Who among us had/has a parent who flew/flies?

[john smith]

Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[Robert M. Gary]

My father flew A-7s for the Navy but died in a training accident when I
was around 10.

-Robert

[Ross Richardson]

My father was an instructor in the AAF (Army Airforce?) in the early
parts of WWII in California. Growing up we were never around planes
other than the stories he told of the cadets. My first ride was at a
resort in a float plane when I was a kid. I also found out that my
mother was a pilot; I found her certificate when I was cleaning out the
house after my father passed away a few years ago. I have all of my
father's original log books from the CPT days in Arkansas and into the
service. I surprised my father when I showed up in a plane and gave him
a ride after I got my certificate. He was ecstatic that I could fly.
Actually, he thought my new wife had the certificate at first. That was
35 years and 1000+ hours ago. Wow time goes by....


-------------
Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI


john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[three-eight-hotel]

My father had his private pilot certificate, and took me up for my
first flight when I was two weeks old! I can't say for sure that is
when the seed was planted, but I do recall flying around 4 or 5 and him
letting me take the controls...

He no longer flies, but is darn excited about me being a pilot and an
owner! He always wanted to own a plane!

Best Regards,
Todd

[NW_PILOT]

None, of my immediate family flew airplanes but my grandmothers brother was
a crop duster and was paralyzed in an accident while crop dusting in a new
airplane.


"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[John Clonts]

My older brother started it, and about 5 years later I got my Private.
Fifteen years later my Dad retired and bought property on a lake and
adjoining an airstrip with an active EAA chapter(44TE). He decided to
get his license. So I guess you could say it trickled down from child
to parent :)

--
Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

[Trent Moorehead]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

This topic has revealed a fact that I have not thought of before: I may be
the only person in our family that has held a pilot's certificate. There may
have been some members that flew during wartime, but I am not aware of them.
Even so, I don't recall any member of my family, mother or father's side
that flew airplanes privately.

Talk about bucking the trend!

-Trent
PP-ASEL, trendsetter.

[Peter R.]

Trent Moorehead > wrote:

> This topic has revealed a fact that I have not thought of before: I may be
> the only person in our family that has held a pilot's certificate. There may
> have been some members that flew during wartime, but I am not aware of them.
> Even so, I don't recall any member of my family, mother or father's side
> that flew airplanes privately.
>
> Talk about bucking the trend!

The same is true for me, except that I am positive that none of my
relatives flew during either of the WW's.

--
Peter
























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[Chris G.]

I just earned my PP-ASEL on Aug 27, about 17-18 years after my first
lesson. My Dad has been a pilot since before I was born (in 1973) and
has been a CFI/CFII for both ASEL and AMEL for as long as I can
remember. In the mid-to-late 80's (87 or so), he taught my Mom how to
fly in 31 days. I know this because another instructor in the flying
club I recently joined remembers my mom for that very reason. In '88, I
began taking lessons from my Dad until some idiot (no idea who) ran the
tanks of my training plane dry over Idaho. That stopped training for me
and never resumed until this year when I found some money and time and
the support of an amazing person who is not interested in flying...my
wife. 1 year ago, I took a ground school class at a local community
college (also my employer ;) and started shopping around for an
instructor and a plane.

Within a few years of teaching my Mom how to fly, my parents divorced
and money/time became limiting factors for flying for all of us. My mom
has not flown in many, many years and has no intent of doing so again.
She has about 95 hours TT. My Dad also quit instructing and only has
flown a handful of times since then. He lost his medical a couple years
ago after having a quintuple-bypass (no heart attack or damage!) but got
it back on a yearly basis. This year, he got it back and, with some
financial assistance from me, got back up-to-speed for flying safely and
insured to instruct. The same club my Mom was in, I joined and they
(again) let my Dad teach in their airplane.

In short, my entire immediate family flies (excluding wife/kids). My
wife was my first pax and I'm still negotiating taking our 1 year-old
flying with her. I *LOVE* flying and wish my wife shared the same
passion and enthusiasm, even a little. Maybe in time, but for now,
she's a nervous mommy who is concerned about what will happen to Alex if
we crashed, especially if he was parentless.

