How you got into aviation

[nwafan20]

How did you get into the aviation hobby? Post your story!

[nwafan20]

Well, for me, it was always kind of in my blood, I just never knew it. Ever since I was a little kid, I loved going to the airport and going on a plane. Then, about 5 or 6 years ago, I randomly started getting really into aviation, I can't even remember what sparked it. But since then, it grew like wildfire, and now I am hooked, and will always be hooked.

And to borrow Mel's quote from a model buying thread "It's like drugs, only more expensive!" And that is totally true, I can't go one day without thinking about aviation in one way or another.

Thanks Gordon for making me think of making this topic.

[hiss srq]

For me it was in my blood from day one. Family in it etc etc.. plus I gre up under the ILS's for the 31's so I think the jet fumes invaded my head at an early age. So it is now my career. I eat sleep and drink it as those of you who know me can attest to. I think I want to be buried in uniform out in Mojave right next to the remains of a USAir Shuttle 727 or somthing. lol

[nwafan20]

Oh yeah, forgot to ad, none of my family is in aviation, except my Grandpa on my dad's side, he taught maintenance on the bombers during WWII

[Alex T]

Aviation runs in my family as well.

One great uncle was a former Board of Directors for Braniff Airways in Dallas, was a sales rep for them and also an airport manager at BNA Airport.

My other Great Uncle is Neil Armstrong the astronaut.

My cousin is a 2nd Leuitenant For the Air Force.

I just always liked planes as far as I can remember.

Alex

[Iberia A340-600]

My grandfather always took my dad to watch trains in California while he was growing up and ocasionally to the airport as well.

From early child hood my dad has been taking me to watch planes and it all started at the Ikea across from EWR, since then the rest is history including a short trip to SXM when I was 1 when apparently I would not take my attention away from the aircraft and through a fit when it was time to leave.

So essentially to some it up in one sentence...

This man.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/AirportShots/dad2.jpg

[GrummanFan]

Once again, family is the reason for me. My grandfather, dad, and mom all worked for Grumman, and my other grandfather worked for Sperry. My room might as well be an exhibit in the Cradle of Aviation museum...I have so much memorabilia from Grumman, incuding models, stickers, pictures, posters, and a bunch of signs and stuff taken from Calverton after they closed down :D . Now I'm at RPI majoring in Aerospace engineering, hoping to one day design the planes we talk about here.

As for the photography side, I've only been doing that for about a year, and a new Rebel XT may be on its way for xmas to expand that interest, here's hoping.

[SengaB]

I was introduced to aviation in 1992 after buying Falcon 3.0 for my i386SX 8MBRAM system. I enjoyed it so much-and after countless hours of flying and shooting I decided to try a civilian (open ended) simulator; Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0. After I experienced 5.0 I knew that I wanted to have a career as a pilot. The one thing that it had that no other game had was free flight. Being able to go anywhere and do anything in this simulated world was awsome. This facinated me. After we moved to Alabama from Northern VA. DC In 1995 I took my first aviation related photo. I found myself aimlessly driving around airports in AL just to take pix of the runways, scaling airport fences at night just to look down the runways! I always enjoyed driving (FAST) my 320i BMW down the decommissioned runway at KSEM in Selma, AL 8002x150 x2. When we moved to Chicago this is where my interest in aviation photography REALLY took off. 12 years later and living in NYC I would have never imagined I'd have a chance to photograph some of the aircraft that I have flown past my lense.

Senga

[Nonstop2AUH]

I got into it as a kid because my dad would take me on business trips, sometimes on Pan Am or Eastern (see avatar) and sometimes on his employer's King Air. Found it all really fascinating and was even able to have my birthday party one year with American at JFK (past avatar...this was in an era of much more relaxed security). In freshman year of college I tried to do (most of) a semester of AFROTC as a walk-on before realizing that while I liked aviation, I wasn't cut out for the military life and few AFROTC walk-ons ever got into flight operations. I sort of lost interest after that for a good 10 years or so, just had other priorities, until I started flying alot for my own work, and after getting a ride as the right-seat passenger in a (single-pilot) CitationJet about 10 years ago it had me for life. I thought about taking flying lessons, even visited a few academies in Florida, but then 9/11 took place and anyway, I realized that where I live now it's very impractical, but maybe someday!!!

