First Aviation Experiences

[Scott Rose]

Whispering words that skim the surface of your mind, defying comprehension and..... <poof>

Topic Ressurected

[Blackbirdfan]

My first flight in a plane was when I was less than 1 month old. My parents wanted to show me off to my grandparents and aunt so rather than drive 5 hrs, they flew. I think I went to my first airshow a few years later. You could say I've had a thing for aviation since day one. I remember flying in an Aeronca Champ when I was less than 5, doing aerobatics with a family friend in his Citabria when I was about 7 (haven't had the opportunity to do them since.) I was flying in the right seat of our Cessna 175 before I could see over the dash or reach the rudder pedals. I worked for our local A&P in middle and high school. In the mid '90s my dad lost is physical and sold the plane. I've only flown in a small plane once since 1998 or so. I'd love to get my licence, but its always been out of reach financially. I don't know anyone with a plane well enough to have an open invitation to go flying these days so I'm essentially grounded. (Anyone in the SF Bay area with a plane want to go flying?) These days the closest I can get to flying is shooting pics of other people flying. I cannot put into words how much I want the opportunity to fly again.

Will

[phil65]

Maybe join a local EAA chapter...

Phil

[Sopwith]

My first flight was in a Auster Tugmaster back in 1968, my brother was learning to fly and we’d gone up to the airfield with Dad. This particular Auster was for sale for £700:00 and my father arranged with the pilot who was doing an air test with it to give me a circuit. I remember it like as if it was yesterday, I was 13 at the time.

[wendovertom]

Thanks Scott!

I was maybe 6-7, My Dad was working for Sperry/Univac and he knew a bunch of Utah ANG folks. At a Utah ANG open house at the SLC open house he got us a personal tour of a KC-97 (had to be the last of the last in Utah) and then there was a F-106, F-4. . . yeah I was hooked, and somewhere I have the photos

Tom P.

[seagull61785]

Apart from running outside to look up whenever anything flew over my house, I'm pretty sure I never got up close and personal with any aeroplane until I was about 10 years old.

My school organised our class to go on an educational day trip to a place in Hertfordshire called Lullingstone Silk Farm, as we were studying silk worms (and other boring subjects). My attention span at the farm was less than the time it has taken to type this so far, so I wandered off on my own and explored a bit. The silk farm was part of a group of buildings that is now the site that houses the de Havilland Museum at London Colney. Back in 1958 it was just a few old barns. One of them was quite inviting as it's big door was slightly ajar. So I went in and looked up at the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. It was huge - twin-engined, big propellors, and massive tyres. Plus a ladder coming down for me to climb up. In the pilots seat I spent more than a few minutes switching things, pushing/pulling levers and moving the controls while making aeroplane noises out loud. My sound effects attracted the attention of an old guy who climbed up the ladder, and then proceeded to explain what everything did. I was hooked for a lifetime.

After a long while the voice of our class teacher called out from below 'had anyone seen a young boy'? I was returned unceremoniously to the sunshine outside and was suitably rebuked for wandering off.

Years later I found out my first aeroplane experience was in the prototype Mosquito. Loved Mossies ever since.

Barry

[raconnel]

There was an F2H in a park in Asheville, NC. I was able to climb all over, and through, it. I sat in the cockpit and discovered that the rudder peddles were adjustable for leg length (but not enough for my short legs). I asked my Dad whether the cannon ports in the nose were rocket launchers!

Richard

[Chris Brame]

There was an F2H in a park in Asheville, NC.

Here you go:

Not sure what happened to this Banshee.
Richard, what year were you "flying" it? Was the canopy open or did you have to open it?

[raconnel]

Thanks for finding that! I can't be sure, but it was well before 1977, probably late 60's or very early 70's. I'm sure the canopy was open at the time.

Richard

[JohnB]

Growing up on an air base it's difficult to answer.
My earliest memory is hearing B-52s being run up at all hours to meet delivery schedules.
Also, judging from home movies, but before my memory kicks in, I was at an Armed Forces Day (remember that?) And I saw the B-47D turboprop and a FICON B-36/RF-84.

My first "in person" memory is looking at the base rescue H-19.

My first flight was a SFO-Honolulu-Wake Island-Tokyo flight in a DC-6. Took a couple of days...all at very low altitude. Up was fascinated by the wrecked Japanses merchant ship off the end of the runway.

