exncsurfer
Pattern Altitude
I didn't grow up in an aviation family nor did I have any friends or acquaintances who were pilots. My first lesson was my first flight in anything smaller than a Beech 1900.
I still don't personally know or hang out with many pilots - not that I'm opposed to it or especially antisocial. I did volunteer with CAP for many years but that's more like business-social. I've never been to a fly-in and my only hundred dollar burgers have been with instructors on training flights.
I just love flying for the flying, yes, but also the utility of it. It allows me to do things with my family that we couldn't do as easily otherwise.
I loved airplanes and airports since I was a little kid, though. My grandparents traveled a lot for business and so we spent a LOT of time at the airline terminal at Tulsa International (KTUL) in the late '70s and '80s. I loved watching those jets come and go. The post-1991 and post-9/11 security bull**** has suckedallmuch of the wonder out of airline travel I think.
I think 1991 was the last time a non-ticketed person could walk up to the gates. Where's the wonder in waiting at some ****ty baggage claim? Cockpit visits for kids?! Rarely if ever. Stay away! Security! Fear!
Who knows, maybe the airline security nonsense has made GA that much more appealing in its lack thereof. There's nothing like standing at an airport with no fences where I'm perhaps the only person there. The difference between that and the airline craziness is stark and quite nice.
This reminds me I've been wanting to post a poll to see how many student pilots don't know any pilots other than their cfi. I don't. Polls are played out at the moment though.
