinds for all of your flights.

Welcome back. Good to see you posting again.

quote:

Originally posted by entropy:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

What did you unretire to? Inquiring minds want to know.

Aviation. The only thing I know how to do…

Got a gig flying a Lear part time for a nearby corporation.

Have you considered instructing? I tried to avoid primary instruction, I focused on instrument instruction. My clients typically remarked at the difference between gray-haired guys who had a lot of time in "the system" vs. newly minted instructors who taught from the book, rather than from experience.

I had one guy tip me $600.00 (in addition to my fee) after I did a biennial flight review with him. He said that I was the first instructor he had flown with, who was more interested in analyzing and improving his performance, rather than grabbing the controls and flying his airplane.

After seeing the BS both my sons have gone thru obtaining and keeping their CFI’s, I really have no desire. The CFI/CFII used to be two of the most straight forward ratings to get. Now? Not so much. Both of them pink slipped their first attempts for ridiculous things. While some of the improvements the FAA has put forth over the years have moved aviation forward, their backwards approach at bringing up the next generations of aviators has fallen flat. Let’s concentrate on teaching and knowledge transfer and less on minutia. I had both ratings for a long time. The FAA used to auto-renew if you were a 121 captain figuring (correctly so) that you were teaching and mentoring every day. Then they stopped that. Mine expired. If I wanted it back now, I’d have to start from scratch on it. It’s a shame.

Welcome back.

See, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!!!

quote:

Originally posted by entropy:

After seeing the BS both my sons have gone thru obtaining and keeping their CFI’s, I really have no desire. The CFI/CFII used to be two of the most straight forward ratings to get. Now? Not so much.

At times, I think that the biggest problem in aviation is the FAA.

Should post a new thread with a poll: Which is worse? FAA? or ATF?

Glad you've found a fun flying gig! I retired at the end of 2021 from the airline due to it having become not at all fun. I miss the flying but not the job.

In a few days I turn 65, and that kind of bothers me that I could no longer captain a 121 flight, but then I have no aspiration to fly for hire again. I'm too busy to have to go to work.

I, too, had the CFI/CFII for years until it lapsed. Unfortunately, I know several guys who were killed in light piston training accidents after they retired from the airline. So I have no desire to tempt the fates in that arena again.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
My clients typically remarked at the difference between gray-haired guys who had a lot of time in "the system" vs. newly minted instructors who taught from the book, rather than from experience.

I had both in my [short-lived] student pilot experience.
The 'old guy' who was in his late 60s if not early 70s was, to me, the much preferred instructor.
He did it because he wanted to & only charged $50/lesson, regardless of length.

Losing my cheap instructor, 'cheap' avgas, and a free plane, put the brakes on my flying time.