Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: 4XTCH on January 17, 2007, 02:46:40 PM
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I was having a discussion with my wife about the AH community.... really... It was just a discussion.
One of her questions to me was " How many people who fly in this online game, fly planes for real"
I said I knew of a few, but that I thought it was an interesting topic, and probably more out there than I might ever know.
So here it is. What do you fly when your not in this game?
1. Do you or have you ever held a Student or Private pilots license?
2. Do you fly GA aircraft, Commercal aircraft, Military aircraft?
4. Do you own or lease any aircraft?
5. What type ratings do you currently hold?
6. Any other tidbits of information you'd like to share with the community about your real life flying experiences.
My story:
I started taking private pilot lessons at my small local airfield in May of 1990. Lake-in-the Hills, Illinois
After 3 different flight instructors ( they all went on to commercial jobs) I finally soloed in June the following year.
That day my instructor just asked me to pull the plane over to the taxi way and jumped out and said "Take it around and land it 3 times..... Dont crash it"
It was one of the most rewarding days of my life.
Shortly after that, we had a daughter (6 months old) contract bacterial meningitis. That day was one of the last times that I had ever been in a GA aircraft. I never did get my Private certificate.
Recently my wife gave me a renewed interest in it by giving me flight lessions as a birthday present. I have mixed feelings about whether I should take it up again. I do love this game.
I'm not looking for sympathy or responses to my story, I want to hear yours.
4XTCH
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Originally posted by 4XTCH
So here it is. What do you fly when your not in this game?
1. Do you or have you ever held a Student or Private pilots license?
yes, private pilots license
2. Do you fly GA aircraft, Commercal aircraft, Military aircraft?
GA aircraft. cessna 172 and citabria
4. Do you own or lease any aircraft?
i wish but no, not yet
5. What type ratings do you currently hold?
private pilot single engine land. also a tailwheel sign off.
6. Any other tidbits of information you'd like to share with the community about your real life flying experiences.
as for your story, DO IT!! if you have the funds and or time. do it. even if its only a private pilots license. the feeling of accomplishment is almost overwhelming once you get that certifercate.
moneyguy
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Took lessons while I was in High School, starting in December 1977. First solo 2/15/78 with that same experience. Instructor says pull off. He gets out and says let me see three touch and go's.
Scary, exhilerating, rewarding all at the same time. Was really rolling along when the money dried up, College time came. Next thing ya know I was married with three kids, car payments a mortgage etc.
Never did finish. Still have fantasies of going back to tie up that loose end some day though.
A buddy and I were taking lessons at the same time and we wasted a lot of our money 'rat racing' around pretending to be fighter pilots. One time we thought we'd tuned the radio for plane to plane. We were cruising along flying 'formation' if you could call it that. We were talking when a third voice interrupted saying "This is Minneapolis control. What are you doing on this radio channel?" If you can do double takes in an airplane, my buddy and I both did em. He broke left and away, I broke right and away. We then proceeded back to the airport as quietly and sneakily as possible, landed, got out, checked the planes, went to our cars and got lost. Don't think we even acknowledged each other on the ground that day :)
We were flying Piper Warrior II's at the time. They later transitioned us to the gawd awful Tomahawk. I got some time in Cessna 152s a bit later as well.
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Great Story!!
Thats the stuff I'm talking about.
You think they woulda yanked your ticket in a hurry had you been caught?
4XTCH
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I got my Private Pilot's license a few days after my 17th birthday in 1976. Flew Cherokee 140 for the training, most of time after that was in a Skyhawk, (The Cessna 172 - not the A-4. . .), with the occasional ride in others like a Stearman PT-17, etc.
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Solo'd a Cesna 152 when I was 15 and a half, didn't have my drivers license yet so my dad drove to the field for my lessons. This was 1985, the rental for the plane was $45/hr and $30/hr for the instructor. Worked partime all week to pay for one lesson at $3.35 pumping gas. (my folks paid for half)
My instructor was dutch, who had a penchant for screaming orders as if his life depended on it...RIGHT RUDDER ON TAKEOFF....FULL POWER WHEN YOU CLIMB!!!! Used to scare the crap out of me, I would leave the plane with soaking wet armpits and wobbly legs...but I solo'd after 8 hours of time.
My old man was a C-130 pilot and my uncle flew f-4's, my cousin now flies f-16's, brother in law captains 747's..... and I fly a desk with a calculator and a phone. Never flew by myself again and don't intend on doing so either...to expensive and not worth it for me..so I spend my $14 a month and thats fine with me.
Did go to this summers AH convention and won the tourney, with first prize getting to ride with HiTech in his RV8. Was alot of fun, experienced a hammerhead stall and some high G-turns. (Your eyesight really does narrow down like in the game, gets dark from outside in)
Guess thats it for me.
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Dredger,
Awesome Stuff!
He (Dale) could auction something like that off to the highests bidder with partial proceeds going to a charity or something. I bet that would be fun. Well..... maybe only to us AH geeks:lol
4XTCH
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Go For It if you can afford it. Unfortunately, most private pilots eventually lose interest mainly due to cost. I started at 17 years old and am certified for gliders, seaplanes, helicopters, and planes up through the DC10. Somehow, with all that flying experience my cartoon planes still always end up on fire.:D
Dave
DJ229-Air Mafia
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When i was 18 or so i was briefly enrolled in a flight school for a few flights (Piper tomahawk), but didnt continue it due to cost. Couple of years back i did another 'introductory' flight (Cessna 152) with a different club. Instructor let me take it off and land it too.
Thats about it for me ;) Love to do more, but just the cost is rather prohibitive.