Anyhow, I can't wait to introduce my son to flying. I remember my Dad
flying with another pilot many years ago in a Piper Seneca II and they
were practicing engine-out procedures. I was white-knuckled holding on
for dear life to the seat because I *knew* we were going to crash. I
laugh about it now. :D I also remember my Dad ferrying the plane to the
Tri-Cities area of Washington State and how much fun it was when I got
to take the controls for a while.

I know my Dad is extremely proud of me. I've got the t-shirt and the
logbook to prove it. Also, he was glad I poked, prodded, pushed, and
shoved his ass back into the cockpit to fly again. Not many people can
say their Dad taught them how to fly. Even fewer can say that their Dad
taught them AND their Mom how to fly. I plan to eventually get my CFI
ticket to teach my son how to fly. He already likes playing in the
airplane. :)

Happy Landings, all!

Chris G.
PP-ASEL, 8/27/05


john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[[email protected]]

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

My paternal grandfather was an instructor for the Signal Corps before
and during WW1. His license was signed by Orville Wright. My dad
learned to fly but could never get a license because he was color
blind. His brother flew, and had (among other things) a T6 and a
Stagger Wing.

My wife's father was an aircraft mechanic in WW2 and got his private,
but couldn't afford to keep flying. She grew up across the street from
Bakersfield Airport. When I met her sister she told my wife "A kind
man that likes airplanes. Well, it worked for mom."

My daughter is now 21 months old. Her first word wasn't "dada" as
expected - it was "up!"

[three-eight-hotel]

I share the same passion and get giddy when my children (7 and 2)
express an interest in going flying! Up until recently, we would take
family trips up to the airport and throw the kids bikes in the back of
my truck... I would wash and wax the plane and the kids would ride
their bikes around our fairly vacant airport. (Okay, so my two year
old son would sit in the airplane, pulling and pushing anything he
could get his hands on, while my seven year old daughter would ride her
bike around the airport). I would want to go up for a quick spin
around the pattern and would ask my daughter if she would want to go
for a quick ride, to which she would respond, "No thanks... I'll just
ride my bike around..." OUCH!!!

Well... about a month ago, my daughter said, "daddy, will you teach me
how to fly?" I told my wife, "gotta go!!! I'm going to give my first
"unofficial" flying lesson!!! Woo Hoo!!!". My daughter and I went up
to about 5,500 feet and I started explaining the horizon, showed her
the altimeter and what it does when you pull back on the yoke and what
it does when you push forward on the yoke... Showed her the VSI and
it's reactions, then the DG... I then had her peforming shallow turns,
while maintaining altitude. It would often require a little nudge with
my thumb to get her back down to altitude, or a tug of the finger to
get her back up to altitude, but for the most part, I would point out
the VSI and point out that it was going down and that she needed to
pull back gently and visa-versa. So, we did this for about an hour and
believe it or not, I think she got it, to some extent??? She then
asked me what every single instrument in the plane was for and
expressed a genuine interest in hearing my response!

I am soooo stoked about this, and look forward to MANY trips as she
gets older, where I can sit back and let her get us from point A to
point B, because she wants to!!!

1 year old is still young and all that seems to happen at that point is
the engine noise puts them right to sleep. I'm sure your wife will
come around in time and you can start taking the family on those trips
that will forever be engrained in their minds!

My friends think I'm a little nuts because I want to continue teaching
my seven year old to fly, so I'm glad to hear that there are others who
feel the same way!

Best of luck!
Todd

[three-eight-hotel]

>> I also remember my Dad ferrying the plane to the
>> Tri-Cities area of Washington State and how much fun it was when I got
>> to take the controls for a while.

BTW - It was out of Snohomish, where my dad took me up at two weeks
old. I think I've
flown out of there a lot, but don't remember much of it... ;-)

[Chris G.]

Todd,

Thanks! I'm glad I'm not alone in this either. I did forget to mention
that my first word was "airplane" (in kid-speak, of course).

