How you caught the flying bug?

Pinstriper

Pinstriper

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Apr 25, 2012
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Oroville California
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Pinstriper
I flew with a friend many times in the early 80's and then life happened.. And then kids.. Not to mention no money . And then as the kids got older and money got better (not to mention many other hobbies along the way) but back in 2008 or so I started messing with RC helicopters. Those helicopters eventually got cameras with heads up displays and junk.. And then came the airplanes outfitted the same way.. And then I thought "this is stupid!" And decided that full scale is what I really wanted.. Here's a clip of one of my last Rc planes https://vimeo.com/13633059
 
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I was fed up with long drives to visit family, I hate almost everything about commercial travel. I finally said the heck with it. I need to make this happen. After starting my training I quickly realized how much I just enjoy being in the sky in a small airplane. I could care less if it will take me 10 hours to go somewhere a commercial flight can do in 5. (Really seems to be a wash anyways as the drive to major airports and everything else involved comes close to the difference). I love flying! Now I just need to get my Instrument rating and an airplane capable of traveling in most weather.
 
growing up i was surrounded my airplanes. my father was an instructor and now a pilot for delta. took my first commercial flight when i was a couple months old. my dad took me up in a 172 or cherokee a lot when i was a kid. i actually didn't realize i wanted to make it a career until my junior year of high school but after i was hooked and i still am
 
A friend of my father took me flying when I was 14.

I was 28 before I could get the time/money to take lessons and get my private ASEL.
 
I got a U-control P-51 with the standard (at that time) .049 cc glo-plug engine for Christmas.

Found dad in the front room later that night looking the airplane over and he told me that he spent a year on Okinawa in '43 working on them and that "he always wished that he had flown one."

Tossed over the after-school TV shop job the next week and started hanging around the airport fixing busted Superhomers for flight time and never looked back.

Jim
 
Growing up my dad would take us to airshows, get airplane books, get us flight sims. He built us a tree house in our backyard which was just below an O'hare approach. Used to sit up there for hours and name what each plane was that flew overhead. Eventually, I had the money and accessibility to get my license. Unfortunately, I don't get to fly as much as I'd like to with the baby and wife situation.
 
Hey guys. New on POA (been reading for a while now, though).
I was first introduced by a friend in elementary school. At the time, I fully intended on making it a career, but flying lessons never materialized. I decided to go into IT and then the bug was dormant until college. It resurfaced and was squashed quickly when I realized the cost. Apparently, I needed to do something to scare my mother, so I bought a motorcycle instead.

After graduation, it came up in conversation with a coworker. He was working on his IR at the time and encouraged me to check out some schools in the NJ area. I took my first ride in NJ (out of Morristown) and was hooked. Extra time and more disposable income lined up, so I started Feb 2012. I plan to finish up by spring of next year.
 
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Guess my entry into flying was a little different then most starting around 11 I began to get terrified of flying, wouldn't even fly commercial even missed out on a few family vacations because of it. Then when I was around 15 I knew I had to do something about the fear because it was completely irrational (not to mention I thought planes and flying was awesome just something I never wanted any part of) and my dad's friend offered to take me over to the airport to check out his plane (had a Mooney at the time). He said we don't even have to start it up you can just sit in it check things out in there, needless to say we ended up taxiing around a bit and next thing I know we're shooting down the runway and he goes see these things just wanna fly. I ended up nervously taking the controls and getting to do my first bit of flying that afternoon. After that bought flight simulator and started taking flying lessons about a year later got hooked and passed my check ride a couple weeks after I turned 17 :)
 
Pinstriper said:
I was joking...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

No worries. I did get a kick out of your Three Wheeler videos. :wink2:


I was expecting to see a video like this. I wonder if ATC would pick this up on radar? Nice knowing these things are out flying in the clouds now.

 
I got into flying because of a pretty lady... I was looking for a flight (downtown tour) for a friend of mine, and saw this being advertised at a local flight school. I went down there over lunch, and was hanging around the reception area waiting to speak to someone. Students were coming and going, and the instructors I figured out pretty quickly were wearing the same color shirts (sort of a uniform). Eventually I got to the front, and this incredibly pretty lady helped me out (I could tell she was an instructor)... She asked if this was for a discovery flight to learn how to fly, and do I want to see the airplanes? So I went outside and looked at the planes, and when I confirmed she was an instructor and had space for another student... I signed up as one of her students! No joke.

She wasn't a very good instructor by the way (you cannot judge a book by its cover) and I eventually ended up changing to someone else but I certainly enjoyed my lessons (even if it took me 20 hours to solo!)

:D
 
I caught the bug when my then fiance took me for a flight. I was annoyed I couldn't help him do anything in the plane (tune radio or anything) and got bored and frustrated and he finally said "You think you can do it you can take lessons after the wedding" so I did. I'm now working on my IR.

I think I actually got airsick more then bored. When I'm at the controls I'm not sick. :)
 
Joined cap as a kid,entered the Air Force and was a loadmaster. After leaving service got a job at a major airport and stated taking lessons. Had a subscription to flying magazine while I was in high school.
 
I never gave flying a second thought ... ever. At 43 I ran into a highschool buddy and we (my family) went to dinner with him (he's still single). He mentioned that he had a Luscombe and did I want to fly with him to breakfast the next morning. I declined, whereupon my wife started making chicken noises ... long story short, he meets me at my house at 630 am (I'm a night person) and off we go.

Had a nice breakfast and over the course of a couple more flights later that month STARTED to get the bug ... it wasn't instant.

Personally, I always thought of aviation as a rich guy's hobby (physicians), and thought that way even though I was now making a great living as well. The wife wanted me to get a hobby instead of FT work 80 hours a week ... didn't like golf, and this seemed to fit the bill. On the plus side, we have one child, so I figured if he doesn't go far off to college, it'd make visits easier (he's a senior this year). That was 6 years ago and 500+ hours later here I am ....
 
Dad got his license as something to do in retirement, and as a way to fly to his southern home without relying on commercial airlines. Then he bought a plane. A plane in the family is powerful incentive.
 
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