Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I was always been interestd in space flight. I read "The Spirit of St. Louis"
in High School. But no direct links here.

In college, I was bicycling around and bumped into an airport (EMT). Cool... I
have some time, let's see what I can find. I found an FBO that took me for a
demo ride and let me fly a bit. That got me interested, and the college had a
flying club. I waited until after I graduated (mistake) and then tried to join
as an alum. Well, there's a waiting list I could have bypassed had I applied a
day earlier, but I finally got in and started taking lessons through the club.

Jose




--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

A friend of mine called me up, told me he was starting lessons and dared
me to start, too.

That long distance phone call probably cost him a buck fifty: I figure
it's cost me 150 thousand.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 17:15:08 GMT, EDR > wrote:

>
>Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
>I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
>down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

It's a bit deeper than "so I did it" for me: I feel like flying is
something I'm supposed to do, like it's my purpose in life. You
wouldn't know that by how I went about learning to fly though, or by
what I'm doing now.

My father flew for the Navy during WWII. He had a masters degree from
the Warton School in business which he earned after the war. He felt
he should put it to use so he worked at a bank for a while. But he
found that every time an airplane flew over he was rushing to the
window to watch it. He quit and began flying again, eventually
becoming the chief pilot for a can manufacturing business locating in
north Philadelphia. In a way he served as the prototype for me and
flying. Maybe it's in the genes.

My absolute earliest memory is sitting in my mother's arms in an
airplane and watching the props begin to turn and the smoke billowing
back over the wing. We were flying out to Washington, Widbey Island
Washington where my father's patrol squadron was based during the
Korean War.

I was also taken up in a Piper Cub as a boy. In my dreams as a boy, I
often dreamed of being able to fly like Peter Pan. The dreams seemed
incredibly real.

I began taking flying lessons at age 15.5 and continued them off and
on till I graduated from Highschool. I had about 25 hours at that
point.

Then college, marriage, children and no money for something like
flying lessons. More than 20 years went by. Then I heard about a guy
putting together a biplane in his garage nearby. I called him out of
the blue and drove over that night to help. The long suppresed desire
woke up, but I finished what I started in a kind of round-a-bout
manner. First I bought the plans for an airplane and began building
it. Still had no money for flying lessons. Then my parents passed
away and suddenly, after all these years, it looked like there might
just be enough money to finish the flying lessons. I thought that at
least I should try, otherwise building the airplane made no sense.

The flight school very generously accepted the earlier logged time and
some 40 additional hours later I passed the flight exam and became a
private pilot at the age of 55.

I don't fly for a living, but I feel like flying is what I do to stay
alive.

Corky Scott

Been traveling to Europe and Africa since I was 3. I can't pinpoint when I
got hooked. I used to go to cockpit every chance I get. They (pilots) often
got impressed with my knowledge on technical issues. I knew the stuff when I
was 7 years old. When I found out that I could fly, I jumped at chance. I
took my first lesson on my very first flight ever in general aviation.
Exactly, I never rode on any general aviation planes before my first lesson.
I was 21 at that time. Been flying for pleasure since then.
Toks
PP-ASEL
"Dyin' to soar"

In article >,
EDR > wrote:


Two books: "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo" and "God is My Co-Pilot". I was
going to grow up and be an Air Corp pilot. The only problem is I was
born in '54 <G>. I was going to be a pilot from very early in life.

There is nothing I would rather do than fly an airplane...nothing.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

Flying was always something I always wanted to try,
but never got around to. A friend of mine took me up
several times in his Bonanza and with his support
and encouragement here I am.

I think I enjoy the challenge of learning along with all the
other "fun" things about it.

So Jan 1 this year, I took my first lesson. Now I'm hooked.

Kevin Kubiak, age 47
Student Pilot 3.3 Hours

Model airplanes and destiny. My Dad was a RC hobbyist who loved the
electronics and the construction. Turned out I loved the sky and airplanes.
Turning 16 allowed me to play in the sky with airplanes that I could
actually get inside.

'Full Scale' flying just requires more formal training so I took 'full
scale' flying lessons.

I still don't see a clear dividing line between models and full size a/c.
Same sky, same pilot, different a/c.

My boss took me flying. Then my wife went to Girl Scout camp for 6
weeks and I needed something to do while she was away.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.



EDR > wrote in message >...
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I was looking for a way to cut the travel time to Tennessee. My family lives
there, and there was a lady I was enamored of at the time who taught at the
University.