CUL!
Chris

[three-eight-hotel]

My two year old can spot a Jet flying over at 50,000 feet! (We live
under a victor airway from SAC to RENO) He can say airplane, but for
some reason he sticks to umm-umm??? He's been saying it for over a
year.

It is so cool to see him perk up, when he hears one flying over... He
goes, "ooooohhhhhh, umm-umm!!!"

Best Regards!

[Michelle P]

I am the first in my family to get my pilots license.
I have a second cousin on my father side that has his pilots license as
well. We are the only two in an extended family of over a hundred.
Michelle

john smith wrote:

>Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
>My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
>own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
>He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
>I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.
>
>

[LWG]

My father is a lifelong aviation nut. He went to school to be a
aeronautical engineer, but the school wasn't accredited properly. I went
through the dozens and dozens of notebooks he did, all in india ink, all
lettered, solving trig and engineering math problems. His work was neat, and
precise to the point of being artistic. He drew up plans for new designs
and built models of them. However, he was not able to get the degree he
needed, and spent the rest of his life working in other areas.

We spent summer Sundays at airports. Pilots are not an especially congenial
lot, especially when talking to casual visitors. So we stood aloof and
watched. I developed a love for the sheer mystery of it all. Sometimes,
even now I look at my wings above the clouds and cannot believe that anyone,
especially I, can do this. I take my father along whenever I can.

My mother passed away about five years ago. She left me some money, and I
used it to buy an old airplane. I believe that machine has a benevolent and
protective soul which has saved me on more than one occasion. My mother was
totally devoted to my brother and me, and nothing keeps her memory closer
than flying that airplane.

The first long trip in the airplane after I got my license was when I took
the family to Disneyworld. It was a picture-perfect trip, but destined to
be our last as a family. We divorced shortly thereafter.

On the other hand, my two boys couldn't care less about flying. I could
interest the older boy a little when I told him that chicks dig pilots, but
now that he's older he calls my bluff and says well, what happened to you?


"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.


My dad started in Stearmans back in 1943, then went on to fly C-47s in the
Mediterean Theater in WWII. After a relatively short mustering out, he went
back in for Korea and flew C-46s. When that war ended, he was a ROTC instructor
at Brooklyn College and flew cadets around in a C-45. His next billet involved
flying C-121s, SA-16s and C-54s for Air Rescue. Our last duty station before he
retired was with the 6th Weather Wing at Andrews AFB, Camp Springs, MD when I
was in the 8th grade.

He never touched an airplane again until I handed over control of a Cherokee Six
to him on a trip down to the Bahamas. Within 5 minutes, he was holding heading
within 5 degrees and altitude within 50 feet. Not too shabby for an old fart.

I let him fly a couple of months ago with me (he's now 81) and he didn't
disgrace himself that time either.

My mother hated us flying. It was worse after I had an accident where I got
hurt pretty badly. I ended up giving it up myself when I lost my medical back
in 1990. She was delighted (although she always denied it). Anyway, since she
died last year, I got my medical back this spring and here I am... and my old
man never gave me a bit of grief about starting again. I think he's proud of
me. I know I am of him.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

[N93332]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

I grew up knowing that my father was a top turret gunner in the 100th Bomb
Group on a B-17 late in WWII. In the last few years I also found out that my
dad started taking flying lessons in the early 40's in a Luscombe (currently
located just south of Jay H.) but never soloed. I also had an uncle that use
to fly until he got married in the late 30's or early 40's. His wife forbade
him from flying again.

(OT) My dad and I are going to Pittsburgh next week for a 100th Bomb Group
reunion. It's great to listen to all the stories!
http://100thbg.org/index.htm

-Greg B.

[RST Engineering]

I think we live under that same victor airway in Grass Valley. WHere you
at?

Jim



" (We live
> under a victor airway from SAC to RENO)

[three-eight-hotel]

Garden Valley... 036 off of SAC and 300 off of Hangtown...