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The summer before last my brother inlaw let me fly his piper cub based soley on his knowlege of me playing this game! Of course he was in the back seat but hey, I flew it!:aok
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Originally posted by SkyRock
The summer before last my brother inlaw let me fly his piper cub based soley on his knowlege of me playing this game! Of course he was in the back seat but hey, I flew it!:aok
Cubs are cool. My first flight in one as a young Flight Instructor was ferrying a new SuperCub solo with no radios from Pennsylvania to Oregon. It was a blast - 30 hours in 3 days at 500' (or less ; ) with the door open much of the way.
Dave
DJ229 Air Mafia
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01 Z/28 :D
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When I turned fifteen, my father gave me the best birthday present any boy could get. He took me down to the local airfield, signed me up with a flying club, and paid for my ground school media and my introductory flight in a Cessna 152. When I came down, we went over to Dairy Queen and I got a job at five dollars per hour (apparently, very small companies don't need to pay minimum wage). From then on I scraped and scrounged, and every few weeks or months I would get a flying lesson.
It didn't work out, of course. Flying once a month or once every two months is no way to learn, and after this had been going on for a while my instructor quit for an airline job (he wasn't a great instructor, anyway; he told me that learning how to use rudder was unnecessary). At about that time, I had a regular doctor checkup, and the doctor informed me that my ears were bleeding inside. Obviously, I had to stop flying. Over the next four years or so, I went from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what the problem was. Eventually, I gave up; they weren't fixing the problem and I was wasting my time.
To this day my ears pain me from the smallest pressure change, even driving up and down the hundred-foot hills where I live. I recently tried once more to find out the cause of my pressure problem; this doctor's verdict was, "you're fine." It looks like I'm never going to fly again; even were my health perfect, I'm no longer a teenager with no expenses. I can't even afford an Aces High subscription, never mind flying lessons. But I will always remember that short time when I was fifteen - even with the emotional agony of high school looming over it - as the best time of my life. The exact number of hours I have I do not know; my memory tells me it was eight or so, but my logbook has only says three flights. I know at least two of my flights were not unrecorded, so I estimate that the actual number was six. It's not much, but those were easily the best six hours of my life.
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Hiya 4X, great thread!
I, fortunately, was able to finish my PVT rating. Solo'd in 1995, FAA cert in 1996. Trained at Westwood aviation in Phoenix. Flew a new 172 most of my training. The occational 152. ('cause they are WAY more fun in a crosswind T/O or landing). Got my IFR rating in 1998. High performance and multi-engine (piston) in 1999 in a 310. Since then have owned partials in a 172, Cirrus and a 182 (Currently) with frogleg retractable gear and pressurized cabin. Seats 6. Cost a fortune to fly anymore. Haven't been up, other than patterns and local, in almost a year.
Crazy story. A friend of mine built an RV-6 in his garage. Took him 5 years. I was the first passenger to fly with him after his 100 hr mark. It had side by side cabin and was very nice. We used to do the fighter pilot thing too over the Verde River, NE of Phoenix, with another friend with a similar RV-6. We would actually dive in over the water and buzz about 8 feet above the river, chasing each other. Loops, stalls, even an engine out landing on a dirt road nearby once. Crazy fun.
Last Nov, Larry was flying over the river and pulled up fast catching some high voltage carrier lines slicing his plane in two and killing himself and Mark Wild, another friend of ours. Was a sad day for everyone that knew Larry and Mark. They are missed.
Not to be a sob story, just a "watch out" for all of us Tards that like to fly low.
Thats my story.
Link to TV News program about Larry (http://www.azfamily.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?s=y&vidId=99330&catId=270)
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I grew up on military bases and have always loved anything to do with aircraft.
I pursued the Air Force Academy route and realized that to be a fighter pilot corrected vision was a big no no back then. So, if I couldn't fly them I would tell em where to go...lol...so I became an Air Traffic Controller. Ive been doing that now for 24 years and still love it. 14 of those years in the A.F. and now in the civilian world. I miss playing with F-15's in the pattern but am still happy with the GA sector. Every now and then I get to work the warbirds that come to my airport....F4U's, P-47's, B17's, B24, P51's, B25's....being the boss at my tower I somehow get to be the one that controls them....go figure, lucky I guess....lol.
1. Do you or have you ever held a Student or Private pilots license? Private Pilots License.
2. Do you fly GA aircraft, Commercal aircraft, Military aircraft? GA
4. Do you own or lease any aircraft? Rent....looking to buy though.
5. What type ratings do you currently hold? ASEL (Airplane Single Engine Land)
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I finally quit my road job in early 2004 (played this game and AW before that in motels on cheesy laptop for like 6 years)--for my birthday, wife bought me a few flying lessons, something she knew I'd wanted to do my whole life (said road job provided the money, but no time)--anyhow, had a blast with the gift lessons, was trying to work out how to get enough hours in without bankrupting meself, when we found out wife had cancer--flying didnt seem so important anymore, never did get back into it. (wife eventually ok:) ) Might someday, after kid gets out of college
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My dad is a private pilot and I first flew with him in 1976 in a Citabria tail dragger. I never pursed a license myself for various reasons (money, time, etc.) until October 2003. I took my first lesson and the instructor was great and by great I mean a hard ass. The first flight in a Cessna 152, I don’t think he touched the controls once. He made me taxi, take off, fly, and land by verbal instruction only. I thought we were both going to die.
During that flight when I first left the ground my natural reaction was to take my hand from the throttle and put both hands on the yoke. He calmly told me to keep my hand on the throttle until after the climb out and I complied. The second lesson first take off I did it again without thinking once more he told me keep my hand on the throttle I said “oh yea sorry”. We did a second take off during the second lesson and again I took the hand off. We were about halfway down the runway and maybe 30 feet off the ground when without saying a word he reaches over closes the throttle completely. We start descending toward the river levy at the far end of the runway and I’m panicked I don’t know what to think, do or say. Finally I say something like “what do I do” and he calmly says (as were about 15 feet off the ground) I would give it full throttle so we don’t hit that levy. I do as he says we start climbing out and he looks over and says “that’s what happens when you don’t keep your hand on the throttle. Needless to say I never forgot again.
