How many pilots hang out here?

[Bob Thompson]

I refer to general aviation but commercials can chime in too.
Although I don't currently hold a pilots license I was wondering if there were any other past or present pilots among us. I've been thinking of returning to it but haven't done so yet. It occured to me while chatting with a friend that most of the pilots I know or have known also kept old vehicles as well.
Well, what do you say guys ? Any pattern hoppers out there.

[Alxj64]

I started to get my pilots license in high school as at the time I was working for a small airport that had an instructor. My dad owned a Cessna 150 at the time that I was using to train in. When I went to college, my spare $ for cheap flight lessons ran out and my dad sold his plane and stepped up to a much larger Piper. He has been a GA pilot since '96 or so and a few years ago took over as Airport Manager for the Airport I was working at as a kid. My original plan in high school was to graduate and attend a flight school and become a pilot fire bombing for the forest service. Instead I ended up a with full ride tuition to a different school and became a civil engineer / married a girl who doesn't want to leave the area I live in now.

[Frank Irons]

I still have my private pilot license but haven't flown for years. I was building an aerobatic bipline (SA750) when I got into Power Wagons and the trucks took all my time. I still am a member of EAA and attend Oshkosh every year. Planes I flew were: C150, C152, C172, C182, Citabria 7ECA, Decathalon 8KCAB, Beech Bonanza, and Great Lakes 2T1A.

Frank

[75Crew]

Fair weather pilot

One of my dreams growing up was to be a pilot. (Sky King was one of my heroes as a kid. I loved the way he made the Songbird sing.) After I graduated college and got a decent job, I looked into it and found out that the local airport needed a plane to rent out during the week to a few customers who were using it for flying pipelines, scouting out locations for new commercial sites and businessmen who needed to go on 1 or 2 day trips but didn't want to fly commercial. Long story short, I bought a plane (Cessna 172XP), rented it out during the week and learned to fly in it on the weekends. The money I made renting it out made the payments on the plane so I essentially got to use it on the weekends for free. I got my license and shortly thereafter, the airport operator convinced me to trade it in on a Cessna 182 which was larger and more comfortable for the business flyers and could rent out for more $$ so I did that. (While it was larger I always liked the XP better.) I did this for a couple of years, then started having kids and got rid of the plane, motorcycles, Power Wagon toys, etc. My kids are all grown up now and I have a Power Wagon again but will likely not get another plane or motorcycle. So, yes, it looks like some of us former pilots are also fans of old vehicles, too.

[Hobcobble]

My dad got his Civil Air Patrol license back in the early '50s after
his hitch in the Navy. While in the Navy, he served on an aircraft
carrier [USS Bataan CVL 29] and was responsible for pre-flighting
F4U Corsairs and Bearcats. He said it was really neat to fire them
up and bring them up in RPM on the flight deck. Just thought I'd
share that.....
John

[rush]

choppers count?

I fly helos for the Or. Army Guard. Started as a mech in the Coast Guard, applied for flight school in the Army and was accepted. Learned on UH1 Hueys, then went into Blackhawks for about 6 years on active duty. Joined the Or guard in 97 and switched to Chinooks and flew them for 10 years (two engines ea having 5100hp). Went back to Blackhawks in 2006. Then flew Blackhawks and jet rangers starting in 2010. Now getting into the new helo we are getting, the UH72 Lakota. So I'll be flying the UH60 and the UH72 in the future. I also have my civilian Airframe and Powerplant license. My vehicles consist of a 1951 CJV3A Willys that was my first car, (owned somce 1981), and a 1951 M37 that I am just now starting on the rebuild. Frame is blasted and painted along with the cab. I am investigating which engine to use. Original, 225 slant, or 300 ford. Hope to get a post going on my progress much like Desoto has and others.

[Bob Thompson]

The commonality of experience here continues to amaze me. I suppose I should have expected something of the sort. When you get this many individuals together with a common interest I suppose it follows that they would have similar interests and experiences.

For me flying began with washing airplanes at Cable and Bracket fields . If you were polite and did a good job you could often wangle a hop around the pattern, or even breakfast at Flo's. One day I helped a local Land Baron / Homebuilder do a bit of cleaning on his converted P-61 Black Widow. He had bought it surplus at the end of the war and converted it to a luxury business plane. It had always been my favorite airplane since I built the Revell kit. He and his partner took me on a short loop up to Barstow and back. What a gas, I still smile when I think about that ride.