[Jay Beckman]

"Trent Moorehead" > wrote in message
...
>
> "john smith" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> This topic has revealed a fact that I have not thought of before: I may be
> the only person in our family that has held a pilot's certificate. There
> may
> have been some members that flew during wartime, but I am not aware of
> them.
> Even so, I don't recall any member of my family, mother or father's side
> that flew airplanes privately.
>
> Talk about bucking the trend!
>
> -Trent
> PP-ASEL, trendsetter.

Only two pilots in my family history that I'm aware of:

I had an uncle who flew the photo-recon version (F6? or F5?) of the Mustang
in WWII.

I have a cousin who I've not seen in many years who flew two tours in Cobra
Gunships in Viet Nam and then went on to become (possibly) one of the
earliest "Mr Moms" on the planet (mid 1970's). He married a world-class
chemist (I'm told she invented Calgon Bath Beads amongst other things...)
and he stayed home with the kids while continuing to fly in the Army
National Guard and also deliver new GA helos to customers across the
country. By weird coincidence, I actually photographed him flying several
years ago at an airshow ... his unit was long gone back to base by the time
I discovered he was one of the demo pilots.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
AZ Cloudbusters
Chandler, AZ

[Jay Beckman]

"N93332" > wrote in message
...
> "john smith" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> I grew up knowing that my father was a top turret gunner in the 100th Bomb
> Group on a B-17 late in WWII. In the last few years I also found out that
> my dad started taking flying lessons in the early 40's in a Luscombe
> (currently located just south of Jay H.) but never soloed. I also had an
> uncle that use to fly until he got married in the late 30's or early 40's.
> His wife forbade him from flying again.

Weren't the top turret gunners usually the highest ranking enlisted man on
board?

Why do I remember that it was often a sargeant up there? Safer (relatively
speaking?)

Jay B

[Matt Barrow]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

My father passed away in 1972 having never even flown as a passenger.

My oldest brother got his pilots license in 1970, my #2 brother was scarred
to death of flying.


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[N93332]

"Jay Beckman" > wrote in message
news:gu0Ye.255669$E95.174206@fed1read01...
>> I grew up knowing that my father was a top turret gunner in the 100th
>> Bomb Group on a B-17 late in WWII. In the last few years I also found out
>> that my dad started taking flying lessons in the early 40's in a Luscombe
>> (currently located just south of Jay H.) but never soloed. I also had an
>> uncle that use to fly until he got married in the late 30's or early
>> 40's. His wife forbade him from flying again.
>
> Weren't the top turret gunners usually the highest ranking enlisted man on
> board?
>
> Why do I remember that it was often a sargeant up there? Safer
> (relatively speaking?)

Yes, he was a Sgt/TTE. See his crew here
http://100thbg.org/mainpages/crews/crews5/guhse.htm He's the last one of his
crew.

-Greg B.

[Sylvain]

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

my dad flew quite a bit too, but when he came to visit me
recently (via the airlines) it was the very first time that
he i) flew in a jet; ii) landed with the airplane with which
he took off; iii) was doing it willingly and for fun; and
iv) was not carrying a weapon in the process.

not sure if that counts,

--Sylvain

[John Huthmaker]

I haven't gotten my pilots license yet, but I have soloed. I know on my
fathers side of the family that my father and grandfather both took lessons
but never soloed. So that is a first for my fathers side of the family.

On my mothers side of the family, my grandfather flew several planes in
WWII. He is probably the sole reason for my appeal to flying. His favorite
aircraft was the PBY-Catalina. My uncle also has a private pilots license
and used to own a taildragger. Today though I am the only active pilot.

--
John Huthmaker

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[Mike 'Flyin'8']

No on the parents... My Grandfather was a B-24 pilot during WWII and
had a multi commercial license, but never flew again after WWII.


On Tue, 20 Sep 2005 18:03:27 GMT, john smith > wrote:

>Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
>My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
>own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
>He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
>I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.


Mike Alexander
PP-ASEL
Temecula, CA
See my online aerial photo album at
http://flying.4alexanders.com

[George Patterson]

john smith wrote:
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.