The same guy has me solo after 6.9 hours at a strange airport on a day with about 12-15 knot gusts of wind. He says pull over let me out do three full stop take offs and landings and come back here and get me. I’m excited but really nervous. The first two go ok but on the third as I’m in the flare near stall and inches from my wheels touching a gust of wind hit me and I’m like instantly 20 feet above the runway throttle closed flaps down and stall warning horn blaring. I go into auto pilot mode, nose down, full throttle, build airspeed, raise flaps one notch at a time and go around. On the cross wind leg I am literally shaking and telling myself out loud “what am I doing here I can’t do it I’m going to die” on the downwind I start calming down and think I know I can get it down and then I’m never going to fly again, on base I thinking actually I handled that ok in fact it was kind of cool then final and a nice landing. I’m pretty proud of myself as I taxi to the instructor and tell him about the wind gust, the training kicking in for the go-around he doesn’t seem impressed and says “you could have just gave it a little throttle leveled out and landed you had plenty of runway” I didn’t care at that time I realized “I just had one of the best days of my life I flew an airplane by myself”
I could go on all night about this guy I would show up at the airport on days I was sure he would say we can't fly weathers to bad I don't think he ever did. Nightime cross country flight with thunderstorms and tornado warnings being called on the awos we kept going and flew arond massive towering clouds. Looking back over my left shoulder on downwind because I had to hold about a 40 degree crab into the wind.
And you know what I wouldn’t have traded this guy for free lessons from someone else. He wasn’t my buddy he wasn’t my pal but he believed in me more than I believed in myself and he taught me that I could fly on days and in conditions that I might one day face when he wasn’t around.
I couldn’t fly as much as I wanted due to the cost so it took me until March of 2005 until I had 41.9 hours before I took my check ride and got my private pilots license. I fly as much as I can now but it is expensive so as of today I have about 76 hours. However my dad fly’s a Piper Cherokee Arrow I fly a lot with him maybe 50 hours a year and although I’m not rated for the plane and can’t count the hours in my log I do most of the flying since I got my license.
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I only ever fly when I ask my wife if I can do something.
Bronze Gliding medal.
Student PP.
All from about 112 years ago. No money. No time. No hope. No life.....:cry
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Originally posted by DAVENRINO
Cubs are cool. My first flight in one as a young Flight Instructor was ferrying a new SuperCub solo with no radios from Pennsylvania to Oregon. It was a blast - 30 hours in 3 days at 500' (or less ; ) with the door open much of the way.
Dave
DJ229 Air Mafia
Yeah thank god for seatbelts! I rolled it over a bit to see some flooding outside of Atlanta and it scared me more than my Bro inlaw! It was very fun tho and he's an instructor so all I need is some time this summer to go visit and I will get to fly all I want!
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Originally posted by REP0MAN
Hiya 4X, great thread!
I, fortunately, was able to finish my PVT rating. Solo'd in 1995, FAA cert in 1996. Trained at Westwood aviation in Phoenix. Flew a new 172 most of my training. The occational 152. ('cause they are WAY more fun in a crosswind T/O or landing). Got my IFR rating in 1998. High performance and multi-engine (piston) in 1999 in a 310. Since then have owned partials in a 172, Cirrus and a 182 (Currently) with frogleg retractable gear and pressurized cabin. Seats 6. Cost a fortune to fly anymore. Haven't been up, other than patterns and local, in almost a year.
Link to TV News program about Larry (http://www.azfamily.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?s=y&vidId=99330&catId=270)
4XTCH <------ Notes to self.... Must get into the REPO business.... Very Very profitable:lol
Thanks REPOMANX <>
4XTCH
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Though I havent actually gotten my liscense, I do have some stick time in 2 airplanes..
4 hours in a Cesna 152, and about 15 minutes in a T-38.. :aok
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I've never taken any lessons, but I have about 2 minutes in a 152. A kid I went to HS with was a pilot (his grandfather was a trainer in one of the armed forces, and he owned the plane), and he took me up for a hop one evening. For 2 minutes, the city of Lafayette, IN, was in grave danger, and yet seemed totally unaware.
It's something I've always wanted to do, but the cost (and my eyesight, and refusal to wear glasses) have been enough to ensure the safety of those who live in this area. However, my buddy (who has a PPL) is threatening to buy a 150, and is trying to infect me with the RL flying virus.
I love all things flying, except for R/C planes, which I got tired of rebuilding every flight, but one of these days...
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Real pilots play this game??!!! :O
No wonder I get shot down all the time :furious
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Started taking lessons when I was stationed in Okinawa as a member of the Aero Club there. Got .5 hours in a 152, then "transitioned" into the 172 and got about 12 more, right up to solo until the real job interfered. After I came back to the states, picked it up again in 29 Palms and "transitioned" into the Traumahawk. Soloed the Hawk, and decided I hated it and didn't want to spend my money on a license to fly the thing, so I looked for something I could afford (so I thought at the time :) ) and wound up buying a Grumman AA-1B. Finished my license up in 2003, and flew it pretty regularly until an unforeseen engine overhaul grounded it for a while. After nearly bankrupting myself, got it back up in the air and flew it regularly again until a career change, then just didn't have the time or $$$ to keep pumping money into it. Still got it, but haven't flown it much at all in the past year and a half.
No regrets though. I love the plane, and I love the flying and plan on dusting it off and pumping more money into it as soon as I'm able. Closest thing to flying a WWII plane in GA, with the canopy open, elbow propped on the rail and in a plane that is fast for the HP and maneuvers like a Spit. My Dad actually caught the bug from me and got his PPL this past June. He's starting his IFR rating right now.