My father died shortly after I bought my 150. He never saw it. Maria is now
living somewhere around DC.

But I have the certificate and I have a plane and I have a wife. And every few
years I still fly to Tennessee.

George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.

"EDR" > wrote in message
...
>
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

1) Model Airplanes in High School '70-74
2) Flight Simulator (I think it was SubLogic and/or eventually MSFS) '80-'83
3) A ride in the right seat of my brother's boss's company plane, a Baron
IIRC '84
4) PPL '84

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

EDR wrote:
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I turned 42 and realized that I had the disposable income available
thanks to my websites, and since the kids were fairly well grown I had
the time.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

Gene, you marry them young, eh? :)

"Gene Seibel" > wrote in message
om...
> My boss took me flying. Then my wife went to Girl Scout camp for 6
> weeks and I needed something to do while she was away.
> --
> Gene Seibel
> Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
> Because I fly, I envy no one.
>
>
>
> EDR > wrote in message
>...
> > Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> > I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> > down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

A 15 minute ride in an old radial engined airplane on Cape Cod on my 16th
birthday back in 1990. I loved every single second of it. A contributing
factor was one of my best friends getting his ticket. With lots of
part-time jobs, I was able to start lessons three years later, and by 20,
was a private pilot.

"Wizard of Draws" > wrote in message
...
> EDR wrote:
> > Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> > I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> > down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.
>
> I turned 42 and realized that I had the disposable income available
> thanks to my websites, and since the kids were fairly well grown I had
> the time.
> --
> Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
>
> "Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
> http://www.wizardofdraws.com
> http://www.cartoonclipart.com
>

In 1968, I was a 24-year-old single engineer. One day at work, I was
invited to go flying with two co-workers and another young engineer
who was going up to maintain his night currency in a 182.
Originally, there had been somebody else scheduled, but he dropped out
at the last minute and the other guys happened to think of me. I was
thrilled. I even broke an engagement with my old college roommate,
who was in town for that night only.

It turned out that the pilot had an instructor's rating from
Switzerland and was thinking about getting his US rating -- but he
only wanted to teach engineers because he didn't want to have to
explain basic physics.

How much would a license cost, I wanted to know. I was surprised by
how reasonable it was and jumped at the chance. (C150s were $14/hr
wet. I don't remember what Jean-Francois' hourly rate was, but I
wound up getting my private for $800. I had my first lesson on April
13, soloed on June 13 and passed my checkride on September 13.)

Prior to that, I had always figured that flying was for people with
lots more disposable income than I had.

Don

"Don Tuite" wrote:
> Prior to that, I had always figured that flying was for
> people with lots more disposable income than I had.

I still think that, but it doesn't stop me.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

My friend and flying "mentor" (who was also a customer, now my partner)
had been telling me stories about his flying experiences even from when
he was training. While always enamored, I never thought I had the time or
money to do it.

One day we had to go to a meeting in the Philadelphia area (I live in NYC
area, between LGA & HPN, he lives at the Jersey Shore area). I didn't
want to drive, so I took the train and he picked me up in Trenton and we
drove the rest of the way in his car.

On the way back from the meeting, we wanted to "debrief" in the car, so
we planned for me to get dropped off at the train station near his house.
When we got nearby, though, he said, "Hey - what time is your train? Do
you want to check out my airport a minute - it's right nearby!"

Well, I had plenty of time, and thought it would be fun, so we did. As we
were there, one of the instructors was planning a flight to HPN with a
friend of his, and let me make it a discovery flight and tag along...
(Now that I am a pilot, I suspect this may have been questionably legal,
but at the time I didn't know better...)

We flew up over the Verrazano, up the Hudson River at 1500' (through the
Class B, but at the time I didn't know the difference.) and up over to
HPN. It was about 6pm in March of 2001 - just dark enough to have all the
lights of the city come on, but light enough that you could see
everything. It was a CAVU day, and the ride was amazing. I was completely
taken in. By the time we landed, I said, "I GOTTA DO THIS!"

The next day, I scheduled my intro flights at the two flight schools at
HPN, and started my training. In December 2001, I got my PPL. Last week I
got my IFR.

It was one of the best things I ever started!



EDR > wrote in :

>
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I know a guy who's big into RC, and from his knowledge of aerodynamics and
manuevers, I would agree that the flying part is probably about the same.
Maybe even more liberal in RC since you can do some relatively scary
maneuvers with severely less risk.