My father got his certificate some time around 1940. He did war work and served
in the Army during WWII. He never flew again.

> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

My father died about a month after I bought my first aircraft. He never got to
see it. I never had a reason to fly it to Tennessee after he died.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

[Brad Zeigler]

No one in my immediate family flew. My uncle, who was my mother's twin
brother and my namesake, lost his life flying as a fish spotter six years
prior to starting my lessons. Needless to say, my mother wasn't
particularily keen on me flying, but has grown to enjoy flying with me.

My uncle's accident report is here:
http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X31902&key=1

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[Jack Allison]

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

Dad was an Air Force fighter pilot so I claim that it's in the genes.
So what if it took me until age 40 to get my PPL. :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[Gene Seibel]

I got it from outside the family.
--
Gene Seibel
The Farm - http://pad39a.com/gene/farm.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Morgans]

"Jack Allison" > wrote in message
...
> john smith wrote:
> > Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> Dad was an Air Force fighter pilot so I claim that it's in the genes.
> So what if it took me until age 40 to get my PPL. :-)

I'm 47 now, and plan to have either sport pilot or glider before I'm 53.
Kind of a long time, but that is the best I can afford.

I have an uncle that was a pilot, long ago, and my sister got her PP ticket,
just for a challenge, I think. She was current for less than a year.

Me? I LOVE anything mechanical. Ideally, I want to build my own design.
That would be my biggest high. <BFG>
--
Jim in NC

[Dylan Smith]

On 2005-09-20, LWG > wrote:
> On the other hand, my two boys couldn't care less about flying. I could
> interest the older boy a little when I told him that chicks dig pilots, but
> now that he's older he calls my bluff and says well, what happened to you?

Well, the retort for that is that he is the evidence of that. After all,
if his mother didn't dig you, he wouldn't exist :-)

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"

[RomeoMike]

My father got his ticket on the GI Bill after WWII and owned several
planes over time, including a PT26 (looked nice painted in military
colors, but I don't remember anything else outstanding about it). So I
got to play with the controls of planes at a young age and develop a
passion. Mother took lessons but was prone to air sickness and didn't
complete the training.

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

[jsbougher]

My paternal grandfather flew ... don't believe he solo'd. He was
apartner in a Cub, but before he flew it his partner crashed and was
killed during a buzz of his home. That ended Grandads flying career,
but he always talked of it. Have a great-uncle who was a crewman on a
B-25 in the Pacific and another great uncle who was killed in a B-17
training accident on the West coast during WWII. All that said though,
my father flew and that is what I remember growing up. He sold his
plane stopped flying when I was in 3rd grade (job, family, etc), but
we'd fly with a friend of his once every year or two. My older brother
got up to his solo and decided flying wasn't for him. I was in my 30s
before I could really afford to fly regularly. Now that I've started
flying, my Dad has gotten current and is looking at a Mooney ... we'll
see, but it is fun to go flying together which we do occasionally.

Both my kids enjoy flying, but only from the front seat. For them,
it's no different than a car from the rear. We all went to OSH 2 years
ago and my son flew out and my daughter flew back. At 7 and 10, I
didn't need to touch the controls for a 1/2 hour at a time ... just tap
on the misbehaving instrument. Maybe it wasn't a direct flight, but it
was fun. My son is now asking for weekly lessons ... he holds heading
and can handle std rate turns, but altitude sometimes gets the best of
him.

Great thread that I'm glad got started.

Jeff
Velocity SE-FG

[ShawnD2112]

Definitely trickle down, in a lot of ways. Dad was always interested in
airplanes (boats, too, but airplanes really stuck with me). He took lessons
when I was a wee lad but I don't remember any of that. He never got his
ticket, but he imbued in me a serious interest in aviation. We used to ride
our bikes on a Saturday morning to go have breakfast at Minuteman Airfield
in Mass when I was a kid. I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot on the
August day, 1979, when he took me to the airshow at Hanscom Airfield to
watch the Thunderbirds fly. I was so incredibly hooked that day that the
desire to do that kind of flying dominated my high school and entire college
career. It took the commies giving up to quash that dream, but I was
already a lieutenant in the USAF by then.

