What got you flying?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 779
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From: Kent UK
What got you flying?
Doubtless been done to death at odd times during PPRuNe's history but I haven't seen it before so here goes!
For me there's always been a kind of misty, romantic heroism attached to flying; fomented, no doubt, by Biggles, Airfix models and episodes of 'Moonstrike' during my 60s childhood. Then, when I actually did it..........WOW!!!!
What got you into it?
For me there's always been a kind of misty, romantic heroism attached to flying; fomented, no doubt, by Biggles, Airfix models and episodes of 'Moonstrike' during my 60s childhood. Then, when I actually did it..........WOW!!!!
What got you into it?
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 366
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From: Lincolnshire
A wonderful TV 30 minutes about a girl flying to a meeting somewhere in England in a Jodel, 29 March 1981, compounded with a stroppy wife who temporarily left me, plus a 30 year love for things flying. A school teacher who ran a spotter's class (thank you Willie Ross) and took the spotters gliding in 1967. Jumping Jack Flash at Withybush!
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: EGCC, EGGP, Relocatable to all UK
mine was being taken by dad to manchester airport, or should i say ringway every weekend in the 70's and 80's as a kid, somehow the attraction to collecting numbers on planes wore off lol
I do believe as I've often heard say it's just in you or it isn't ! being on the ground is so over rated
I do believe as I've often heard say it's just in you or it isn't ! being on the ground is so over rated
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 594
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From: 32°55'22"S 151°46'56"E
I think a major influence for me was spending weekends with my parents sat around the now non-existant 'Doncaster Aero Club' which has been turned into a lake. I think the first time I went up from there I was 4 years old in a very shabby Cessna 150. As I grew older I joined the air cadets, and flew with them fairly regularly out of RAF Church Fenton.
Thankfully I have an understanding girlfriend who doesn't mind falling asleep in the plane while I take her to grass fields in the middle of nowhere to look at more planes.
Thankfully I have an understanding girlfriend who doesn't mind falling asleep in the plane while I take her to grass fields in the middle of nowhere to look at more planes.
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 33
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From: West Midlands
I used to be terrified of flying so did a 'Fear of Flying' course (the Aviatours/BA one). After travelling on large aircraft, I decided to prove a point to myself by learning to fly. Never looked back...
Hovering AND talking
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,711
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From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
I didn't have any particular passion for flying until I was given the opportunity of a jumpseat flight in the back of a Bolkow105. Couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face and just knew I had to do it.
Cheers
Whirls
Cheers
Whirls
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,290
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From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
My Father got me flying. We spent a lot of time building and flying R/C. He was a pilot but became inactive when I was about 10. The seed had been planted however. Once I was out of school and financially stable I went after the first rating. My Dad was my first passenger, both in the PA12 and later in the Enstrom.
-- IFMU
-- IFMU
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: The laughing stock of the rest of the world!
I've always been interesting in aircraft, but when I was asked by a friend of mine, whose car was off the road, to take him to Biggin Hill for his flying lesson, I said "Why not". I watched him circuit bashing and thought, mmmm, I then made a decision, I want some of that. I then made a booking for a trial lesson....The rest is history!!!
Instructor was the great Harry Knight, god rest his soul.
Instructor was the great Harry Knight, god rest his soul.
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 235
Likes: 3
From: Down South, preferably inverted
I didn't spend my childhood wanting to fly - It never even occurred to me. My partner bought me an aero's trial lesson for my birthday a few years ago - god knows why!
30 minutes with a very calm and reassuring instructor, who laughed through most of it, didn't quite make me want to take the controls (I was a bit scared & bewildered to be honest!) - but something happened........ I got annoyed at myself for not taking the opportunity to try to roll and loop an aeroplane when the guy was prepared to teach me how - so I went back......... another THREE times..
I had absolutely NO interest in doing my PPL.
I had a different instructor for one of the sessions, who said I should at least learn the use of controls as it would make the aero's easier to explain. I got put into a PA28 for 1/2 an hour with the original instructor, did a bit of S&L and a few turns, and was talked (& assisted with power & flaps) through my first landing.....
. Scared the hell out of me!
Unfortunately..... I seem to enjoy a challenge.... that was that.... Hooked!
30 minutes with a very calm and reassuring instructor, who laughed through most of it, didn't quite make me want to take the controls (I was a bit scared & bewildered to be honest!) - but something happened........ I got annoyed at myself for not taking the opportunity to try to roll and loop an aeroplane when the guy was prepared to teach me how - so I went back......... another THREE times..
I had absolutely NO interest in doing my PPL.
