why are you a flying fanatic?

"airgard" <supagard RemoveThis @optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:4417c41d$0$14240$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Now what's your story? I know there are regs here like mad mike, etc...
> I'd love to hear why you love flying

I experienced the same "awe" as Beech when he took his first ride on a 707.
A few years ago, I went on my first plane ride out west (I was pretty
apprehensive...), and I was just amazed at the amount of thrust behind an
jet. Takeoff roll was probably the most exciting seeing the ground vanish
below. At that point I didn't know what to think, but my mind was saying
"how the hell does this thing fly?" So, that's when I became curious about
aviation, and I just had to know more about it. When I was kid, I always
took things apart because I wanted to know how it worked. I still do that to
the present day

I accidentally came across FS 2004 on the Internet during my curiosity
stage. I just had to have it, so that's how I got started. I'm not a private
pilot, but I think at some time I want to at least try and intro flight to
see if it's my thing. From what I here it's just amazing. But anyways, since
I cannot enjoy time in the air I devote a good amount of time studying real
world aviation as well as flying for a virtual airline.

So, that's my history with flying.

Mike
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

"airgard" <supagard.DeleteThis@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:4417c41d$0$14240$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
<snip>
> My story is I grew up near an airport and from the 1st school excursion
> to the ob-deck, I was hooked. My mother also dated guys from the US base
> situated in Christchurch NZ (Harewood AFB)
> I got to sit in c-130s when I was 6y/o and c-141s and c-5s occasionally
> when they visited. Once NASA bought some high altitude laboratory plane
> for antarctica. I got to look through and was fascinated. I also got to
> watch Argosy 222s take off from the int. airport. Ever heard of them?
> Hopefully one day someone will make one for fs.

Go to Avsim and download file: aw650v1.zip

Argosy 200 series for FS2004.

Steve
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

"airgard"
> Now what's your story? I know there are regs here like mad mike, etc...
> I'd love to hear why you love flying

I don't think it's nurture... I thinks it's nature. I think you're born
with the bug or not.

You can walk up to every human being and ask "Do you love airplanes and wish
you were a pilot?" You'll get a very definitive yes or no, nothing
in-between. Subjectively, the "no" answers seems to be about 95%,

Part of my childhood was spent on Air Force bases so I was surrounded by
airplanes night and day and I've always been interested in them. Many of my
friends in the same environment could care less.

Dallas
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

"Dallas" <Cybnorm RemoveThis @spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
news:VrYRf.1794$HW2.1437@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> You can walk up to every human being and ask "Do you love airplanes and
> wish
> you were a pilot?" You'll get a very definitive yes or no, nothing
> in-between. Subjectively, the "no" answers seems to be about 95%,
>
> Part of my childhood was spent on Air Force bases so I was surrounded by
> airplanes night and day and I've always been interested in them. Many of
> my
> friends in the same environment could care less.
>
> Dallas
>
I have no flying background in my family--I am the first, and, I guess, the
only one to do it.
But from the first flight in flight school, I was hooked. Thanks to the US
Army, I got my wings and was able to enjoy a 20 year career of flying. Even
2 years in Vietnam flying gunships and slicks did not diminish my enjoyment
of it. And even today, at age 70, if I could pass a flight physical (I
can't) I would be back in the air.

Can't explain why, but those that have, will understand why I got hooked.
Nothing like it. Nothing ever will be like it. Now, I use flight sim to help
me relive those days. Thanks, MS!!!!

Paul
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

Paul Riley wrote:
> "Dallas" <Cybnorm DeleteThis @spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
> news:VrYRf.1794$HW2.1437@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>> You can walk up to every human being and ask "Do you love airplanes and
>> wish
>> you were a pilot?" You'll get a very definitive yes or no, nothing
>> in-between. Subjectively, the "no" answers seems to be about 95%,
>>
>> Part of my childhood was spent on Air Force bases so I was surrounded by
>> airplanes night and day and I've always been interested in them. Many of
>> my
>> friends in the same environment could care less.
>>
>> Dallas
>>
> I have no flying background in my family--I am the first, and, I guess, the
> only one to do it.
> But from the first flight in flight school, I was hooked. Thanks to the US
> Army, I got my wings and was able to enjoy a 20 year career of flying. Even
> 2 years in Vietnam flying gunships and slicks did not diminish my enjoyment
> of it. And even today, at age 70, if I could pass a flight physical (I
> can't) I would be back in the air.
>
> Can't explain why, but those that have, will understand why I got hooked.
> Nothing like it. Nothing ever will be like it. Now, I use flight sim to help
> me relive those days. Thanks, MS!!!!
>
> Paul
>
>

I couldn't have said it better. Early memories - I had never flown
before. On my first flight in a TH-55 the IP suddenly banked the
aircraft severely I guess to see my reaction. It was great. 2nd memory -
at 13 hours on the day after trying to keep the helicopter within the
boundaries of the stage field I added collective and the dang helicopter
came to a stabilized 3 foot hover. I was able to hover the aircraft to
the departure pad and depart. It was like magic. I'll never forget that.

