skybytch 273 #1 January 11, 2003 Weather in southern California has been weird the past week - from 50+ mph wind gusts early in the week to cold grey overcast at the end of the week. Planning a spur of the moment trip to Vegas yesterday, we weren't sure what the weather would be like today. The person I'm going with has a Cessna 182 and the pieces of paper that say he can fly it in any weather, but he didn't want to fly if the weather was marginal. It's about a 90 minute flight and about a 4 hour drive... guess which way we'd rather travel... Figured we'd make the decision after seeing the weather this morning, since we aren't leaving 'til noon. Woke up this morning to beautiful blue skies! W00t!!! We're flying!!!! I'm excited; I haven't been flying without getting out of the plane halfway through the flight in a couple of years, and I can't think of a funner way to get to and from Sin City. Even better, billvon and amy are already in Vegas; probably hook up with them for dinner tonight or something. I'm takin' the camera; will post pics when I get home. Now it's wait for the dryer to click off, pack a bag, and drive out to Perris to hang for an hour or so with Michele and whoever else happens to be there enjoying a beautiful So. Cal. winter day at the dz. Then off to the French Valley airport and away we go! Life is good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #2 January 11, 2003 Ok if jump tickets are $18 and that is mostly gas money....how much does it cost to fly to vegas? BTW HAVE FUN!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #3 January 11, 2003 It is snowing here.... It sucks.. lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #4 January 11, 2003 Quote how much does it cost to fly to vegas? No clue! Guess I'll find out when we pull up to the gas pumps (checking available credit on the plastic....) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #5 January 11, 2003 don't forget jtval live in vegas......and he playes a mean game o craps too! ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #6 January 11, 2003 Figure roughly $120/hour for a 182. So at 90 minutes per leg, that's about $360 R/T. And it's not fair to say most of the cost of a jump ticket is gas. There are lots of other factors. There's cost of the plane, maintenance, insurance, hanger costs, salaries for the pilot, dzo, manifest, instructors, and rigger, rigs and other equipment, licences, land rental, marketing, utilities, bribes, and for god's sake maybe even a little profit in the end. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #7 January 11, 2003 Quote There's cost of the plane, maintenance, insurance, hanger costs, salaries for the pilot, dzo, manifest, instructors, and rigger, rigs and other equipment, licences, land rental, marketing, utilities, bribes, and for god's sake maybe even a little profit in the end. You forgot BEER!!! Have a blast BytchI got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #8 January 11, 2003 QuoteYou forgot BEER!!! I've never been to a dz where the jump tickets paid for beer. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #9 January 11, 2003 Wow! Is there that much difference between a 182 and a 172? I'm been thinking about starting towards my private for some time, and the paperwork here in front of me say once cleared for solos, the rent on the plane is $52 an hour, fuel included. Glad I'm not thinking about learning in CA!It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #10 January 11, 2003 A 172 for $52/hr? Wow. Is that wet? Usually I see 172s at $70-80/hr. 152s go for about $55/hr. Are you sure that's not what they're offering? First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #11 January 11, 2003 QuoteI've never been to a dz where the jump tickets paid for beer. You've never been to a DZ with free beer? _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #12 January 11, 2003 Have fun, be safe, and get out over the Gravity Zone just to aggravate those folksJust win, baby! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narcimund 0 #13 January 11, 2003 QuoteYou've never been to a DZ with free beer? No I haven't. I always thought that was a joke or at most a rare special occasion. First Class Citizen Twice Over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #14 January 11, 2003 QuoteA 172 for $52/hr? Wow. Is that wet? Usually I see 172s at $70-80/hr. 152s go for about $55/hr. Are you sure that's not what they're offering? Nope, that's exactly what it says here. Wet. Now, to not mislead, I'm sure it is now considerably higher, this price list is pre 9-11. Insurance alone has probably driven it up to the level you mention.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michele 1 #15 January 12, 2003 Lisa took off and was able to fly out, despite the most dismal, cold, wet, clammy fog I'd seen in a long time...it cleared in time. Hope you won a ton of $$, Lisa! Great having breakfast with you. Next time, we'll jump (oh, I have so very much to learn....!!!!) Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #16 January 13, 2003 Quote Hope you won a ton of $$, Lisa! Sigh. Better luck next time, I guess. We had sooooo much fun though! Flying there in my boss Tony's 182 was sweet - we took off from French Valley about 12:30 yesterday, landed in Henderson (a 20 minute, $35 taxi ride from the strip - far cheaper than the $100+ it costs to land/park at the a/p in Vegas) about 2:15; clear, smooth skies the whole way with a slight headwind. Got our rooms, dropped our stuff and headed off to the Sahara - about the only casino in Vegas that has less-than-$5 minimum tables (they even have a $1 table). Started playing with my first $100 bill around 4 pm, went back to Circus Circus with none of it about midnight. Bill and Amy stopped by to join us for dinner at one point, but the table was kinda hot and they had other plans for the rest of the evening so after a half hour or so (? not sure exactly, time flies when you're having fun! ) they took off after we'd agreed to meet up for breakfast this morning. Really did plan on crashing out when I got back to my room, but I figured what the hell - after all, I didn't go to Vegas to sleep! Grabbed the other $100 of my stake and went down to the $5 table at Circus Circus. Normally I don't play on $5 tables; the money goes away too fast when the dice are cold, especially playing both pass line with odds (total $10-$11 depending on the point) and placing the six and eight at $6 each. And this session started out to be just why I don't normally play at $5 tables. I was hovering around $50 down when this Oriental man came up and threw down $1000 cash for change. I can't even imagine betting like he did - $200-300 pass line bets backed up with $220-$340 odds, $300 place bets on the numbers and $75 - $100 hard way bets. I'd lost another $20 or so by the time he'd dropped the entire G - then he pulled out another one! Table didn't get any better, he dropped that grand in no time flat. Obviously a high roller, he got a "marker" for another grand and quickly lost that. Then another marker for two grand and quickly lost that. Then another (!) marker for another two grand! And promptly lost about half of it. Then... the table turned - the dice went to lady who'd obviously never played craps before. Well, she shot, and she shot, and she hit number after number, point after point, hard way after hard way. Mr. High Roller was throwing down "odds for the lady", "hard ways for the lady"... then he tossed down $5 on a "hopping hard eight for the lady". A "hopping hard way" bet is a one roll bet that pays obscenely when it hits. Guess what. She hit it. Two fours. We were all laughing our asses off at her shocked expression when the dealer handed her $182 - she's like "huh?? what's this for?" "Well ma'am, you have a friend at the other end of the table." When she finally sevened out, Mr. High Roller had made back five thousand dollars!!! Unfortunately for me, I was down to about $20 when she started rolling so I was being conservative - not pressing my place bets, not putting odds behind my pass line bet if the point wasn't a six or eight. I was up about $30 when she sevened out so I wasn't unhappy, but damn, I coulda won some serious cash "if only." After that, the table went sucky again. I was down to about $17 so I wandered over to the other table. Had every last dollar out and the shooter hit the point. Then I started rolling. And rolling. And rolling. Went from basically broke to $15 up in about 30 minutes. We spent this morning hanging with Bill and Amy; had breakfast at Paris Paris, then went back to the Sahara to play some more (and show Amy how to play craps). Lost the rest of my stake there - sometimes it's amazing how fast the money can go away, even on a $1 table! Had loads of fun with them; my cheeks are still sore from all the laughing we did. Another stiff headwind on the way home; took us a whole 2 hours to get back. I think I'm spoiled now; I'm going to have to want to go really, really bad to be willing to make that drive after getting to fly it. I took a few pics; will d/l and post them soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #17 January 13, 2003 Here's some pics.... 001 - the chariot awaits. 005 - my house is somewhere down there, Mt. San Jacinto is off in the distance 010 - San Bernadino Mtns; Big Bear is just over one of those bumpy things 013 - Tony flying 019 - clockwise from the funny looking chick in the blue shades - me, Tony, and Bill. Amy's peeking out in the middle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverbob 0 #18 January 13, 2003 Glad you had a good time, we were able to get up yesterday for a ash dive for our friend Paul, been constant downpour today.Who Dares Wins Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #19 January 13, 2003 And here's a few more... 009 - that's Big Bear Lake in the distance 012 - somewhere over the desert 015 - Jean, Nevada 017 - the Strip is off in the distance - telephoto my ass! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jessd 0 #20 January 13, 2003 Great Pictures. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #21 January 13, 2003 wow i know pic 15...... i was just there 2 weeks ago.... if ya had wide angle you could look to the right about 3 miles and see the landing area......... ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #22 January 13, 2003 Quoteyou could look to the right about 3 miles and see the landing area......... We were wondering where they land out there. We didn't stop there but Tony said he'd landed there a couple weeks ago, wandered around and he didn't think jumping into the airport was a possibility. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hottamaly 1 #23 January 13, 2003 partying with the boss, huh? Skydiving gave me a reason to live I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #24 January 13, 2003 Quote partying with the boss, huh? Yeah! Was kinda surprised to find out that he likes to play craps the same way I like to play craps - for hours on end... We tried to talk Kate into going too, but she's been sick for the past week and it was so spur of the moment that no one else could get away. So, how's the new job goin'? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