I eventually caught on with a group of pilots who helped me with the prelims for ground school and later helped me build hours to my Solo. At sixteen as soon as I had the funds together I rented the 172 I needed to do my Solo and get my ticket . I had already amassed fifty hours in my log book and had sixty-eight when I took my check ride.

I went on to get a twin and then IFR ratings. I even spent a little time in a Hughes 400 and a Bell47.

These days I fly just enough to maintain my ratings. I've owned a couple planes and part of others . My favorite these days is the venerable Twin-Commander.

[rush]

The commonality of experience here continues to amaze me. I suppose I should have expected something of the sort. When you get this many individuals together with a common interest I suppose it follows that they would have similar interests and experiences.

For me flying began with washing airplanes at Cable and Bracket fields . If you were polite and did a good job you could often wangle a hop around the pattern, or even breakfast at Flo's. One day I helped a local Land Baron / Homebuilder do a bit of cleaning on his converted P-61 Black Widow. He had bought it surplus at the end of the war and converted it to a luxury business plane. It had always been my favorite airplane since I built the Revell kit. He and his partner took me on a short loop up to Barstow and back. What a gas, I still smile when I think about that ride.

I eventually caught on with a group of pilots who helped me with the prelims for ground school and later helped me build hours to my Solo. At sixteen as soon as I had the funds together I rented the 172 I needed to do my Solo and get my ticket . I had already amassed fifty hours in my log book and had sixty-eight when I took my check ride.

I went on to get a twin and then IFR ratings. I even spent a little time in a Hughes 400 and a Bell47.

These days I fly just enough to maintain my ratings. I've owned a couple planes and part of others . My favorite these days is the venerable Twin-Commander.

P61, wow, quite the machine. I read some were converted to VIP transports after the war. You would have to have a lot of cash to pour into the fuel tanks feeding those R2800's!

My career started with the Coast Guard in Ketchikan Ak., working in a machine shop. During the summer we would move around to the numerous light houses maintaining them. All but one was automated by this time. After my first flight in the H3 helo, the only way out and back from the light houses, I thought wow this is really cool! I changed my plans from being a Machinist Mate to an Aircraft Airframe Mechanic. After four years of working on C130's and H3's, I applied for the Army Warrant Officer Flight Program. What do you know, I was accepted. That was 1989. Its been a good career so far, and one of the reasons for being in the Guard is better maintenance, don't have to move, and can do this untill 60 years of age. Of course all expenses paid trips to the desert have come along with this, with one year in Afghanistan and one in Irac.

I have a single engine land airplane (prior to the Army), Commercial Instrument Helo, I am qualified in UH1's, UH60's, Ch47's, Bell 206, and now the EC145/BK117c2 (LUH72).

Not familiar with the Hughs 400, did you mean Hughs 300?

[Bob Thompson]

P61, wow, quite the machine. I read some were converted to VIP transports after the war. You would have to have a lot of cash to pour into the fuel tanks feeding those R2800's!

My career started with the Coast Guard in Ketchikan Ak., working in a machine shop. During the summer we would move around to the numerous light houses maintaining them. All but one was automated by this time. After my first flight in the H3 helo, the only way out and back from the light houses, I thought wow this is really cool! I changed my plans from being a Machinist Mate to an Aircraft Airframe Mechanic. After four years of working on C130's and H3's, I applied for the Army Warrant Officer Flight Program. What do you know, I was accepted. That was 1989. Its been a good career so far, and one of the reasons for being in the Guard is better maintenance, don't have to move, and can do this untill 60 years of age. Of course all expenses paid trips to the desert have come along with this, with one year in Afghanistan and one in Irac.

I have a single engine land airplane (prior to the Army), Commercial Instrument Helo, I am qualified in UH1's, UH60's, Ch47's, Bell 206, and now the EC145/BK117c2 (LUH72).

Not familiar with the Hughs 400, did you mean Hughs 300?

Aren't those all expense paid vacations wonderful? I've ridden in a lot of UH-1's and C-130's .
I did mean the old Hughes 300, the keys are just too close together on this keyboard. ;-)