[727C47]

born under the canarsie approach, raised reading Gann, Bach,and St.Ex,love at first flight, started flying DC-3s in '87, 727s in '00. currently enjoying the twilight of the 727 in pax ops. black smoke,noise, and retro jets forever! Godspeed all !

[nwafan20]

Wow, it is pretty cool to read everyones storys. Thanks for sharing, those who did.

727C47, if you still live around DTW/YIP, you might want to join my spotting group if you go out to DTW to spot: detroitspotters.spreebb.com

[RDU-JFK]

No one in my family was in aviation. My dad always liked boats and cars, as did my brother, so I started with planes! It all started when I was 3. That year, we flew Eastern to Orlando and TWA to Milan. I don't remember much about those trips except the flights! I started collecting Schabak and Herpa model aircraft and built a 1:500 scale model airport in my basement (it got better as I grew older). When I was young my parents would also take me to Canarsie Pier and I'd watch the Pan Am and TWA planes land. The same was true at the Gateway Mini Golf place on Flatbush Avenue near Floyd Bennett Field. When we'd play I'd just watch the airplanes instead of the putt putt hole, causing many balls to go in the water! Anyways we went on more and more trips as a family and I loved the flying and airport portions the best. I started to read Airliners and Airways and kept up with the hobby. And here I am today, with a career in aviation insurance. That's the story, although to be honest I have virtually no interest in photography, just planes LOL.

[Mellyrose]

I can’t say that as a child I’d beg to be taken to the airport, but my dad took me anyway. We’d go to Hog Island Road and sit on-top of our family Chrysler Minivan to watch the arrivals at PHL. As I remember the best, we’d often go at night and my clearest memory is of bats swarming the area – pretty spooky for a toddler.

Anyway, my father’s 2 favorite things have always been aviation and photography though he never combined the 2. I guess I come by it naturally.

It wasn’t until I met Phil just over a year ago that I realized my true passion for planes. I honestly can’t believe I went this long without discovering it and I can’t imagine my life without the hobby. Now, even when we drive past the airport or I see a 31L departure emerge from behind the buildings in the distance from the 7 train, I smile.

[MarkLawrence]

Both my parents were involvedi n the industry and I'm the first in 3 generations not to fly (although I hope to rectify that sometime!!). My earliest memory is being taken to the airport where my father used to fly out of and getting to sit in the cockpit of a Vickers Viscount (that is still one of my favorite planes ever - flew in one a few times). Ever since then, we have always had friends in the industry - I've always liked to spot, and I'm enjoying photography more and more.

[SCOTYDEMCO]

Well, I went to several airshows when I was a kid. I would go with my dad and his good friend from college Ross. Ross had his private, and lived and flew in the Albany area. I went to six or seven shows around 86-88, including the Schenectaty, Griffiss and McGuire shows. F-4's, F-106's, F-111's and B-52's!!!! During high school and College I fell away from going to Airshows, and honestly I didn't really even think about them. I would still see some fighters I could identify, when I was on a spring break or a vacation but had lost the bug totally. In 2001, my fathers friend Ross became ill with cancer. He used to come stay with my parents when he came down to SK for his chemo. In Janurary of 2003 while eating breakfast, we all decided that we would go to the Stewart Airshow in June ( Father's Day weekend) for old times sake, Ross and his son along with me and my father. Unfortunatlly Ross passed away in April. My Father and I decided that we would go anyway, somewhat in his honor and to fulfill the promise. I have been hooked again ever since.

My father has been to shows many times as a child, and his father, my Grandfather, worked on Lears and Gulfstreams out at Teterboro for years. I have always been into taking pictures as I always had a cameras, however it wasn't until the summer of 2005 that I began shooting with a 35mm SLR, and became hooked on photography. Like Melly said putting the two together.

[PhilDernerJr]

Mel's a bigger nerd than I am with it.

Some of you might have read my editorial on how I got involved here: http://nycaviation.com/editorials#derner082706

Some things I didn't mention was the time when I was 9 and got to go into the cockpit of a CO DC9 before a Houston-LGA flight. The pilots were showing me how the yolk worked and Iw as like "Yeah, I know." I was always an ass.

[moose135]

I'm sure I've told this story before, but here goes...

