Sport Pilot Talk

Ten+ years ago I let my Medical lapse and started exercising SP Privileges. Fast forward to
2017 and I was excited to go Basic-Med and start renting the FBO's 172's again so I could take my
family along.

Well, in SEP 2018 I was depressed because I had gotten obese (285#) and felt awful. My
BP was up to 198/95. I had a constant pain in my abdomen, and as a drastic measure...
I took a month off work and scheduled 2 dozen Doctor appointments to get the pain stopped.
It wound up being fixed by burning a nerve in my back. During that month, I put on my
"big-boy panties" and started losing weight. I am now at 252# and abdomen pain is 90% gone.
I'm shooting for 200#.

I caught a cold this week so I went to the "Doc-In-The-Box." My BP was 120/182. I'm going
to the AME to get a 2nd Class Medical in the next couple of weeks.

During 2018 I re-connected with many of my Army Flight School classmates who are now in
positions with hiring authority for helicopter air ambulance operators. Airlines are hiring
professional helicopter pilots away from those companies and they are having difficulty
filling them.

Even though the last time I flew with NVG's was in the early 90's, I may be a candidate?
Who knows???? Heli-Expo is in ATL in March and several of my classmates are coming.
A few are even teaching in a seminar on how military trained pilots can ease into civilian
flying jobs.

I assume you meant to type 120/82. If not, go to the ER.

Congrats on the weight loss!

MrMorden wrote:I assume you meant to type 120/82. If not, go to the ER.

Congrats on the weight loss!

Yep 120/80 LOL MyBad.

bryancobb wrote:
I am now at 252#

Well done, Bryan! Lose just 2 more pounds, and you can fly my LSA with me.

Thanks for sharing, Bryan.
Good luck on those goals and march on!

Back in 2006 I bought a J3 Cub to start doing sport pilot and tailwheel transition training. I went on a diet and lost about 50 pounds so I could carry heavier students, and get into the front seat of the Cub easier. In 2007 I got a CTSW, and weight wasn't as critical. Over a period of 10 years I gained it all back and then some. In 2017 my youngest son and I joined a glider club. I was to heavy to even go for a ride in one of the gliders. I went on another diet dropping around 40 pounds to train for my glider rating. I would still like to drop another 30, but the older I get the tougher it seems to be to drop the weight.

Anyway good job on the weight loss, and feeling better.

Congratulations on shedding some pounds, Bryan. Keep it up.

Before I retired, my job required about 50% international travel, and living out of a suitcase in fancy hotels eating with coworkers in high end restaurants I ballooned from 180 to 240 over a decade. I felt terrible! After retiring in 2003, I bought a nice road bike (bicycle) and started riding it regularly, putting 100 - 150 miles a week on it. I also started eating sensibly. It took me about eighteen months, but I got down to 180 again and have kept it at between 180-185 ever since. I still ride the bike regularly on 50 - 75 mile rides, and hope I can keep at it into my eighties (I'm 76). It took a lot of discipline at first, but once I got into a routine it just came naturally without much effort; I feel soo much better.