Originally Posted by Crashman

I'm just a private pilot but I worked the line for an FBO at LRD for a year after college. Hung out at the airport all day and got paid for it! A great way to learn what serious aviation is all about - plus the fringe benefits. After the pilots got to know and trust me, I got all kinds of rides and checkouts in cool airplanes - Hansa Jet, Vari-Eze, Maule, all the bizjets and heavy twins... and OLD airplanes: DC-3, Twin Beech, DC-6, F4U Corsair. I'd wash airplanes for hours. My favorite job was firing up the monster Curtiss C-46 Commando on our ramp once a week to keep the oil flowing. I wasn't just a lineboy with a private ticket then - I was flying the Hump!