Gosh, that makes me seem old...so I better not mention watching first-run episodes of Steve Canyon, Whirlybirds and Sky King.

My first warbird ride was in a C-47 modified in the 40s (by Stewart-Warner) to corporate DC-3 standard, my first "combat" warbird flight a cross country in a B-17, the first warbird I flew was an ex-H-13E.

We all have many "firsts" in our aeronautical lives, I find every flight an experience.

Last edited by JohnB on Thu May 03, 2018 8:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

[maxum96]

I grew up in the 70's and early 80's living under the pattern for Miramar, so I was always watching the F-4's, A-4's, E-2's, F-14's and F-18's buzzing overhead. My first airplane ride was in 1973 in a 172 at the local airport when they had an open house and were giving rides. My first airline ride was in 1974 on PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) in a 727 and the stewardesses had the go-go looking uniforms. That's the only time i've exited an airliner out of the rear stairs. My first warbird ride was in the late 1990's in a T-6 followed up the same day with a ride in a C-47/DC-3. My second warbird ride(s) was in the late 1990's-2000's getting to ride as the observer in Vietnam veteran Border Patrol OH-6's when I was a Border Patrol Agent. I even managed to get a little stick time while flying in the OH-6's.

[JimH]

Flew with my Grandfather in his Culver Dart and Cessna 150 at 2...and throughout my first decade. Got my first Cub ride in 1978 and still remember it vividly. This Cub is based at my home airport and undergoing a full restoration. My Grandfathers Cessna is still here as well, the Dart in is in AZ disassembled.

Jim

[airtj]

I've always loved airplanes, my dad is an A&P and a pilot have helped him turn wrenches on GA airplanes since I've been little. My very first introduction to warbirds was at an airshow at Salt Lake Number 2 (U42), we got to ride in a DC-3 that was carrying parachuters, I was around 6 or 8. We even had to put on a parachute just in case some thing happened. I remember going to an expo at the Salt Lake international airport, my dad was involved with CAP, an ELT was going off and we had to find it, nothing like walking through the crowd with an antenna trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. It was a black hawk helicopter that kids were allowed to sit in the cockpit, some one must have hit the remote ELT switch. My funniest warbird experience happened when I was a junior in high school, I was able to get a ride in a P-51 Mustang at Heber airport it was Russ McDonald's airplane. We did a high speed pass down the runway, aileron rolls, one loop, I took my headset off for a while, the Merlin engine was loud without the headset on. During the boy scout expo that happened in 2000 I was able to ride in a B-25 ( Supper Rabbit) and a T-6. I've also been to the Reno Air Races and enjoyed watching the air races.

[Kyleb]

I was 3 1/2 on June 30, 1968 when I stood in a parking lot right across the road from Dobbins AFB in Marietta Ga and watched the first flight of the C-5. That was Sunday. We'd spent most of the day before (Saturday) sitting in the same place to watch the first flight, but it was delayed due to hydraulic problems and a cut tire. My Grandfather was one of the guys who resolved the hydraulic (brake, IIRC) problem so it could fly on Sunday. I remember both days pretty well. Both of my Grandfathers and my Father worked on that program in various roles.

Six month or a year later, I got my first airplane ride in the back of a cousin's Aeronca Champ. It was light blue and (to me) very loud in the back seat. I was in my Dad's lap and I refused several offers to take the controls.

[Tom Moungovan]

My dad was a Pan Am pilot and our close neighbors owned a flying school at Palo Alto Airport in CA.

Because of this, I was exposed to aviation at an early age and got rides in the following types: Cessna 140, 150, 172, 210, Skymaster (Anchorage1963) and Skylane,
Piper Tri Pacer, Commanche 400, Riley Twin Navion.

The best was when my dad took me out of school on May 25, 1955 and we flew to LAX and back from SFO in Clipper N88884, a DC-4.
Dad's log book states that this was an Admin. flight to carry company mail and there were no paying passengers.
When the captain went back for a smoke , the old man put me in the left hand seat and after a lot of coaxing,
I was making aileron turns out over the Pacific. My feet wouldn't reach the rudder pedals at 9 yrs. of age.

Last edited by Tom Moungovan on Sun May 27, 2018 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.