Warbird Information Exchange

My first airplane ride was in a C-130 at Fort Benning Ga. I was in Jump School, I made 5 take offs with no landings there. My first landing was in STL in a L10-11 a month later when I went on leave for the first time.

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."

I have an addition and a correction.
My FIRST airplane ride was in one of these about 1952-53 with a guy I went to high school with. Dude scared the crap outta' me.



My first WARBIRD ride was in one of these in 1958 as an "attaboy" for being chosen, "Airman of the Month" at Kirtland AFB.



THEN came this one in '05.



Mudge the forgetful

Just remember, when you get to be as old as I am, your memory is the SECOND thing to go.

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Land of the free because of the brave

My first flight was on good old Eastern Airlines from PVD to the land of the mouse (MCO).

My first REAL flight was in September of 2002 -- who would have known that it would forever alter my life! I walked into my office the next morning and handed in my resignation!

LORDY GIRL...What your VSI reading about now?

Mudge the nauseaus

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Land of the free because of the brave

That was my first experience with aerobatics..........I LOVED it! Aeros are still my favorite! Extremely addicting! Sadly, haven't had much aerobatic opportunity in the past year!

Well let's see, the first plane I flew (i.e. not airline rides) was the venerable C-150:



Then mid-college I flew this:



Then back to the 150 to complete getting my PPL. The moment I got my license I upgraded to the Piper Warrior:




Earned my Tail Dragger Endorsement in a fabulous J-3:



Got my complex endorsement and a sign off in this Arrow:



High Powered Endorsement in this Cherokee Sis - a real Mack Truck:



And now learning acro in the Super Decathlon:

What is a "High Powered Endorsement"?

My first (and only so far) warbird ride was in Charlie Clemson's PBY Black Cat. That was awsome!

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When all is said and done more is said than done.

My first warbird ride was in Diamond Lil. Looking forward to flying her again!

My first airplane flight was on a TWA aircraft flying with my mom to NYC when I was 7.

kevin

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FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!

When you get a standard private pilot's license, you are restricted to flying aircraft of 200 horsepower or less. You want to fly aircraft with more horsepower, you have to get a High Powered Endorsement.

Sorry for the confusion

I went for a ride in a C-47 at the Reading WW2 weekend a few years back, it was great!

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

My first warbird flight was a few years ago at Camarillo Airport in the Collings Foundation B-24 when they had the dragon paint scheme. I have a reservation for a flight in their B-25 when they visit us this May.

(I know this doesn't count, but I have also had a ride in the Fuji Blimp.)

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In Honor and Memory of Marine Bombing Squadron VMB 611 "Black Seahorse" 1943-1945
Remembering 1st Lt Doit L Fish, MIA May 30, 1945 in PBJ-1J "MB 11"
Cherry Point - Parris Island - Emirau - Zamboanga

1997 OSH - back seat in a T6 of an early morning formation practice flight - the very kind pilots took line crew volunteers up, one per a/c. Perfect start to my day in every way.

...a bit later, My father bought me a ride in Aluminum Overcast on a beautiful fall morning, flying down the Atlantic Coast to Newport, RI.

...a bit later, my siblings & I returned the favor and bought Dad (age 86 at the time) a ride on 9-0-9.

My first non-airline ride was in about 1964 out of Bowman Field, Louisville, Kentucy, aboard a Piper Tri-Pacer which belonged to a co-worker of my father at DuPont. Since then, I've had many flights aboard various Cessnas and Pipers. My dad owned Cherokee 140 N5997U for a number of years until it was destroyed during a freak windstorm at New Castle County Airport in Wilmington, Delaware, in the late 1980s. He gave up flying not long after due to a heart condition.

My first warbird ride was some time in the mid 1990s aboard Beech T-34B Mentor N99257 when she was assigned to the flying club at the old Dallas Naval Air Station. My pilot that day was the late Gordon Hargis, whom some of you fighter jocks may have known. He was a pilot and part owner of P-51D Straw Boss II which operated out of Hollister, California. He was also one of the pilots of the Airline History Museum's fabulous Lockheed 1049H Super Constellation Star of America.

Subsequent warbirds:
B-17G Chuckie
B-17G Aluminum Overcast
B-17G Nine-O-Nine

Hmmm. . . do I see a pattern there?

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

My first airplane ride was in 1951 in a DC-3 of Capital Airlines, from Baltimore to Newport News, VA. Don't remember a whole lot about it, as I was 6 at the time. I do remember the steep aisle and that there were two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other. I got to sit in the single seat, as my mom and 3-yr-old brother sat in the two seats opposite.
This may have been my first warbird ride, also, as I'm not sure if this was a former USAAF aircraft or not.

My first known warbird ride came in the early 1970's, in a Ryan PT-19 owned by a fellow I went to high school with, named Rick Thompson. We were in Orlando at the time, and he has gone on to own a number of warbirds since, including, I believe, a Vampire.

Regards,

Walt