--

boB
Wing 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

Dallas wrote:
> "airgard"
>
>>Now what's your story? I know there are regs here like mad mike, etc...
>>I'd love to hear why you love flying
>
>
> I don't think it's nurture... I thinks it's nature. I think you're born
> with the bug or not.
>
> You can walk up to every human being and ask "Do you love airplanes and wish
> you were a pilot?" You'll get a very definitive yes or no, nothing
> in-between. Subjectively, the "no" answers seems to be about 95%,
>
> Part of my childhood was spent on Air Force bases so I was surrounded by
> airplanes night and day and I've always been interested in them. Many of my
> friends in the same environment could care less.
>
> Dallas
>
>
I agree with dallas, I think it's like cars and trucks (Love trucks) you
love cars, or trucks, or planes, or computers...
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

Paul Riley wrote:
> "Dallas" <Cybnorm DeleteThis @spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
> news:VrYRf.1794$HW2.1437@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>You can walk up to every human being and ask "Do you love airplanes and
>>wish
>>you were a pilot?" You'll get a very definitive yes or no, nothing
>>in-between. Subjectively, the "no" answers seems to be about 95%,
>>
>>Part of my childhood was spent on Air Force bases so I was surrounded by
>>airplanes night and day and I've always been interested in them. Many of
>>my
>>friends in the same environment could care less.
>>
>>Dallas
>>
>
> I have no flying background in my family--I am the first, and, I guess, the
> only one to do it.
> But from the first flight in flight school, I was hooked. Thanks to the US
> Army, I got my wings and was able to enjoy a 20 year career of flying. Even
> 2 years in Vietnam flying gunships and slicks did not diminish my enjoyment
> of it. And even today, at age 70, if I could pass a flight physical (I
> can't) I would be back in the air.
>
> Can't explain why, but those that have, will understand why I got hooked.
> Nothing like it. Nothing ever will be like it. Now, I use flight sim to help
> me relive those days. Thanks, MS!!!!
>
> Paul
>
>
Did I mention that I lived near Ferrymead transport Museum and spent my
weekends sitting in cockpits of wrecks...they had a halifax, a
beaufighter, a 737, a vampire among others...and a replica lunar lander,
and the cockpit of a sunderland complete with turning turret...all of
the warbirds had seen active in the pafic...
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

airgard <supagard RemoveThis @optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> Did I mention that I lived near Ferrymead transport Museum and spent my
> weekends sitting in cockpits of wrecks...they had a halifax, a
> beaufighter, a 737, a vampire among others...and a replica lunar lander,
> and the cockpit of a sunderland complete with turning turret...all of
> the warbirds had seen active in the pafic...

That would have been absolutely mind-blowing to me, too. I used to
pretend my parent's friend's van was an airplane; that is, until one time I
inadvertently stepped on a Christmas present they had in a bag between the
seats and broke it. Closest thing I had to a cockpit back then.