I had a different instructor for one of the sessions, who said I should at least learn the use of controls as it would make the aero's easier to explain. I got put into a PA28 for 1/2 an hour with the original instructor, did a bit of S&L and a few turns, and was talked (& assisted with power & flaps) through my first landing.....
. Scared the hell out of me! Unfortunately..... I seem to enjoy a challenge.... that was that.... Hooked!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 420
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From: Right here
Documented aviation interest since the age of 6 months... Was always only a matter of when and how I was going to fly! As cliché as it sounds, aviation has always been in my blood.
Occured to me one day that maybe it would be cool to go do a trial lesson, with no intention of continuing to the PPL, just for fun... Sounds familiar?
Needless to say, no turning back after that flight!
Started ground school three weeks later.
Occured to me one day that maybe it would be cool to go do a trial lesson, with no intention of continuing to the PPL, just for fun... Sounds familiar?
Needless to say, no turning back after that flight!
Started ground school three weeks later.
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
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From: EuroGA.org
After my divorce, I was on a date with some gurl (can't remember which website I found her on but I do remember she turned to be a certified bunny boiler) and seeing some plane in the sky I mentioned in passing that I might want to learn to fly, but haven't done so because I had no use for it. She replied "why don't you stop talking about it and just do it!!!". So I did it.
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 6,209
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From: north of barlu
It was living very near to RAF Northolt and being distracted from boring lessons at school by the comings and goings of the classic piston engine airliners like the DC-3,4,6, Lockheed Constellation & Convairs.
The most awaited was the regular visits of the Indian Air Force Constellation, it would stay for about tie days and then the ground engineers would spend about two days preparing the aircraft for the return trip.
Nothing can match the sight, sound and smoke of a big radial that is reluctant to start.
I was too late to fly the big pistons but I did get to fly Lockheed's next offering the Electra.
The most awaited was the regular visits of the Indian Air Force Constellation, it would stay for about tie days and then the ground engineers would spend about two days preparing the aircraft for the return trip.
Nothing can match the sight, sound and smoke of a big radial that is reluctant to start.
I was too late to fly the big pistons but I did get to fly Lockheed's next offering the Electra.
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: UK,Twighlight Zone
My grandfather. A wartime pilot who stayed in the RAF for another 15 years after the war. He was the reason I joined the RAF and was an Inspiration to me my whole life. He sadly passed away in January leaving me all of his RAF Memorabilia including medals that i never knew he had won. I shall treasure his log books.
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 247
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From: London
As a child I lived in West Kalimantan (Borneo) in Indonesia where my parents were missionaries. To get to boarding school in Malaya (now West Malaysia) I would fly by DC3 to Jakarta and then by turbo-prop (later by jet) to Singapore.
During one of the flights from Jakarta to Pontianak I was invited into the cockpit of the DC3 and I was wonder-struck by the feeling of space, the freedom, the sea and the islands, and the green jungle.
For years I wanted to be a pilot but dropped it later as it didn't seem feasible.
A few years ago my girlfriend gave me a trial flight a Biggin Hill for my birthday. I really wasn't that interested at first but I started taking lessons, quickly getting frustrated with the way things were done at Elstree and moved on to Fairoaks where I had one instructor throughout and it was great!
I can remember once on a student solo nav near the South Downs when it dawned on me that this was what flying was about - the tremendous freedom. Previously I thought of flying as going from A to B in a straight line. I wasn't absolutely sure of my position and I circled over the town below me. Did it matter? No - of course not. There was the Arundel river meandering it's way to the sea. I could fly wherever I liked (that was legal)! Beautiful!
The dream I had had when I was six years old had been fulfilled.
During one of the flights from Jakarta to Pontianak I was invited into the cockpit of the DC3 and I was wonder-struck by the feeling of space, the freedom, the sea and the islands, and the green jungle.
For years I wanted to be a pilot but dropped it later as it didn't seem feasible.
A few years ago my girlfriend gave me a trial flight a Biggin Hill for my birthday. I really wasn't that interested at first but I started taking lessons, quickly getting frustrated with the way things were done at Elstree and moved on to Fairoaks where I had one instructor throughout and it was great!
I can remember once on a student solo nav near the South Downs when it dawned on me that this was what flying was about - the tremendous freedom. Previously I thought of flying as going from A to B in a straight line. I wasn't absolutely sure of my position and I circled over the town below me. Did it matter? No - of course not. There was the Arundel river meandering it's way to the sea. I could fly wherever I liked (that was legal)! Beautiful!
The dream I had had when I was six years old had been fulfilled.