When I started taking flying lessons, at the tender age of 14, I used the
plotter and whiz wheel he'd used during his training. And, funnily enough,
I started my training at the same place he'd taken his 15 years earlier,
Marlboro Airport. I didn't get my ticket there, but finished my training
after I was in the USAF at Scott AFB in Illinois. Still use the plotter
every time I plan a flight (gave up on whiz wheel stuff a long time ago).

So, yeah, Dad was into aviation. Not actively, but actively enough to make
it a lifelong passion for me. Flying more now than I ever have before. I
did get a chance to take him up for a ride once a few years ago. It was an
interesting about turn on the "first ride" story, but it was neat to be able
to do that for my old man.

Shawn
Pitts Special S-1D G-BKVP
400+ hours
"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[ShawnD2112]

> (OT) My dad and I are going to Pittsburgh next week for a 100th Bomb Group
> reunion. It's great to listen to all the stories!
> http://100thbg.org/index.htm
>
> -Greg B.
Yes, it is. I got introduced to one of the members of the group when I was
in college and then again in the USAF at Scott AFB when they did their
reunion in St Louis in 92 or 93 when he introduced me to Rosie and a few
others. Facinating listening to these guys joke about the mission where
Rosie's B-17 was the only one to come back! And then, oddly enough, hooked
up with the same guy again (Irv Waterbury) over here in England and joined
him for a tour of Thorpe Abbotts with his wife. Nice little case of
momentoes he donated to the museum, too. His sax is there in the case (the
same sax he was playing the night I met him in 1991 at the 100th BG
restaurant in Cleveland, if I'm not mistaken). Fascinating and extremely
generous man who's company I thoroughly enjoyed, but for too little time.
Irv passed away in, I think 1998 or so.

And, to top it all off, my last unit with the USAF was the 100th Air
Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall. It's been a loose but very interesting
association with an extraordinary unit.

Shawn
Former Capt, USAF

[[email protected]]

No one in my family flys or flew.

For my 7th birthday, I got a 15 minute ride over my home town, and I
"KNEW" I wanted to be a pilot. I watched "Sky King" every Saturday
morning on TV, then whirly birds, then ripcord, then sea hunt... but
that flight and Sky King is what turned me on to flying.

Unfortunately, we were dirt poor, living near the indian territories
of the north woods of Wisconsin... and this was never going to happen.

"Never say never"!

Fortunately, when I was 10 years old, my family moved to Colorado, and
I got a good college-prep and college education, got my first real job
and learned to fly in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I'm glad I did! Flying is
the best thing that has happened to me in my lifetime!

Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocation!" Eberhard

--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer'at'frii.com WEB http://users.frii.com/jer/
C-206 N9513G, CFII Airplane&Glider, FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot, BM218 HAM N0FZD, 233 Young Eagles!

[[email protected]]

None, in my case. My father had an uncle by marriage who was a pilot.
He took my
dad up one time (long before I was born) and put the plane through all
sorts of aerobatics.
Scared him to death. It was his first plane ride and also his last. The
uncle died in a crash soon thereafter. I remember that his widow had a
clock made from the prop (what
was left of it). That misadventure didn't prevent my dad from buying me
plane rides on
a few occasions. He was dead by the time I started flying myself.

I grew up off the end of the runway at AKR, which was also a Naval Air
Station in those
days. Among my early memories are the Navy jocks coming over in their
Corsairs every
morning. There was also considerable blimp activity - both the Navy and
Goodyear, who
was the area's biggest employer. I used to visit the airport a lot, but
could never afford
flight training until I had finished school and found a job (in another
state). Thereafter
I wasted no time, and have been at it more or less continuously ever
since.

The only blood relative with an aviation connection was an uncle who
was a tail gunner
in a WWII Navy patrol plane. He never talked about it on the few
occasions that I saw
him. Another uncle by marriage had a plane, but I only got to fly with
him one time.