Only have 140 hours, and have flown 5 different planes. Wouldn't trade the experience or sense of accomplishment for anything.
Good Luck,
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took lessons a long time ago, i realised for what i was paying for lessons i could buy a new car, stopped flying and bought a new chevy convertible. :D but it was fun.
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One of my first porst:
R U A Real Pilot (http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146489)
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I don't have a licence but I got to fly Piper-cubs and Bell Jet rangers till I was kicked out of the IAF flight school after a year+. I suck in real life too... :p
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I flew F16 for the CIA for awhile but it got boring so enrolled at sniper school instead.
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ASEL
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one day i hope to have a ppl.
so far i have a few hours in a c152, a few in an RAF cadet trainer called a bulldog and one hour in another cadet trainer called a chipmonk. so yeah im a basic noob :)
i also have spent about 10 hours total of my life in a glider, and did my very first loop-teh-loop in one over my house on my second flight.
we got towed up and the immediate sensation of freedom and flight was the best ive felt in any aircraft.
first loop i did age 14, i dived to 120mph as instructed, then i yanked hard back on the stick and almost split the back of my head open on the back of my seat as my head was thrown back. the instructor laughed and thanked me for not going as far as breaking his glider to bits and then showed me how to ease back into a loop and then pull hard over the top. i did a few more loops and he then showed me some real nice stalls and spins before letting me land it myself back on the airstrip two miles away.
i hope to obtain a private gliding licence long before i can afford the PPL.
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4XTCH,
Here's a thread previously posted about solos. Thought you might be interested:
http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=186242&referrerid=6283
In answer to your questions:
1. Do you or have you ever held a Student or Private pilots license? Yes
2. Do you fly GA aircraft, Commercal aircraft, Military aircraft? GA
4. Do you own or lease any aircraft? Rent
5. What type ratings do you currently hold? ASEL
6. Any other tidbits of information you'd like to share with the community about your real life flying experiences.
The link above has my first solo, so I won't post that again. But here's another flying story I have.
My first passenger (other than my wife) is one of my co-workers. Well, the airport we were going to for the plane was about 30 miles away. Since his wife was 8 1/2 month pregnant, I suggested he leave his car at a grass field (Hub, that's in Wesfield) that was on the way just in case. He kind of laughed at me, but said okay. Anyway, we got to the airport, and just as I'm finishing up my preflight, his wife called and informed him her water had broken. Took her 5 minutes on the phone to convince him she wasn't joking because earlier in the week she had jokingly told him she would call him and say that. He looked at me and said I had to get him back to his car and started heading toward the parking lot. I told him the preflight was done and just get in the plane - it would be faster. We hopped in, I ran my checklist and flew him to the grass strip. He made it with a couple hours to spare in time to take his wife to the hospital.
Glove
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I started a bit of flying in a 172 a few years ago just to compare the real thing to flight sims, never really to get the license. just wanted to learn and try stuff out. I was able to land unassisted on my first flight, and pretty much just went up and did touch & goes (and a few stalls) over the next few weeks.. so, my logbook shows 4.3 total hours, 16 landings.
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I got my private in Sept 02' and my instrumentation in '04. My first 110 hours were in a 172 with the the exception of my first night flight which was in a piper warrior (low wing). I currently have 536hours and I would say without adding them up that 280 are in a 99' 206, maybe 100 in a 152 and the rest a 172.
I can remember the day I solo'd very well. My flight instructor(who was a navy buddy) and another friend of mine (who was doing his very first flight) and I were cruising around and he looked back and said "are ya ready to solo?"....I was all cocky (thinking it wouldn't be TODAY) and said "hell ya". He then replied "ok, when we land it's all yours"........ummm you mean today i thought??? I just about passed out. I had no excuses because it was a perfect day. Well, we landed and he grabbed a hand held and we taxied out to the runway and he jumped out and said "see ya after 3 touch and goes" After i got her rolling it was like all my nerves went away and it was all second nature. The only hard thing about it was on the climb out it was quit different without his weight in there and it took some getting used to because we had done so many together at that airport i did alot of stuff (such as turn on crosswind, downwind, base etc) by my altitude at the time.(I know it's wrong but....hey i was new)
It was without question one of the most satisfying days of my life.
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Originally posted by mussie
One of my first porst:
R U A Real Pilot (http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146489)
Thanks Mussie
Didnt mean to hijack or copy your thread.
<>
BTW I read the posts and loved all of the aerial/ personal photos of everyones planes.
This is the type of discussion that I was trying to provoke.
Sometimes the bbs get so loaded down in the negative that I thought "the wife has a question.... ask it... see where it goes"
4XTCH
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I'm 17 and have my Student Pilot certificate. I soloed on 6/22/06. I'll have my Private by the end of next month. I plan on either flying for the USAF or flying Airtankers for the California Department of Forestry. :)
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My flying time was mostly long ago, before there were multiplayer air-combat sims. I had dreamed about flying (especially about WWII fighter combat) for a long time. When I was 15, I was very lucky, and my parents gave me the gift of a goodly number of flying lessons in Cessna 150's and 152's. I got to the point of doing my cross-country work (past soloing and being able to fly solo into the practice area), but didn't finish.
I liked flying over my neighborhood, doing circles over my friends' houses. One time, I took up with me a GI Joe with a parachute on. I told my friends I'd fly over and drop out Joe. I got over the neighborhood and did a few circles, getting all my pals out into the open area behind the houses and got ready to throw Joe out the window. I had rigged up a length of string around Joe and the chute with a slip knot, so that I could throw Joe out and down from the window. That way, he could get a little distance from the plane before the string would go taught and open the chute.
