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

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.

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"

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

VE

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!

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

"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.

"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

"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.

(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

"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