But I suspect the view is a little better when you're inside the cockpit,
and your gut is twisting with the G's... :)


"Maule Driver" > wrote in
m:

> Model airplanes and destiny. My Dad was a RC hobbyist who loved the
> electronics and the construction. Turned out I loved the sky and
> airplanes. Turning 16 allowed me to play in the sky with airplanes that
> I could actually get inside.
>
> 'Full Scale' flying just requires more formal training so I took 'full
> scale' flying lessons.
>
> I still don't see a clear dividing line between models and full size
> a/c.
> Same sky, same pilot, different a/c.
>
>
>

"Judah" > wrote in message
...
> I know a guy who's big into RC, and from his knowledge of aerodynamics and
> manuevers, I would agree that the flying part is probably about the same.
> Maybe even more liberal in RC since you can do some relatively scary
> maneuvers with severely less risk.
>
>
> But I suspect the view is a little better when you're inside the cockpit,
> and your gut is twisting with the G's... :)

Most that fly both will tell you that RC is harder. Perspective and
feedback issues.
--
Jim in NC


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.580 / Virus Database: 367 - Release Date: 2/6/04

"Morgans"
> > I know a guy who's big into RC, and from his knowledge of aerodynamics
and
> > manuevers, I would agree that the flying part is probably about the
same.
> > Maybe even more liberal in RC since you can do some relatively scary
> > maneuvers with severely less risk.
> >
> > But I suspect the view is a little better when you're inside the
cockpit,
> > and your gut is twisting with the G's... :)
>
> Most that fly both will tell you that RC is harder. Perspective and
> feedback issues.
> --
I'd agree. And more demanding in terms of eyesight and reflexes

"Judah" > wrote in message
...
> I know a guy who's big into RC, and from his knowledge of aerodynamics and
> manuevers, I would agree that the flying part is probably about the same.
> Maybe even more liberal in RC since you can do some relatively scary
> maneuvers with severely less risk.
>
> But I suspect the view is a little better when you're inside the cockpit,
> and your gut is twisting with the G's... :)
>
View is better if don't get motion sickness - I do - but that has little to
do with 'the view'. In RC I went from hi powered pattern planes, to slow
backyard, tail dragging novelty planes, to gliders which is where I stayed
..... Then did the same thing full scale - C150, C172, SGS 2-22 glider, 2-33,
and then owned a couple of hi performance glass gliders - now back to slow,
backyard, tail dragging, utility stuff (i.e. Maule)

Interestingly, I get the same kick out of greasing on an RC model as I get 3
pointing the Maule. Landings are landings and both modes give me the same
satisfaction.

"EDR" > wrote in message
...
>
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

Father was in the RAF and I remember him me taking to his station one
Saturday morning when I was three years old. He stuck me in a Chipmunk
whilst he used the paint sprayer to paint the old car he drove. I spent a
happy hour just sitting there. Apparently when I went quiet he looked in the
cockpit and I was fast asleep.

I can still smell that plane.

Of course I grew up around planes and got to get up really close (like
inside) to just about everything the RAF had up to 1976 when he retired as
well as some strange craft in some foreign airforces.

On one base we were stationed, they had a gliding club. I first learnt to
fly gliders but soon after going solo I went off to college and it fell
away.

One year I started a new job in a new town. In the village we moved to an
airport was nearby. I had made a good profit on the privatisation of British
Airways and decided that I was going to spend the money learning to fly. On
Sept 11 that year I had my first half hour. I took the first part of my
General Handling test 16th August the next year and the final part on the
4th September. My son was born on 1st September.
Total hours when the test was completed, 44. My licence was issued 13th
Sept.

It had taken just a year and the toughest decision was whether to quit when
we found out we were expecting a baby.

Looking back I am glad I continued, because my son enjoys coming flying, and
wants to learn himself one day.

sg

Strangely, I have never managed to get in a DH Chipmunk since and I would
dearly like to fly one.

Having a love of airplanes as long as I could remember.

From there, having a high school teacher who was a former WASP (Womens Air
Service Pilots) who was teaching a class in the school called "Aeronautics",
essentially the full FAA Ground School. She provided a $5 Demo Flight at
Arapahoe Airport (now Centennial - APA) when Arapahoe was a single 4000 foot
backtop runway.

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mayfield/GraceBirgeMayfieldBio.html

After discharge from the military, my income tripled, and there was no
looking back.

Of course, $12 for a 150, $14 for a 172 and $5 for the instructor made a big
difference.