Once I was ready and lined up, I opened the window and threw Joe as hard as I could downward. However, the window was at a bit of an awkward angle for throwing, I didn't get much downward velocity on Joe, and I had totally misjudged how Joe would travel once entering the airstream. Instead of going down and then having the chute open, the wind whipped Joe almost straight back, then the chute opened -- and Joe and the chute immediately stuck on the horizontal stabilizer, with the chute on top and Joe on the bottom.
I sat there looking at the situation. My first thought was about how stupid I was going to look landing back at the strip and taxiing back with Joe stuck on my plane. My second thought was about how there was a hard-plastic GI Joe doll stuck on my horizontal stabilizer near the joint of the stabilizer and the elevator, and that if Joe got stuck inbetween the two, it could be very, very bad.
I sat there, looking back as I flew along, thinking about what to do when I noticed that the chute on top of the stabilizer (which started out being plastered flat against the stabilizer) was slowly, slowly starting to peel back and to open. In another second or two, it opened completely and whipped backward from the plane. Joe, who was on the underside of the stabilizer, rocketed forward, around the stabilizer, and then back -- his arms and legs flying off from the centrifugal force.
The resulting armless, legless Joe then drifted down toward my pals, who retrieved him.
In my flying days, I especially liked landing on a nearby grass strips where you had to keep the nose up during roll, and the plane would do jumps after hitting the crossing runway that ran across the grass strip; flying in very turbulent and gusty air, which would throw the plane all over the sky; and landing in gusty, turbulent, crosswind conditions (at one point with the instructor and I practicing touch and goes in what we learned later were crosswinds above the rating for the 152).
In the end, though, flying 152's just wasn't what I was after. It was more like driving the family car to the store instead of driving in an off-road rally. I got my taste of real flying, which was great, but that was enough for me.
Many years later, Air Warrior was invented, and that was what I really wanted: air combat in WWII fighters against many other pilots. I was hooked.
After that, I once went to Air Combat USA, flying a Marchetti SF-260 (a two-place aerobatic prop plane) in mock combat against other Marchettis. This was after having gotten proficient in Air Warrior. I went with another Air Warrior buddy (JWolff of the Muskateers) who was very kind and treated me to it while I was still in school. JWolff and I proceeded handily to beat a commercial-rated pilot who was with us and who had much, much more real flying time than we did, pointing out that the techniques of Air Warrior translated over to real life just fine. The Marchetti handled (in terms of feel) much like a P-51 in Air Warrior (although of course of less performance -- I'm just talking about feel).
These days, what I fly for is WWII-era air combat, especially in scenarios, as those seem the closest to the WWII action I've only otherwise read about.
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That Gets my Vote as THE FUNNIEST Story out of all that I have read:rofl :rofl :rofl
4XTCH
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:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
That's funny as hell man:D
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My friend and I were asked to spread ashes of a fella that had been cremated and wanted his ashes spread over his lifetime family farm. No problem right? Well, it was about 90degrees that day and we lifted in our 152 off the grass strip with 6 of the family members there to watch. We only had to fly 4 miles to the site where we were to spread his ashes. Well, I was flying and my buddy was supposed to send ole' Ed back to the earth....He opened the window and I proceeded to do a steep turn and he let Ed fly......Apparently Ed didn't want to leave the plane too bad because I would say 50% of him came back in and since my buddy and I were sweating badly.....alot of Ed got stuck on Bucky and Rich. We spent the next 10 minutes franticly dusting each other off and sticking our heads out the window to try to get rid of any "ed"vidence (lol...ya i just came up with that). When we landed we had most of Ed off us so i don't think the family noticed....thank god!
RIP Ed:D
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Originally posted by Bucky73
My friend and I were asked to spread ashes of a fella that had been cremated and wanted his ashes spread over his lifetime family farm. No problem right? Well, it was about 90degrees that day and we lifted in our 152 off the grass strip with 6 of the family members there to watch. We only had to fly 4 miles to the site where we were to spread his ashes. Well, I was flying and my buddy was supposed to send ole' Ed back to the earth....He opened the window and I proceeded to do a steep turn and he let Ed fly......Apparently Ed didn't want to leave the plane too bad because I would say 50% of him came back in and since my buddy and I were sweating badly.....alot of Ed got stuck on Bucky and Rich. We spent the next 10 minutes franticly dusting each other off and sticking our heads out the window to try to get rid of any "ed"vidence (lol...ya i just came up with that). When we landed we had most of Ed off us so i don't think the family noticed....thank god!
RIP Ed:D
:O
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I started flying at age 16 through Civil Air Patrol. I soloed at 16 and earned my private certificate at 17. Every penny of the money spent on my private license came from my own labor.
I guess my parents could see I was serious about it because they helped me pay for a degree in Aviation.
When I graduated I had a CFII and Multi rating. I instructed for a while and lucked into a job flying a Piper Seneca around.
When I reached the milestone of 1200 hours I got a job flying charter in Beech Barons, Piper Senecas, Piper Cheyene and a bunch of different King Airs. After a year of that I became fascinated with flying freight.
I spent 7 years doing that, mostly in Beech 18's
http://www.beech18.com/
Lots of stories to go along with that experience.
I took a few years off of flying then came back as a Director of Operations for a few different small charter airlines.
During that time I flew King Airs, several small business jets and the Embraer Brasilia.
After that I worked for FlightSafety for 5 years until I was offered my current job.
I now fly the corporate version of the Canadair Regional Jet in both corporate and passenger charter operations.
We fly all over North and South America and do the occasional trip across the Atlantic.
I hold an ATP with EMB120,Lear60 and CL65 type ratings.
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A mixed bag of experience from me.
It starts with being the son of a RAF sergeant pilot with a Mother who spent some time as a secretary at a test establishment taking test pilots comments shorthand while sitting next to the loudspeaker!
Many years flying models, mainly Radio Control including displays.