David Johnson

[Seth Masia]

My dad was AAF and soloed a Stearman in 1942; then he had an attack of hay
fever and they washed him out. Curiously, he never told me he'd been in
flight training until long after I'd bought my plane; it came out when I
grilled him about his WWII experience.
I had an uncle who was a B-29 crew chief and went on after the war to
run a metal shop for Pan Am. And a great-great uncle who flew in WWI, but
he was dead long before I knew him and I never learned what unit he was in.

Seth
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> None, in my case. My father had an uncle by marriage who was a pilot.
> He took my
> dad up one time (long before I was born) and put the plane through all
> sorts of aerobatics.
> Scared him to death. It was his first plane ride and also his last. The
> uncle died in a crash soon thereafter. I remember that his widow had a
> clock made from the prop (what
> was left of it). That misadventure didn't prevent my dad from buying me
> plane rides on
> a few occasions. He was dead by the time I started flying myself.
>
> I grew up off the end of the runway at AKR, which was also a Naval Air
> Station in those
> days. Among my early memories are the Navy jocks coming over in their
> Corsairs every
> morning. There was also considerable blimp activity - both the Navy and
> Goodyear, who
> was the area's biggest employer. I used to visit the airport a lot, but
> could never afford
> flight training until I had finished school and found a job (in another
> state). Thereafter
> I wasted no time, and have been at it more or less continuously ever
> since.
>
> The only blood relative with an aviation connection was an uncle who
> was a tail gunner
> in a WWII Navy patrol plane. He never talked about it on the few
> occasions that I saw
> him. Another uncle by marriage had a plane, but I only got to fly with
> him one time.
>
> David Johnson
>

[Jay Beckman]

"Seth Masia" > wrote in message
...
> My dad was AAF and soloed a Stearman in 1942; then he had an attack of hay
> fever and they washed him out.

<Snip>

Interesting,

Would antihistimenes have been a disqualifyer in those days?

Jay B

[Neil Gould]

Recently, john smith > posted:

> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of
> our own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3
> checkout. I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.
>
My father flew P-51s during WWII, but we only flew together a couple of
times. I have had a life-long interest in aviation, and could identify
most aircraft by the age of 4 (there was an AFB nearby). So, perhaps there
was a genetic component involved! ;-)

I couldn't afford to get a PPL until my early 50's, but, better later than
never! ;-)

Neil

[Jonathan Sorger]

My wife has a couple of hundred hours sitting in the back seat of her
dad's Bonanza and Kingair.

When I took her up for the first time after getting my PPL, her face lit
up: "A headset for me? Dad used to give us earplugs."

I appreciated her flying experience when I couldn't locate the airport
during our first trip together (Columbia,CA). I asked her to help and
she must have pointed out at least 3 grass strips in the area before we
found it.

2 years later, she can STILL spot airports more quickly than I!

[three-eight-hotel]

I just went to Columbia last Friday... Even after landing there, at
least eight or nine times, I still found myself looking in the wrong
area??? I was actually a bit surprised that I didn't locate it sooner
(I was well past the 49er bridge)!

Isn't that a great little place to fly into? The kids love climbing
through the rock caves!

Best Regards,
Todd

[kontiki]

My Father was a Navy pilot during WWII in the Pacific. He flew TBF
Avengers and PBYs during the war then F4U Corsairs after.

That pretty much ruined any desire to do anything else for me. :^)

john smith wrote:

> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

[Andrew Sarangan]

No one in my family had anything to do with aviation. I never even had
any friends who flew. My only contact with aviation was movies, books
and magazines. Looking back, I am surprised how I ended up where I did.

[Andrew Sarangan]

Do airlines really fly along victor airways at that altitude? I thought
by now everyone would be going direct.

[three-eight-hotel]

I can tell you for certain that airlines do fly along that victor
airway, but you can't hold me to the altitude. I have a hard enough
time calling out 5 and 10 mile checkpoints with reasonable confidence
in my judgement of the distance.

