How you got into aviation

[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/vie...t=1378&start=0