--
Peter
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

Airgard,
When I was right out of high school, I joined a Boy Scout Explorer post
that was teaching kids how to fly sailplanes. I stuck with the club until I
was too old to be an explorer scout, and because I had earned my glider
license, I then became an instructor for the club. After the club died, I
didn't do much flying for quite some time. But eventually personal computers
came along, and soon after that there were flight simulators being released
for home PC's. The first PC-based general aviation flight sim was SubLogic's
Flight Simulator, which of course I had to have. SubLogic eventually evolved
into Microsoft Flight Simulator. I have owned every version since the old
SubLogic days, as well as many combat flight simulators. All my life I have
wanted to be able to fly a real airplane, but I never had the money, or the
time to pursue this (or so I reasoned). About 4 years ago, I finally made up
my mind that if I was ever going to really do this, then I had better get
serious about it and go ahead and DO IT!! I just happend to work with a
fellow who was a flight instructor for a local flying school on his days
off. I flew with him a few times, and he introduced me to the staff at the
school. It seemed a very organized and professional flight school, so I
decided that I would take flight training through them. It cost WAY more
than I had imagined, and it was WAY harder than I imagined it would be, but
then again I can be pretty stubborn too! I do remember a time during my
flight training after I had finished my first night-time VFR cross-country
flight when I swore to myself that I would never get in an airplane again!
But fortunately I stuck with it and earned my private pilots license in
about 7 months.
I would encourage anyone who has the dream of earning their private
pilots license to not do what I did, and put it off for 30 years, but to
just go out and DO it! I also recommend that if you do decide to take flight
training, that you find a good, well run flight school that uses
well-maintained machines, knowledgeable and experienced instructors, and
make sure that the school is accredited through the FAA. It may cost you a
little more $$, but you will be a much more knowledgeable, and a safer
pilot.

Randy L.
--
"When making an emergency off-field landing at night, turn
on the landing lights just prior to touchdown. If you don't
like what you see, then turn off the landing lights."


"airgard" <supagard.DeleteThis@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:4417c41d$0$14240$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Ok, I know some here are real life pilots and some are just gamers...but
> if you're using a.g.m.f-s then you obviously care about flying enough to
> write...
> My story is I grew up near an airport and from the 1st school excursion to
> the ob-deck, I was hooked. My mother also dated guys from the US base
> situated in Christchurch NZ (Harewood AFB)
> I got to sit in c-130s when I was 6y/o and c-141s and c-5s occasionally
> when they visited. Once NASA bought some high altitude laboratory plane
> for antarctica. I got to look through and was fascinated. I also got to
> watch Argosy 222s take off from the int. airport. Ever heard of them?
> Hopefully one day someone will make one for fs. And the bristol
> freighters. When I was 6 I flew from ChC to Dinedin in a Vickers Viscount
> and spent four hours in inclement weather while they changed an engine
> after a fire. Ive been in c-130s when I was in the Australian army and
> loved it...5 hours sittin beside the wheel bays... I always hoped to fly
> for real one day and one day I might... Now I've given up chat rooms cause
> this group is more interesting...
> Now what's your story? I know there are regs here like mad mike, etc...
> I'd love to hear why you love flying
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:36:58 +1000, airgard <supagard RemoveThis @optusnet.com.au>
wrote:

>Ok, I know some here are real life pilots and some are just gamers...but
>if you're using a.g.m.f-s then you obviously care about flying enough to
>write...

I was raised on a farm and the nearest airport was at Alma (MI) about
12 miles by road. Back then that was a long way. I had always been
fascinated by airplanes with my first encounter being on the bottom of
an F80 buzz job. I was cultivating beans the first time through and
it there is a job that is less of a no brainer I've never heard of it.
There I was, just idling away down that long field when this sudden
roar darn near had me climbing over the steering wheel. I snapped
around in time to see the fighter pulling up while leaving a cloud of
dust no more than a couple hundred feet behind me. Worst case of
cultivator blight I've ever seen.

A couple years later this skinny 16 year old rode his old Harley over
to the Alma airport to just look. The instructor was a motorcycle nut
and took me up for a lesson in a little black Luscomb and then he took
the Harley for a ride.

I remember him telling me to just push the stick to the right and we'd
turn right. Nothing was mentioned about adverse yawh, or holding the
nose up. Sooo I rolled right, the nose went left, we started down and
next thing I know the windshield is full of fields going round and
round and round. Pretty soon I could see the rows of corn. About the
time I started to make out corn stalks he asked me what I was going to
do. I asked what I was supposed to do as this was the first time I'd
ever been in an airplane. He got busy real quick.

I remember driving to Midland early in the summer of 1960 to a Flying
Farmers fly-in at the Barstow Airport. The whole field was covered
with planes. They had a Beech Debonair Demonstrator there and I
remarked to one of my friends that I was going to have one of those
some day. I didn't realize it at the time, but I really was going to
end up with *that* airplane, but it would be about 34 years later.

Although I loved every second of it I didn't get back in a small plane
again until around 1963. I lived in Midland at the time and went out
to the airport just to look. I ended up going for a flight in an old
Piper Colt and was hooked. By the time I went home I'd purchased a
share in the flying club. The Colt was $6.00 per hour (Wet) while the
Tri-pacer was $8.00. They had a V35 Bonanza

I flew enough to solo and was getting ready for my cross country, but
a wife, two kids followed by a new home in the country put a stop to
my flying until 1987, 24 years later.