As a student I joined the gliding club and became the first student there ever to go solo. As a solo pilot using winch launch I had only two previous dual aerotows. One on a still day when the winch was working very hard, the other for the spin and stall check before I had solo'd. So when a friend was checked out for aerotow one day I decided to have one just the the experience. After a clean flight, and on landing what was my third dual aerotow, the instructor just signed me off! - It had never entered my mind. Needless to say I grabbed the single seater and did another areotow straight away.
I rarely descended with airbrake, chosing instead to dive at max speed. One day doing this I was maxed out at 750 feet and saw the two seater K13 at 1500 feet. It only needed relaxing the forward pressure on the stick to go up - I joined the K13 just above them at a little over 30 knots left on the ASI. The guys in the K13 later commented on the incredible sight of the Slingsby Swallow climbing up at them in a very steep attitude. Not something any of them had ever seen!
A decade on I took up hang gliding. Terrific fun and genuinely more adrenalin rush than sailplanes. Nothing quite like being at near 2000 feet up and being able to bend your head forward and see your boot toes and the inverted horizon, and suddenly being aware of certain creaks and groans from the frame you never noticed low down!
Another decade later I went onto light aircraft, but my hearing was always going to be a problem so I didn't actually take the GFT. I did however reach that level and was sent on solo cross country flights. A potential weakness was engine failures as I never really committed to the practice landing, due to knowing it was not going to happen, until one day the instructor chopped the throttle near the airfield. I was told it was an engine failure and I was going to put it down! I sorted of laughed at him and said with all that runway nearby, no problem. The answer focused my attention when he said put it on grass 22. All three grass runways are a lot shorter than our tarmac ones and 22 is the shortest of the lot and add a bit of crosswind for added fun element! Declaring our intent we had a few spectators out on the tower. Setting it down perfectly full flap and real gentle touchdown earned me a round of applause and a better appreciation of engine failure approaches. This instructor also showed me how to flick roll a Cessena152. We did in fact spend a lot time on aeobatics because thats what I wanted to do. Alas you don't get signed off for that solo without passing your GFT first!
Plenty of memorable moments but nothing really spectacular unless severely stalling a glider counts! I had read up that if you slowed up at the rate of one knot a second, then when the aircraft stalled that would be its stated stall speed. So I did just that. Concentrating on the ASI (yep fixated!) and only starting to slow from something in the very low 30's the stated stall speed for type came and went and still the speed was dropping off with no apparent stall until suddenly, speed dropped away rapidly and I looked up. Now in a near 45 degree nose up attitude I locked the stick between my legs and awaited the tailslide. Thankgod it didn't, but when the nose dropped it went straight into the vertical and sort of fish tailed like a pendulum! - Worst still the club CFI saw me do it ! He asked if I was attempting a chandelle (Very polite of him I thought), but I came clean and addmitted to what I had done and nothing more was said!
Getting married and the birth of my son put the brake on full size flying so Air Warrier on compuserve was my next step before moving to AH
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Originally posted by Bucky73
RIP Ed:D
Oh, man! It reminds me of a scene out of The Big Lebowski! :)
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Im currently working on my PPL. Some time in a 172 , and a Saratoga II TC. It is with out a doubt the greatest feeling when your flying a plane is real life.
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Gliders lisence.
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I have taken off and flown a squadies (Gunsling) Cherokee. He would not let me barrel role it, lol.
Funny thing i had no desire to attempt any of the moves we make in Aces High.
Was thinking about paying to go up in a P51D. They said i would be able to fly the plane and makes some rolls and loops. There are only 10 or so people in the USA that is qualified to fly it.
http://www.dixiewing.org/aircraft_rides/index.htm
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Starting flying in Ireland when I was eighteen, I was earning about £40 a week, an hour's flying cost about £25. I had to get two busses and walk a couple of miles to get to the airport. Half an hour's flying took about eight hours to do. I didn't mind, as I knew I would be accepted by the Irish Army Air Corps as a cadet very shortly. Failing that I would join RAF or the Navy or the British Army Air Corps in Britain or be sponsored by Aer Lingus. Ah the naivety! In the end I fell through the several bureaucratic cracks and none of the above even accepted an application, let alone interviewed me.
7 years later I got my Private licence. On the way in 1989, I was given an FAA private licence and had a fun filled six weeks in Tennessee training for an FAA Instrument ticket. I never did flight test though because a hurricane hit the east cost and screwed up the weather for a while. While I was there I enquired about flying for the US army but was too old and not a citizen which pretty much killed that idea. In 1994, 8 years after my private, I got the commercial and with blinding speed, one year later the instrument rating. Started on the instructor rating, then I ran out of money.
I got a ground job with a cargo airline flying Electras and 727's and even hoped they might consider me when I got a multiengine rating.
I borrowed some more money and was about to do an Instructor's rating and multiengine flying, when my job disappeared from under me. I was out of work for seven months.
Now I was broke with a lousy credit rating. No more money from the banks. I flew a few times when I was sent to the US by the company I now worked for and tried to restart the instructor's course back home. But that effort trickled out for the same money reasons.
Then I met the woman who is now my wife, she encouraged me to fly again and is even willing to pay for it, if neccessary. Currently I am renewing my Commercial and then the Instructor's rating. Finally it seems I am getting there although the Irish weather is interfering again. I have a standing offer of a job with a flight school who also charter Citations and put their instructors in the right seat. But there are no guarantees.
It's been a long hard road but I would do it again in because I loved every minute of the flying.
The lesson is, never give up but find the right woman earlier in your career.
:aok
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Originally posted by cpxxx
Then I met the woman who is now my wife, she encouraged me to fly again and is even willing to pay for it, if neccessary.
I'm hate to tell you this, but I sort of need to borrow your wife for a couple of decades.
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Originally posted by 4XTCH
So here it is. What do you fly when your not in this game?
