I can't remember a time when I didn't crave to fly. I can remember being 7 years old with an aerobatics instruction book, with 2 overturned sandals for rudder pedals and a yardstick, working thru the control inputs for basic maneuvers... Of course I built all the models there were at the Woolworth store, and could ident most civil a/c and ALL .mil types at a glance by the time I was 12. In college I dropped by to see the Navy recruiter to see about some "Wings of Gold". He poked my glasses with his forefinger and said "You'll ride in back". I was polite, but thinking inside "Like HELL I will!" By the end of that year I had my private, working after school and taking lessons at the 1-per-month I could afford. Soloed w/ 6.5 hrs. and got my ticket at 41 hours, even taking such widely spaced-out lessons. (96 on the written - that wasn't studying, it was getting ready for what I loved.)

Then when I left school with an o-so-valuable anthropology and psychology degree, I worked the line for a year and a half at the local FBO. Picked up a lot of time in odd types in exchange for lovingly wax-and-washing them (NO water or wax in the pitot/static system, the owners could be SURE) AND paid for graduate school. I have met very very few pilots -pro or otherwise- who didn't understand a love of flight for its own sake. (And TomG, you get BIG points for reciting "High Flight" from memory!) I think most of us are like this; my uncle was a USAF fighter jock and a 7-4 cap for Eastern (remember them?) and always told me he felt incredibly lucky to get paid for what he enjoyed so much. (That Cub ride he gave me when I was 9 sure sealed my fate.) I'm not a pro like you guys, but my ticket is part of who I am. You're either a pilot or you're not...

 

Grandfather was a Marine pilot in WWII, father was a flight instructor in the Navy and now has his PPL, and my Cousin flys for the USAF. So I guess since Ive been around it all my life I grew to love it.

I will be the only so far in my family though that will be getting training and hours the non military route. I should start on my IFR here in a week and a half and then just keep on chugging.

 

Hang in there DJR! The world will need a lotta new pilots, so don't ever get discouraged. I remember when I got into a 172 for the first time, it was SO stable compared to the 150! That was BIG iron! I remember reading somewhere that the 172 has the lowest rate of fatalities resulting from mech. failure known, it's something like one mechanically-caused fatality every 5 MILLION hours... cool! Not 5 million miles, that's 5 mil X 120 MPH. More than a lifetime of flight. Just don't ever press on into bad weather exceeding your limitations or the airplane's for ANY reason - by far the largest cause of genav disasters. Remembering that will keep you alive to give rides to your great-grandchildren!

 

Did you get your $10

 

Grandfather was a B-24 Liberator pilot in WWII, and my uncle was a pilot for Ansett Australia and later on Cathay Pacific. I lived in Australia for a year in 92-93, I was 4yrs and he guided me through a series of "flicking switches" (which I found out later was the 320 APU start sequence) and then I've wanted to be a pilot ever since. My cousin is also an aircraft tech at a local FBO, so I guess it runs in the blood. Now I got my 1st job as a rampie for QX.

 

My childhood was all about aviation and thats all I ever knew. At 5 yrs. my playground was a warehouse full of airplane parts. I grew up on the ramp at MIA my teenage years. Worked on DC7's through highschool as a parttime job. Went on the to work @ FBO's and fly at many level of aviation and made it to the Majors. Its been a H*ll of a flight and many great memories and great people through the years. Never forget where you come from. I always count my blessings.

 

Here's another short verse, written by a man who could only dream about what, many years later, others would actually do:


....I dipped into the future
Far as the eye could see
Saw the vision of the world
And the wonders that would be
Saw the heavens filled with commerce
Argosies of magic sails
Pilots of the purple twilight
Floating down with costly bales...

--Alfred, Lord Tenneyson

 

I really don't know what got me started, but as long as I can remember I've wanted to fly. I have relatives in Istanbul, Turkey, so we fly there every year. Maybe just flying in those big 747s every year started it. I'm one of those crazy guys who don't mind a bunch of lay overs because the more stops along the way, the more flight deck visits I can get, and the more takeoffs and landings I get to experiance Almost everytime I hear a plane go by I walk outside or raise my head to see what it is. When we came back from Turkey (I lived there for 5 years, I'm half-Turkish), I got to know my half-brother who flys 737s for Alaska a lot better than I did before. He's been a huge part of my love for aviation. So, I want to be a pilot, and hopefully I'll get hired by someone when the time comes.

 

The Blue Max.

I was a 14 y.o kid watching the movie on it's premier weekend... Ursula Andress comes out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around her hips, another draped around her neck, kneels at George Peppard's feet (he being the pilot "hero"), and starts to take his boots off.

Right then and there... "I WANNA BE A PILOT!!!!!"

Oh yeah... some really outstanding flying scenes, too.

 

"Baa Baa Blacksheep", the TV show.