First Post

A quick intro: I'm Kendall. Got my license in Watsonville, CA. Have about 250 hours. Instrument Rated. Was about to take Cmcl tests, then on to the CFI route when 9-11 hit. Uncle at TWA said find another career to feed my family as so many of his friends went on furlough. Now I'm in real estate. Currently residing in Grants Pass, OR and out of currency... in more ways than one. I enjoy my job, but I'm a bird with clipped wings.

So when I began reading this thread, it was about 5 pages. I wanted to post a response, but it took awhile to get the approval from the mods. I am short on time and haven't gotten past page 6 so if someone has posted something similar... well now here's another one.

I'll try to be brief...

This thread reminded me of my uncle. I have many family members in aviation and this uncle of mine is now retired from TWA. He and a buddy went into aviation around the same time. The buddy went the Vietnam, military route; my uncle civilian.

Here's the quick version of the story and reminds us what aviation was like during the booming years...

My grandfather bought my uncle a Champ. My uncle trained in it and flew it around the Northeast until he got his 250 hours; apparently the minimum at the time. He was then hired on at TWA where they continued his training. A very few hours later he performed his first retractable gear landing in a 707. Shortly after that he was granted Flight Engineer status. He went on to have a very successful career. As some of you probably understand, he says he never worked a day in his life.

His buddy trained in the military and did his first, solo retractable-gear landing in a Phantom at 50 hours. Shortly after that, he went on his first bombing mission. Again, this man went on to have a very successful, military career.

Throughout my uncle's career, he would rent a Cessna on rare occasions and fly it just fine.

I have no allusions about my level of expertise. I just thought these stories tell a little bit about the reality of what it can take or not to get in the right-seat.

Cheers