1. Do you or have you ever held a Student or Private pilots license?
2. Do you fly GA aircraft, Commercal aircraft, Military aircraft?
4. Do you own or lease any aircraft?
5. What type ratings do you currently hold?
6. Any other tidbits of information you'd like to share with the community about your real life flying experiences.
1 Yes, I am U.S. Private SEL
2 Answer '1' pretty much summed this up, I'm G.A. (note, there is no 'y')
4 I found it interesting that 4 followed 2 here, in my country we have 3... But I digress... The answer is No... I am a renter.
5 I earned my type rating in on a C172 (Heavy). :rofl
6. The 'Heavy' joke goes back 15 years with me... One time out of Vegas McCarren when they used to have a really active general aviation operation on the field- As a student, and with my instructor aboard, I asked him (the instructor) what do you think would happen if I called in 'Heavy'. Well, he laughed "If you've got the guts, go right on ahead...
I called in to the tower as Cessna 734DB Heavy - ready for departure... Tower didn't miss a beat.
They cleared me "Cessna Four Delta Bravo Heavy cleared for take off, turn to 290, climb and maintain 3000"
So I figured that was the end of that... "4DB, rolling, turn 290 climb and maintain 3000.
But they were going to have the last laugh. They called the Southwest 737 on the cross runway while I was on the roll...
"Cactus 1532 - McCarren Tower, (I made up a flight number, I don't remember)... Cactus 1532 Cleared for takeoff, runway heading, climb and maintain 5000.. .Caution wake turbulance departing Skyhawk - Heavy..."
The Southwest jet responded (this time I heard a chuckle from the pilot) "Tower, Cactus 1532 Cleared on the roll, copy wake turbulence departing Skyhawk.. Cactus 1532..."
It remains one of my favorite moments in the cockpit. Never be afraid to be a human being (Unless you're flying in Class-B airspace today... Now they have no sense of humor).
But before it was Class B... When it was a TCA... Humor still exisited.
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Originally posted by Stoney74
buying a Grumman AA-1B.
Hey Stoney, I never knew you had Grumman AA1, that is one of my favorite planes of all time... Goes without saying I'd prefer a Tiger, but still, its all the same lines.
I'd love any of the little Grumman cats.
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Do you guys know Mace2004 or 1Duke1?
Both ex-Navy pilots...
Mace flew F-14s and went through TOPGUN in '85 and the US Navy Test Pilot School in '87... Now retired and our newest Aces High Trainer.
My regards,
Widewing
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Originally posted by kvuo75
I started a bit of flying in a 172 a few years ago just to compare the real thing to flight sims, never really to get the license. just wanted to learn and try stuff out. I was able to land unassisted on my first flight, and pretty much just went up and did touch & goes (and a few stalls) over the next few weeks.. so, my logbook shows 4.3 total hours, 16 landings.
u learning at aeromaintenance?
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The Raw Prawns AH squadron members have a combined total of about 20,000 hours - gliders, Cessna, Eagle, Robinson, Boeing, Airbus etc etc blah blah blah.
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Originally posted by Benny Moore
I'm hate to tell you this, but I sort of need to borrow your wife for a couple of decades.
:rofl
She wouldnt happen to have a brother, would she? :)
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Originally posted by RTGorkle
The Raw Prawns AH squadron members have a combined total of about 20,000 hours - gliders, Cessna, Eagle, Robinson, Boeing, Airbus etc etc blah blah blah.
Correction - 11,049 hours.
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Originally posted by Benny Moore
I'm hate to tell you this, but I sort of need to borrow your wife for a couple of decades.
You'll have a fight on your hands: There are only a few like her around. I hit gold, pretty much knew it on the first date too. Never had to take her up on her financial offer yet but nice to know it's there.
And Schatzi, she does have brothers but they were snapped up some time ago.:) On the other hand I have a brother who has too much money................:aok
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CPxxx, keep at it! It took me a long time too, and like you, my wife is who turned things around. I got my PPL for the first time in Cyprus in the first half of 1995 while based a RAF Akrotiri. I was 23 at the time and flew 150's and 172's. After being posted back to the UK I started flying Vigilant motor-gliders (Grob 109b's) for the Air Cadets at the weekends along with a few hours in a 152 at the Halton flying club. At that point my time in the RAF was up and I also got married (1999). in 2002 we moved to Ohio (my wife is a US Citizen) and I got a job at the local municipal airport as a line service guy. My wife basically supported us while my paycheck went back to the airport for flight training. By 2004 I had worked my way through the FAA Private, Instrument Commercial and Multi-Engine ratings which meant I could fly as a co-pilot on the company King Air's which are used for charter work. I am still there currently as a full time Co-Pilot building hours (I flew 450 hours last year mainly in King Air's). This year they are bringing online a Citation II which hopefully will result in a type rating for me :). I have been very fortunate with how it all turned out. I still need to get my instructor's ratings sometime, but to be honest I am not in any hurry for that.
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That's great, Rix! Are you at Zanesville Aviation? It's been a while but that's a pretty darn quiet airport and Zanesville Aviation is the only place I've been to before.
I wish I could remember anything about our service...hopefully I/we tipped you well :)
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Yes, that's where I am at Golfer. It really is a great company to work for. What were you flying when you visited? Maybe we met. I am the only one there with an English accent:) .
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No PPL.
My brother gave me a gift a few years ago with Air Combat USA. I got to dogfight another guy at Livermore Ca. The tactics from the Sim worked for me. I got him 5 out of 6 fights. It was a thrill.
I have six static line parachute jumps which prepared me for the game also.
I grew up on Air Force Bases. My father was a Flight engineer for 20 years. He crewed C-47,B36,c-121?,c-130,c141. I got to go with him a few times when he preflighted the c-121?( not sure if c-121,DC-4? it had 4 engines MATS in 1961 at Lajes Field, Azores) he would have me flip the starter switches. I thought I was doing something important as a 5 yr. old.