I was that mediocre athlete who played right field in grade school
baseball. I sucked at it because every time a bird or airplane flew
over, I'd be watching it instead of the line drive ball zinging toward
me. Oh the humility! I spent a zillion hours going around in circles
plowing the same fields that turned to dust and drove many people from
the southern plains during the 30's. But, out of those dust clouds
arose a family that included a cousin who became WWII B-17 pilot who
died winning the congressional medal of honor and an uncle who taught
hundreds of servicemen to fly. Then he watched as Uncle Sam sent them
on to the flak filled skies of Europe to defend our freedom and secure
my future. That same uncle was still an active cfi and airplane owner
well into his 90's. At one time he was the oldest active pilot in the
U.S.A. With a family background like that, I had to learn fly, (even
though my dad discouraged me because it was too dangerous).


"Dan Luke" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Don Tuite" wrote:
> > Prior to that, I had always figured that flying was for
> > people with lots more disposable income than I had.
>
> I still think that, but it doesn't stop me.
> --
> Dan
> C172RG at BFM
> (remove pants to reply by email)
>
>

EDR wrote:

>
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

According to my parents and my sister, I always wanted to fly. I'd
forgotten about it, though, because of time and because I considered it
unfair to my folks who'd lost a pair of very close friends in a GA accident
in the 80s.

But a friend had just achieved his PPL in 98 or 99, and took me on a flight
from CDW to BDR and back with a quick run down and up the Hudson exclusion
zone. I put the story and pictures from the flight up on a web site.

I realized I needed more material. So here I am, almost 400 hours and an
instrument rating later...and with no time for the poor web site.

- Andrew

> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I've always been interested but never really said "I definitely
want to do it.

I flew a ton for work for 2 years (3 time 1K with UA).

Then my friend's brother flew us from his home airport MMH (Mammoth, CA)
to San Diego Montgomery. Then he dropped me off at CLD (that is
the airline code, I forget the IATA code) which I flew out of
commericially a number of times. I thought that that was the coolest
flight of the year out of 100+ commericial.

I read a bunch of books, both technical and non-technical fun-stuff.

Then my friend, a UA pilot (A320, 777, 767) took me up in a
C152. More 'that is cool. I'm doing this.'

One day go to SQL (San Carlos, CA) and get a DISCO flight with
a CFI ferrying a plane 10 miles to PAO. I wasn't sure where
it was all leading but I went for it. Got my license a couple
of months ago on 12/17/03 (I say this all the time but I think
it will be cool to say for the rest of my life :) ). 30 plus
hours since that date, I started my IFR and after 2 times on
the sim I'm already doing oscar patterns (not great but fun).


And a further story, one day my CFI and I areclimbing out to a
practice area my CFI says, "when you're
not flying do you think a lot about flying?" Well I said,
"for about 5 weeks I flew with you on a monday, I then flew
somewhere with UA on Tuesday, back on
Thursday and then up with you on Friday. I'm at airports more than
you. of course I think about flying a lot."


Gerald Sylvester
PPL-ASEL (Instrument student) - total time of approx. 100 hours.
UA - Prem. Exec. - over 400,000 flown miles in the 5 years
(over 800 hours)

I grew up around airplanes and airports - Dad is an A&P. Got a few rides
from friends. Pretty much wanted to be a pilot as long as I can remember.
Money kept it out of reach. Went thru AFROTC to pay for college. Got a
degree in aero eng. Either money or work kept me away for years. Then in
'88, I was listening to Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly" and thought to
myself, "why not." So I did.

Gerry

EDR wrote:
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.
For 15+ years I've been flying MSFS (even back in the pre-Windoze, DOS
days). Finally, last February my wife bought me the $49.00 Intro flight
at the local Cessna center as more of a joke birthday gift than anything
else. Well, no more of those sorts of birthday gifts. Eight months later
I had my PPL and she has to now fly with me. She swears that she'll only
by me things like socks and underwear from now on.

I always loved airplanes from the time I took my first flight in a TWA
Connie from NY to SF at the age of three. In junior high and high
school I would sit in class and draw pictures of airplanes in my
notebook. I spent hours reading books about aviation, my favorites were
"Fate Is The Hunter, and "The High And The Mighty" by Ernest K. Gann. I
almost got a job at an FBO at Teterboro as a line boy when I was 15,
but they decided they couldn't hire me because of my age. I was so
disappointed that I gave up thinking about learning to fly for about 20
years until I took my two kids to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome and we
took a ride in an old bi-plane there. That flight rekindled my love of
flying and 18 months later I was a private pilot.

