Author Topic: Thank you for inspiring a young kid  (Read 30343 times)

Offline Shenzi

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« on: April 14, 2026, 02:54:18 AM »
I started this game sometime around 2010-2011 as a very young sim pilot.

I haven't played the game since 2017 or so but I felt inspired to post some pictures of working the dream in aviation. My love from aviation blossomed from the time I spent with you old timers on this game and I really wish I could live those days over again.

I joined the Air Force in 2020 with aspirations of becoming a fighter pilot in the future but fate does not always agree, 2020-2024 I got to work on KC-10s out of McGuire AFB (yuck) and since then Ive floated around companies until I landed a job at American as of recent. Now I get to enjoy working on Airbus A320's and Boeing 737, 787 and 777s.

Enjoy the pictures :D I might start a trend of randomly posting pictures here and there that I get from my time in aviation.

Buddies relaxing while doing a blade lube :P


I think this plane hit an albatross if im not mistaken


Me inside of a GE Cf-6 on the KC-10






My hand size comparison to a GenX General Electric Engine (Doesnt do it justice)


Dreamliner Cockpit


My size comparison to a KC-10  :O


Beautiful sunset caught on the flight line at ABE airport in upstate Pennsylvania  :aok


Flaps full down KC-10 up in McGuire AFB


Chillin on a tire


Antonov spotting at SFB down in Florida!



Ill be sure to take better photos, these are the best sadly I deleted alot of my old photos to clear up space, thanks for the time guys :D

Offline icepac

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 7794
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2026, 04:20:44 AM »
When someone mentions Sanford, I often see pics of the gate guard A5 Vigilante. 

There used to be a crestar/suntrust/truist bank building near the 417 exit in sanford that had a colony of “red head agama” lizards all over the building.

Offline Bolt

  • Copper Member
  • **
  • Posts: 215
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2026, 07:09:29 AM »
Awesome pics Shenzi. Hope to see you back in our skies soon  :cheers: :salute

Icepac, you talking about Sanford in NC??
Squadron: LCA Raiders @ https://www.lcaahiii.org/

“The most dangerous thing about lightning is that it’s always trying to find the ground.”

Offline Eagler

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 20441
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2026, 07:16:19 AM »
Very cool 😎..thanks for sharing  :joystick:

Eagler
Intel Core i7-13700KF | GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX | 64GB G.Skill DDR5 | 16GB GIGABYTE RTX 4070 Ti Super | 850 watt ps | Pimax Crystal Super | Warthog stick | TM1600 throttle | VKB Mk.V Rudder

Offline Oldman731

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9708
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2026, 07:59:27 AM »
Very cool 😎..thanks for sharing 


Agreed!

- oldman

Offline xTITANx

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2026, 09:09:29 AM »
outstanding!  Thanks for sharing...
xTITANx A.K.A.  DFATITAN
Death From Above (DFA)

Offline SIK1

  • AH Training Corps
  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3876
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2026, 11:18:59 AM »
Thanks for your service.

 :cheers:
444th Air Mafia since Air Warrior
Proudly flying with VF-17 The Jolly Rogers

"Masters of the Air" Scenario - JG54

Offline ZE

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 508
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2026, 02:24:59 PM »
Agree with all, great pics !! and thanks for your service  :salute
ZE

Offline mERv

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1467
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2026, 03:00:17 PM »
Best post so far this year :cheers:

Lets get you back from some pew pews and base takes. Surely you have some amount of free time. You dont need an expensive rig. I play on laptops myself. Not much eye candy but it works just fine.

WTG  :salute
"Its no problem to be the best, but to be so much better than the best is going to bring accusations."Haggarty
"Ever wonder why its always b-17s and B-24s? It allows him an extreme advantage over other players hence his bomber kill count, that and his lazer beam guns"Diaster
~~~Baaaahhhhh~~~

Offline Peabody

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 56
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2026, 04:28:17 PM »
Great story and pics. Thank you for your service.

Offline hazmatt

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2592
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2026, 09:07:36 PM »
Very cool. Haven't seen that many cool photos at once in a while.

Just wanted to let you know that real military planes have tailhooks. :bolt:

Offline Shenzi

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2026, 11:27:08 PM »
Very cool. Haven't seen that many cool photos at once in a while.

Just wanted to let you know that real military planes have tailhooks. :bolt:


Oh trust me I was raised out of NAS Lemoore for 18 years no one was a bigger navy brat than me  :grin: the navy really did its best to disqualify me for asthma (which I did not have). Even got a letter of recommendation from a Vice Admiral and no dice. Airforce it was. :old:

Offline Brooke

  • Aces High CM Staff
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15996
      • http://www.electraforge.com/brooke/
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2026, 05:07:23 PM »
Nice!

If you want some excellent flying but once in a while, come join us in scenarios.  We run them only 2 times per year.

One is underway now, running tomorrow (April 18) and the next 2 Saturdays after that.  Bf 109G-14, Bf 109K-4 vs. La-5, Yak-3, Boston/A-20.

I fly Bostons/A-20's in it, which is great and fun if you are a bit rusty on air-to-air (or are a bomber/attack guy instead of a fighter guy).

Offline AKIron

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15364
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2026, 06:07:43 PM »
Very cool. Haven't seen that many cool photos at once in a while.

Just wanted to let you know that real military planes have tailhooks. :bolt:

The USAF A-7Ds and F-4C and D models all had tailhooks. F-111s too I think. Likely some other Air Force jets did too.
Here we put salt on Margaritas, not sidewalks.

Offline AKIron

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15364
Re: Thank you for inspiring a young kid
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2026, 06:17:14 PM »
Brother flew with an ex F-18 Navy pilot and the guy set the passenger jet down on the runway like he was landing on a carrier. Brother said he never had a harder landing. Guy looked at him and said "that was pretty good".
Here we put salt on Margaritas, not sidewalks.