My dad had an Aeronca Champ, then a Citabria when I was just a rugrat. We'd go flying just about every weekend and I just loved it. He dropped out of it when I was about 12 due to cost and medical reasons and I was crushed. I kept the spark alive with plastic and R/C models until I was in college and could take lessons. I did an internship at OSU airport with the field maintenance crew. There is heavy corporate activity at OSU and I decided then that it's the type of flying I wanted to do. Just kept plugging away at it.