Do you Fly?

[Flash]

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

[cpxxx]

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.

 

[Benny Moore]

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.

[Kurt]

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).  

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.

[Kurt]

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.

[Widewing]

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

[Debonair]

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?

[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.

[Schatzi]

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.

She wouldnt happen to have a brother, would she?

[RTGorkle]

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.

[cpxxx]

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................

[RixPJ]

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.

[Golfer]

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

[RixPJ]

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:) .

[-SR-]

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.