I quit work in 87 to go back to college full time. A friend approached
me about getting together with him and another guy, getting our
licenses and eventually go together and buying a plane.

So there I was, in college again after 30 years, learning to fly,
buying a piece of an old airplane and the rest is history.
The strange thing is, I have never liked flying commercial, or even
riding in the big iron. Nor have I ever had any desire to fly an
airliner. Fighter? Yes, Airliner? No.

BTW I was even accepted into the Air force pilot training program back
in around 59 or 60. That is until they discovered I had a sinus
problem.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

This is a great thread. Like Lawn Dart, I have always had flying dreams. So
much so that for many years I was sure that I could fly if I wanted to, just
by jumping off a building. Thankfully I never tried.

My enthusiasm for aircraft started when I was three years old in 1937. My
uncle and aunt from Australia looked after me while my mother was having my
brother. They took me to Brooklands airfield and sat me in a small plane
cockpit. From then on I read Biggles and every other flying adventure book I
could.

I volunteered early for National Service in 1952 for pilot training in the
Royal Navy. So my first flight was in a Percival Prentice at RAF Syerston
age 17. I had passed all the aptitude tests to be a pilot, but I could not
judge height and either tried to land 20 feet up, or underground. A kindly
CO told me that I would be OK for the RAF but not much use in the Navy for
landing on carriers. so I was grounded, much to my disappointment. I then
volunteered for Observer training. In Navy two-seaters, this meant you were
a navigator, radio operator, photographer, and everything else. We were soon
taught that Naval aircraft were built around the Observer and that pilots
were merely our chauffeurs!
I then spent eight very happy years in the back seat. I did not mind because
I was flying.

40 years after leaving the Navy, I took my PPL and finally soloed and got my
aerobatic certificate in the same year that I got my Old Age Pension.

I now love FS9 as a substitute like many others here.

Yrs Quilly
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

Roger <Delete-Invallid.stuff.groups.TakeThisOut@tm.net> wrote:

> I was raised on a farm and the nearest airport was at Alma (MI) about
> 12 miles by road. Back then that was a long way.
<snip>

Having read and enjoyed your Usenet posts for the few years, I was always
curious about your aviation history. Thanks for the good read.


--
Peter
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic? 

> Airgard,
I joined the Royal Air Force in 1952 and qualified as a Medic. My first
operational posting was to Flight Refuellings airfield in Dorset at Tarrant
Rushden. It was known as an Advanced Flying School as pilots were converted
from flying prop aircraft to jets. We has Vampire T11 and Meteors both mono
and dual control. RAF personnel only manned the sick bay, RAF flying
school. All aircraft maintenance was done under contract by Flight
Refuelling's civilian staff. Our domestic camp was just outside Salisbury
so we went every day by coach to the airfield.
The C.O. instructed that once the students had done their flying for the
month, officers and NCOs who were qualified pilots had to undertake flights
to retain their flight pay. As most of the aircraft were twin seated the CO
stated that ALL non-flying erks were to fly as 'being an airman meant you
had to fly!' First time up in a meteor the pilot sat behind you and on the
intercom explained the controls. he would then instruct you to take the
yoke and informed you that you had control!
I enjoyed this immensely.

After I left the RAF I ended up as a civilian attached to the RAF in Aden.
As I had the privilege of using both the Officer's and NCOs messes I got to
know many operational pilots. I was always invited to go up with them and
logged on the flight plan as AMWD (Ministry of Works) Staff checking runway
lighting. I therefore flew in Valetta's, Twin Pioneers, Beverley's,
Shackletons and a DC3 with Aden Airways! I spent five years in Aden and by
that time, not only had I got many hours at the controls but I was 'hooked'
on flying.
Flight Simming helped me re-learn the art and so, for my 70th birthday the
family paid for me to have a bash at real flight simming at Hurn Airport,
Bournemouth. Last year I was given a one hour flight 'lesson' at Rochester
Airport where I flew at the controls on the left hand side of a Diamond
Star. The licensed pilot made me do the take off and flight along the South
Coast as far as Dover and return via the North Kent Coast across Sheppey and
back to Rochester. I did the full approach to down wind and then he took
over as there was a strong side wind had started. I was amazed that it was
just like riding a bicycle - once learnt you never fall off even at the age
of 72

Eric Hartup
 >> Stay informed about: why are you a flying fanatic?