What finally prompted you to take flying lessons?

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.