I blame my father for this :D He served as a mechanic (mostly B-29s) in the Army Air Force during the latter part of WW2. From there, he went to work at TWA as a mechanic at JFK, starting in 1951. Back in the '60s, as I was growing up, he would take me with him when he would pick up his check while on vacation (no direct deposit in those days!) Whenever there was something interesting in the hangar, he would take me in to have a look. I still remember the first time I sat in the pilot's seat of a 747! We also took numerous flights, thanks to his employee pass.

In college, I majored in Aerospace Engineering (told people I was "taking up space" in college :D) I also earned my PPL back then, flying Tomahawks out of FRG, and enrolled in AFROTC. I went through USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training, and ended up flying KC-135s.

For reasons beyond understanding, I ended up in the newspaper business, but thanks to this site, and the conversations with the friends I've made here, my love of aviation remains strong.

[vor13l]

I have lived in Howard Beach most of my life, thus under the 13/31 app./dep. path. Seeing these wonderful giant flying machines overhead all the time, really stoked my interest. The first flight I ever took, was when I was 7 years old on an Eastern L1011. Though many years ago now, I still remember it quite vividely. I even remember the warm pancake breakfast on board ! Of course you would never see that today.

I also have to credit my late uncle, who just passed away on the weekend. He was in the USAF, and had a strong love of planes. Whenever I would visit his house as a child, there would be Janes, Air Force mags., and other various periodicals. I now feel as if I am keeping part of him with me forever with my love of planes...
Greg

[Matt Molnar]

When I was little I was into all sorts of big machines, especially trucks and construction equipment, and to a lesser extent planes as well. My mom used to take me to the Hall of Science a lot, and one year, probably when I was about 10, they coordinated a tour of JFK Airport. This was probably the point where I got really into planes, as we got chauffeured around on an airport shuttle bus to places such as the control tower (though we weren't allowed into the actual control area for security reasons), the animal control building, the firehouse, a closeup view of a Concorde, and *drumroll* the Pan Am hangar, where we were allowed to climb up the steps onto a 747 and pretty much just run around the whole thing including the flight deck. My enthusiasm began to wane at some point and was pretty dormant for a long time, but was reinvigorated when I came across A.net, and more so when I learned Phil and Clark, who I knew from an NYC Transit message board (what's a straph?!), were also into planes.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

It was in my blood too. I was flying back and forth to Florida since I was an infant. When I became aware of what flying was, I grew to love it. Everytime we were going to fly, I became so excited I couldn't sleep. When I was 8, I learned how to look up airfares on Delta.com and then I became a part of how my family traveled. To this day, I still play a part in that. I am glad that Aviation is a part of me. It is what distinguishes me from the rest of the teenagers in the world. Aviation now, aviation forever!

[N790SW]

As weird as this may sound and your welcome to flame me or what ever for this , but it was TWA flight 800 , when they were explaining all the details of the planes and stuff it just caught my intrest, and sorry to kinda get off topic here but servral days later , I seen a rainbow and i was 7 at the time and I remeber her telling me " its a sign that all those people are going to be ok" just got it all going.

[flyboy 28]

After church each Sunday when I was a young'in, my dad took me to the local GA airport*** (which I still go to; see thread in Spotting) to watch the "operations". I don't know if that really got me hooked but it sure sparked my interest. Now I can't get enough of it. :)


***with my mom in tow. She never really enjoyed it. :lol:

[Qantas_787]

Hi guys,
my start into the hobby occured only a few years back. It was in late 2004 when we headed to America for a holiday, I was 14 and was starting to develop a small interest in aviation however it wasnt substantial enough to ever eventuate into something. But in late 2004, I boarded a 747 for the first time, my 2nd international trip and we left to Los Angeles from Sydney, Australia. Arrived in Los Angeles and we went to a hotel in Los Angeles- (The Westin in Beverly Hills i think it was) cant exactly remember, but there was an abundance of Southwest and American pilots who i spoke to about a career in aviation. I dont know exactly what the root cause was but it inspired me and propelled me to take a (TIF) trial instruction flight in September 2005, which i loved. Now with almost 30 hours, a couple solo and about to get my license. Hoping to be an airline pilot for Qantas preferably, but whatever comes around ill take with open arms. So thats my story to date.
Regards,
Matt L

[mirrodie]

see my answer as well as a few other's here :mrgreen:

http://www.nycaviation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1378&start=0