"S Green" > wrote in message
...
> Strangely, I have never managed to get in a DH Chipmunk since and I would
> dearly like to fly one.

I'm meant to be taking some tailwheel lessons with someone who
owns a Chipmunk when the weather improves. I think he's based
at Thruxton. Another Chippy owner keeps his bird in our hangar
at times when he's not in Portugal. If you want to fly one, it's just
a heartbeat away! Where in Berkshire are you?

Paul

EDR > wrote in message >...
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

I grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines, so I travelled
commercially from the time I was a few months old, and always
spent my time at the airport and in the airplane looking out the window.
As soon as I was old enough I started building plastic airplane models,
then moved up to RC in my teen years. As soon as I secured a job
that paid enough, and saved up enough to carry me through most of
my lessons without financial delays, I started taking flying lessons,
then sold my RC planes and equipment for more flying money. Much
like EDR I was 24 and single.

--
Allen Johnson

That's my answer, too (the first part). How I loved those little
rubber-powered balsa jobs.

(Anybody catch The Simpsons last night? Had some "bargain airline" that
was flying- you guessed it- giant rubber-powered balsa planes full of
people. I got a hell of a laugh out of that one.)

I didn't take my first lesson till I was 31, having spent a number of
years doing R/C. I wish I'd have started flying sooner.

Nomen Nescio wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> I knew that I was going to fly since I flew those little balsa wood
> planes with the rubber band at age 4 or 5.
> When I was 17, I worked as a tin knocker all summer to pay for lessons.
> Got my license......never looked back.
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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>
>
>

Lack of money.

At least, it seems that way now.....

"Brad Z" > wrote in message news:VnhXb.307548

> A 15 minute ride in an old radial engined airplane on Cape Cod on my 16th
> birthday back in 1990. I loved every single second of it.

Excellent! The bright yellow one, right? That aircraft is a 1931 Stinson
Detroiter, with a Lycoming engine. Owned (when I flew her) by PBA.
Affectionately known by all who flew her then as Willie. A real wooden
steering wheel (yes, not a yoke), leather seats, and crank-down windows,
just like in your car. A marvelous plane, and great fun, although by the
time you've finished your 30th trip around Ptown on a hot August day, it's
Miller Time. I've got several hundred hours in Willie, and wouldn't trade
one of them.

Willie was purchased some years ago by a former PBA pilot (current shuttle
pilot, I think -- who owns the BOS-NYC shuttle these days?) and moved to the
Marstons Mills airport. As of a few years ago, she was back in Ptown, back
doing the sightseeing flights. I'm not sure of the exact chronology. I
think it is coming up on about forty years that that craft has been gracing
the skies of the outer Cape.

Thanks for the memories.

I'd always had some curiosity about flying. I took an intro lesson in
an ultralight years ago. This was a plane who's frame and fuselage
was two large pipes. One long one with the pilot & student seats
bolted on the front and the tail on the back. The shorter pipe ran
verticle for the wings and engine. Kinda cool to look down between
your knees and see the pipe, then the ground 5000 feet below.
Seatbelts are good to have!

Didn't have the money then, so it all got postponed. The idea was
reawakened some years later by a flight with a friend. Several years
and a new job after that flight I got my PPSEL last September. I've
got 120 hours or so now. My wife likes to fly with me. I rent Cessna
172s and a Diamond Eclipse. No ultralight or experimental yet...

-Malcolm Teas
JYO in the ADIZ

EDR > wrote in message >...
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.


I'd always wanted to fly, but had almost zero information about it.
An old friend of mine got his private ticket just before applying to
be a Navy pilot. He explained what was required and how it was not
beyond the reach of the average person. It opened up a whole new
world. My ignorance of general aviation was the only thing that had
stood in my way.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

(John Galban) wrote in
m:

> An old friend of mine got his private ticket just before applying to
> be a Navy pilot. He explained what was required and how it was not
> beyond the reach of the average person.