I have always loved aviation but I will leave the real flying to the real pilots. I will just enjoy the rides.
Great thread BTW.:aok
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If memory serves both times in the last year were in an Encore.
Prior to that a few stop and drops in a Mooney and one in a Cirrus.
Check your PMs
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I'm a avation hopefull @ the moment. I've done alot of the ground school here on my own, using alot of do it yourself type manuals and kits. I'm sure that if given about a week to study, I could pass the written /w out a problem.
The next step is pooping the cash of a insturctor and plane. If anyone knows of any "cheats" (intro flight coupons, discounts, financing offers, ect.) and you find the time, mail me, please!
pilotknight1980@yahoo.com
Got a load of time in MS Flight Sim X. Can navigate using real world Enroute charts, using VORS, and understand most of a given appraoch plate. Even have my very own MS Flight Sim IFR pilot rating!
:rofl
Any ideas U guys have would be awesome. My ultimate goal is to maybe one day earn ratings that would allow me to earn a living in flight. I'm 26 yrs old and work as a LT in a Louisiana State prison. Great job, but this 25K a year isn't gettting it with 2 kids and a wife that is a full time mom and homemaker!
to all!
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You'll be happy to know the Regional Airlines pay between $15,000 - $22,000 your first year. :O :cry
There's not really any way around paying $30,000 for your ratings from Private through Commercial and at least your basic CFI (CFII/MEI are great things to have) at a bare minimum.
Eeeeek!:eek:
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Wow...alot of cash....but, to be able to get my private rating would be enough....just to fly for fun, even if it's just a few hours every so often. My wife is deathly scared of flying, and I would love to make my dream and passion and maybe get her hooked on avation. And to take my 5 yr old up someday would maybe instill a dream for him later in his life.
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Originally posted by REP0MAN
and a 182 (Currently) with frogleg retractable gear and pressurized cabin. Seats 6.
Please tell me this is a typo. If not my BS meter is right.
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Indeed rixPJ, there are a few good wives around. Having said that she knows the the potential payoff eventually is a high paying airline job where she can quit work or go part time while I earn the big money in Ryanair or something. I know one guy whose wife told him 'I'll pay for everything but when you get the good job, I retire.' He now flies Airbuses and she is a lady who lunches:)
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Originally posted by dragon25
Wow...alot of cash....but, to be able to get my private rating would be enough....just to fly for fun, even if it's just a few hours every so often. My wife is deathly scared of flying, and I would love to make my dream and passion and maybe get her hooked on avation. And to take my 5 yr old up someday would maybe instill a dream for him later in his life.
Just be aware Dragon that the training is just the beginning and a lot of people fall into the trap where they take out loans to complete their training and then can't afford to fly after getting their license because of the loan payments. Kind of a catch 22 situation.
Most people think that pilots make a bunch of money. Well, some certainly do. Most flying jobs though do not command a huge salary. You have to want to do this job because you love to fly. Personally, I don't really work for a living. I get up, hang out at the airport and go flying whenever possible. Somehow a paycheck magically appears every 2 weeks. I feel quite guilty sometimes, but then there are nights when the weather is lousy and you get called out at 2AM for a pop up organ procurement run that will take up your 14 hour duty day.. at the end of that I at least feel I have earned the paycheck. I love it though :).
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Originally posted by Golfer
You'll be happy to know the Regional Airlines pay between $15,000 - $22,000 your first year. :O :cry
There's not really any way around paying $30,000 for your ratings from Private through Commercial and at least your basic CFI (CFII/MEI are great things to have) at a bare minimum.
Eeeeek!:eek:
$30k, that's nothing. To train full time at a JAA school in Europe you can pay between $100,000 and $130,000. That will give you about 200 hours. you an add another 30k to that for some airlines that ask you to pay up front for a type rating on their aircraft.
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^one of the reasons I wanted to move to the States. Flight training in Europe is prohibitively expensive. It is not a cheap thing to do over here but it is at least do-able for more people.
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I got my license on my 17th birthday in 1986. I have a single engine private pilot's license with an instrument rating and a complex and high performance endorsement. I used to be in a small flying club with a Cherokee 180 (hence the Piper handle). I lost my enthusiasm for flying when my son passed away in 2003. I had always expected to pass on my passion for the air to him just like my Dad did to me. With him gone, I just lost interest. I left AH for about 3 years and only recently came back. I still look up when a plane flys by (especially a radial!) but I'm not sure if I'll ever punch holes in the air again. I've flown Traumahawks, 150/152s, 172/172RGs, 210s, Arrows, Cubs, Cherokees, Skippers, Sundowners, Musketeers, Sierras, a glider, a Decathalon, and an SH-60 helo when I was a Midshipman. As for a story... I flew my wife (a non-pilot) to visit her sister in Alabama in the Cherokee. Dothan, Alabama was at minimums when we got there. I flew the ILS to decision height, saw the runway, and stole a quick glance at her half expecting she'd be nervously staring out the window. She was reading a book! Keeper:aok
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I started flying with my father when I was just a little kid and landed his plane myself (with him in the left seat) when I was 12. After his death in 1980 from a car accident I was so upset I didn't even want to go flying and I sold his cessna 150 to another pilot he knew. In 1986 a friend mentioned flying and a few months later I got my private pilots license. I have a ton of memories and storys both fun ones and bad ones that resulted in death and it would take forever to tell em all.
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Originally posted by RTGorkle
The Raw Prawns AH squadron members have a combined total of about 20,000 hours - gliders, Cessna, Eagle, Robinson, Boeing, Airbus etc etc blah blah blah. Correction - 11,049 hours.
Air Mafia has over 16,000 hours and I don't even know how many hours my squaddies have.;)
Dave
DJ229-AirMafia