How about if I retract my original statement of 50,000 feet and just
call it "way the heck up there!" ;-)

Best Regards,
Todd

[StellaStarr]

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>
>
Great question!
Dad learned in the Navy, later owned a small plane (Cherokee, I think)
with his partner, both engineers (electrical and civil). They traveled
the Dakota prairies a lot and it was better than driving all those miles
to clients in small towns.

He died in 1971 when I was in college. I'd love to know for sure what
kind of plane it was, and the N-number. Anybody know if I can find out,
three decades later?

[Bob Chilcoat]

My brothers and I were all Air Force brats. Dad (
http://geocities.com/viewptmd/Dad.html ) joined the Army Air Corps in 1940
or thereabouts. Graduated from Cadet training in October 1941. Lousy
timing. The war started about a month later. Of his class of 250 at Moffet
Field, only 26 survived the war.

All three of us eventually became pilots. I was the last, soloing two weeks
after Dad passed away. I never got to fly with him in the right seat. Sad.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Ross Richardson" > wrote in message
...
> My father was an instructor in the AAF (Army Airforce?) in the early parts
> of WWII in California. Growing up we were never around planes other than
> the stories he told of the cadets. My first ride was at a resort in a
> float plane when I was a kid. I also found out that my mother was a pilot;
> I found her certificate when I was cleaning out the house after my father
> passed away a few years ago. I have all of my father's original log books
> from the CPT days in Arkansas and into the service. I surprised my father
> when I showed up in a plane and gave him a ride after I got my
> certificate. He was ecstatic that I could fly. Actually, he thought my new
> wife had the certificate at first. That was 35 years and 1000+ hours ago.
> Wow time goes by....
>
>
> -------------
> Regards, Ross
> C-172F 180HP
> KSWI

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:02:47 GMT, kontiki >
wrote:

>My Father was a Navy pilot during WWII in the Pacific. He flew TBF
>Avengers and PBYs during the war then F4U Corsairs after.
>
>That pretty much ruined any desire to do anything else for me. :^)
>
>john smith wrote:
>
>> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>>
>> My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
>> own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
>> He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
>> I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.

My father was also a Navy pilot. Trained in PBY's ("Take off at 100,
cruise at 100 and land at 100") but was deployed as copilot in
PB4Y-1's. He then returned to the states after his first tour to work
up as first officer in PB4Y-2's and was in Hawaii heading for the
front when it ended.

He returned to active service for the Korean war and flew P2V's out of
Kodiak Alaska, patroling along the Aleutian Islands. He was also
checked out in DC-3's DC-4's and DH 125's before deafness required his
retirement from flying.

Took a number of flights with him as a kid and no doubt this fueled my
desire to earn my PPASEL.

Corky Scott

[Al Gilson]

My mom soloed in a Piper cub in 1942. She washed out of the WASP
program due to poor vision. She went to work for Pan Am as a radio
operator in Brownville TX and met my father (an Air Traffic Controller
for the CAA in Balboa, Panama) "over the airwaves" via Morse code in
1944. As a new pilot, I was thrilled to take my mom flying for her 82nd
birthday. She passed away 3 years later. Dad retired from ATC in 1973
after working at Albuqerque Tower Everett, WA tower (PAE), Seattle
Center, and Spokane (WA) Approach.

john smith wrote:
> Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?
>

[Ross Richardson]

Bob, my dad was also at Moffet Field. I now have all of his personal and
military aviation records. I need to look at them and see when he was
there. He was an instructor. He had gotten his certificate through the
CPT program. I'll check and post.


-------------
Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI


Bob Chilcoat wrote:
> My brothers and I were all Air Force brats. Dad (
> http://geocities.com/viewptmd/Dad.html ) joined the Army Air Corps in 1940
> or thereabouts. Graduated from Cadet training in October 1941. Lousy
> timing. The war started about a month later. Of his class of 250 at Moffet
> Field, only 26 survived the war.
>
> All three of us eventually became pilots. I was the last, soloing two weeks
> after Dad passed away. I never got to fly with him in the right seat. Sad.
>