Wow!!! A navy pilot who didn't tell you that flying required the reflexes
of an olympic athlete, the brains of a genius, and the looks of a god? Did
he make it in the Navy??? {:>)


-----------------------------------------------
James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
-----------------------------------------------

"James M. Knox" > wrote
> Wow!!! A navy pilot who didn't tell you that flying required the
> reflexes of an olympic athlete, the brains of a genius, and the looks of
> a god? Did he make it in the Navy??? {:>)

I did!!! Of course that was back in 1958, I've improved a little
since then. :-)

Bob

That's it, John! All these years I had been wondering what kind of bird she
was. The roll down windows and wooden wheel with chain drive stuck out in
my mind as "really neat". I can attest that this plane resulted in the
creation of at least one pilot.

"John Gaquin" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Brad Z" > wrote in message news:VnhXb.307548
>
> > A 15 minute ride in an old radial engined airplane on Cape Cod on my
16th
> > birthday back in 1990. I loved every single second of it.
>
> Excellent! The bright yellow one, right? That aircraft is a 1931 Stinson
> Detroiter, with a Lycoming engine. Owned (when I flew her) by PBA.
> Affectionately known by all who flew her then as Willie. A real wooden
> steering wheel (yes, not a yoke), leather seats, and crank-down windows,
> just like in your car. A marvelous plane, and great fun, although by the
> time you've finished your 30th trip around Ptown on a hot August day, it's
> Miller Time. I've got several hundred hours in Willie, and wouldn't trade
> one of them.
>
> Willie was purchased some years ago by a former PBA pilot (current shuttle
> pilot, I think -- who owns the BOS-NYC shuttle these days?) and moved to
the
> Marstons Mills airport. As of a few years ago, she was back in Ptown,
back
> doing the sightseeing flights. I'm not sure of the exact chronology. I
> think it is coming up on about forty years that that craft has been
gracing
> the skies of the outer Cape.
>
> Thanks for the memories.
>
>

EDR > wrote in message >...
> Reading Rich Bach's book, "THE GIFT OF WINGS".
> I had been skydiving for eight years and was tired of just going up and
> down. I was 26, single, had the time, had the money, so I did it.

You know, leave out the word "Skydiving" and that post takes on an
entirely different meaning.

"James M. Knox" > wrote in message >...
> (John Galban) wrote in
> m:
>
> > An old friend of mine got his private ticket just before applying to
> > be a Navy pilot. He explained what was required and how it was not
> > beyond the reach of the average person.
>
> Wow!!! A navy pilot who didn't tell you that flying required the reflexes
> of an olympic athlete, the brains of a genius, and the looks of a god? Did
> he make it in the Navy??? {:>)
>
Of course, he told me that before he actually became a Navy pilot,
now it's a different story altogether :-)

Actually, most of the Navy and AF pilots I know are not that bad,
but I've met a few who think they are godlike. Several years ago
some AF friends invited me to fly one of their sims. It was a
"multi-player" version where 4 sims could be tied together and pilots
could fly against each other. After taking a beating at the hands of
several instructor pilots, I got off a lucky shot at the Chief
Instructor (not one of the ones who had invited me) and put a
sidewinder up his tailpipe. After a few minutes of ribbing by his
subordinates, he announced that game time was over. The other
instructors later told me that he was pretty ****ed about it, and that
I was not to be invited back again.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

"Brad Z" > wrote in message news:doyYb.340879

> That's it, John! All these years I had been wondering what kind of bird
she
> was. The roll down windows and wooden wheel with chain drive stuck out in
> my mind as "really neat". I can attest that this plane resulted in the
> creation of at least one pilot.

That's neat -- I suspect the list of pilots created by those sightseeing
flights is long and distinguished! Our conversation got my interest going,
and I had to dig out the logbook from the attic. We used to run Willie and
a Cherokee Six, and there would be literally hundreds of folks in line.
That Cherokee Six was a sweetheart, but when you'd get down to the last
couple of rounds in the tank, Tony (the guy running the booth), would always
find someone weighing about 325 to go in the third row seat, and your CG
would be somewhere out on the elevator! When it got untenable, we'd grab a
Douglas between flights, and do a couple of rounds with that, knocking off
32 pax at a whack. Helped keep the lines cut down. But having said all
that, I now have to offer a couple of corrections. Turns out Willie was a
model SM-8A, [which is not the same as a Detroiter], with a Lycoming R-680
engine. All my time is logged as an SM-8A, but I recall a lot of
discussions about that back then. Some folks said she was a Detroiter but
SM-8A was just the model number, others said different things, but the basic
problem was that no one really knew, and back then there was no internet to
quick check the info [Al hadn't thought it up yet!! :-)] The current
registration database for N205W lists the type as SM-8A, and also lists the
year of manufacture as 1930.

JG