OK my turn.
I'm 43, married 15 years and live in Salem, OR where I work for the local Hospital. My dad was a pilot/historian/airport bum and had a aircoupe when I was young. My step-dad was a career Navy Flight Surgeon and flew with a number of squadrons and served on a couple of carriers in the course of a 30 year career so I had lots of the right kind of exposure.
When I was 16 I moved back with my dad and started hanging out at the airport and was adopted by a fellow at the airport with a SNJ-5. Ed taught me to love old airplanes. I learned the J-Bird inside and out. Ed always said that you'll fly it better it you understand it and what it does. On my 17th B-Day he put me in the front of the J and made me fly. I got about 25 hours in the front of 54888V before I was 18. I soled a Shinn shortly before joining the Navy for 10 years where I was a P-3 crewman. I also did a couple cruises of USS Boat and served in a A-6E squadron VA-128. It's sort of funny not being a pilot but having so many friends who are!
I'm very involved with my friend Jim Morgan's B-25J Super Rabbit (currently on loan to EVG) and have spend 100s of hours working on it and flying in it. To say it's rewarding is a great understatement
It's great to have friends. I think I know everyone in these parts who's flys a warbird and am a member of the Oregon EAA Warbirds Squadron. I don't recall ever asking for a ride but have flown with most everyone around here. With the exception of a nasty cross county off the runway jaunt followed by a wicked ground loop in a 6 it 's all been fun. I have a good time by keeping my expectations at zero. I'll help anyone anytime I can and don't expect anything in return cept maybe a thank you or a coke from the pop machine once in a while. I've flown in the P-3, CH-53, CH-46, C-2, AT-6, PT-13/17, N3N, T-34, T-28, ME-108, P-51, TBM, A-26, DC-3, C-1A, B-25, B-17, B-24, Tri-Motor, Fouga, CJ-6, D-17, NP-1, BK Bird, Swift, Relient, Waco, Travelair yada yada yada. Most fun moment ewas the Fresno B-25 reunion with 15 B-25s up. Scariest was working the flight deck at night I still get goose bumps!
With T-28 at NAS Whiting north about 1975
With P-3 at Moffet Field about 1985
By Jack Lenhardt's FM-2 N20HA about 1971
With my dear friend and mentor Ed Moore and SNJ-5 N5488V about 1980
Feerless Fosdick at the controls
In the Rabbit coming home from Arlington about 2003