How did you get into flying?
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How did you get into flying?
not sure if this has been done already, but how did you get into flying? For me it was MS Flight Sim 2000, then i got an hours trial lesson for christmas, and have been hooked ever since! had to wait a year though, because of my age!
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Coke611
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Coke611
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Likewise, it was really simulators that got me hooked.
Then I was on a BA 737 flight, asked to see the FD, they asked (when I said I was interested in simming) if I'd like the jumpseat.
I then told a friend about this a week or so later, who introduced me to a PPL, with an aeroplane at a local strip. He took me flying, and I was hooked.
He also introduced me to a web based flying list, and then found PPRuNe!
tKF
Then I was on a BA 737 flight, asked to see the FD, they asked (when I said I was interested in simming) if I'd like the jumpseat.
I then told a friend about this a week or so later, who introduced me to a PPL, with an aeroplane at a local strip. He took me flying, and I was hooked.
He also introduced me to a web based flying list, and then found PPRuNe!
tKF
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Grew up around aircraft.
Dad was very active member of Sheffield Aero Club in the 1970's but never actually learned to fly due to a lack of time/money. Spent most of my formative years with him at Netherthorpe and started flying aeroplanes sat on peoples knees at the age of three.
I progressed to working behind the bar in the clubhouse whilst at college and then as soon as I started my first "proper" job spent every spare penny on flying lessons - been totally broke ever since!
Dad was very active member of Sheffield Aero Club in the 1970's but never actually learned to fly due to a lack of time/money. Spent most of my formative years with him at Netherthorpe and started flying aeroplanes sat on peoples knees at the age of three.
I progressed to working behind the bar in the clubhouse whilst at college and then as soon as I started my first "proper" job spent every spare penny on flying lessons - been totally broke ever since!
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A combination of factors really. Grew up with a variety of planes overhead out of Cranfield and Thurleigh, so from an early age, I tended to walk around looking skywards - how did I avoid getting run over?
Joined the RAF bit of the CCF at school. Really wasn't interested until we went flying at Cambridge. Ah, Chipmunk!
Got Flight Unlimited III and FS2000 for the PC and realised that flight sims had become quite impressive. They are detailed enough to make it quite daunting for a newcomer, and I like a bit of a challenge! One of those things where the more you find out, the more there is to find out.
Dithered and procrastinated for a couple of years after deciding that I wanted to fly in real life. Started my PPL properly in January and I've been incredibly lucky with the weather so far. In fact, it's going too well at the moment so something will have to screw it all up monumentally at some point in the future. I might put my money on nav being the bit that really stumps me...
Joined the RAF bit of the CCF at school. Really wasn't interested until we went flying at Cambridge. Ah, Chipmunk!
Got Flight Unlimited III and FS2000 for the PC and realised that flight sims had become quite impressive. They are detailed enough to make it quite daunting for a newcomer, and I like a bit of a challenge! One of those things where the more you find out, the more there is to find out.
Dithered and procrastinated for a couple of years after deciding that I wanted to fly in real life. Started my PPL properly in January and I've been incredibly lucky with the weather so far. In fact, it's going too well at the moment so something will have to screw it all up monumentally at some point in the future. I might put my money on nav being the bit that really stumps me...
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Born. Given yellow plastic model S51 Dragonfly aged 3, thought 'ah, that's what I've been looking for!'. 18 - fail A-levels, get job. Realise bank balance at e-o-month is 200 quid, up from five. Ring flying club. Rest history.
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Spent many Saturday afternoons as a kid 'planespooting' on the terraces at Manchester (late 70's/early 80's - Tridents, VC10's, DC8's etc.) - I was hooked although my only aspirations at the time were to be a passanger one day!
Then saw some light aircraft flying circuits at Barton as a teenager and realised that 'normal' people could fly too.
Bought the Thom books one by one over the years and studied them while playing on Flightsim.
Met my first real PPL a couple of years ago and decided that waiting until I could affort to learn would take too long, so got the credit limit raised on a couple of cards and went for it anyway. Should have done it years ago!
Then saw some light aircraft flying circuits at Barton as a teenager and realised that 'normal' people could fly too.
Bought the Thom books one by one over the years and studied them while playing on Flightsim.
Met my first real PPL a couple of years ago and decided that waiting until I could affort to learn would take too long, so got the credit limit raised on a couple of cards and went for it anyway. Should have done it years ago!
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Well, lets see - brother in the ATC, lots of airfix kits, then when I was old enough a radio-controlled glider. Taught myself to fly it by reading a Woolworths 'How Planes Fly' book. All the while supplementing this with yearly trips to the Shoreham airshow befor it stopped in the early 80's - BTW i saw the Vulcan there - WOW!!
Then got out of the habit when I went to college and found girls and pubs and clubs, but never lost the yearning. My partner got pissed off with me constantly looking up at the sky whenever a plane went over (she's used to it now) and bought me a trial lesson with a club at Shoreham when the revamped airshow was on. Took it in the winter, was a bit underwhemed by the whole experience (i think due to an indifferent instructor ) and did nothing for a couple of years, until a new school started at Shoreham and I went along to their open day. Next thing I know I'm doing my PPL and loving it!!
Earliest aviation memory - being on the beach in front of my folks house with my mum and seeing Concorde fly along the coast, gear down, nose down, high alpha, high noise. Must have been two or three at the time, so '71 or 2. Dunno what it was doing, but I think that maybe where the seed was sown...
Then got out of the habit when I went to college and found girls and pubs and clubs, but never lost the yearning. My partner got pissed off with me constantly looking up at the sky whenever a plane went over (she's used to it now) and bought me a trial lesson with a club at Shoreham when the revamped airshow was on. Took it in the winter, was a bit underwhemed by the whole experience (i think due to an indifferent instructor ) and did nothing for a couple of years, until a new school started at Shoreham and I went along to their open day. Next thing I know I'm doing my PPL and loving it!!
Earliest aviation memory - being on the beach in front of my folks house with my mum and seeing Concorde fly along the coast, gear down, nose down, high alpha, high noise. Must have been two or three at the time, so '71 or 2. Dunno what it was doing, but I think that maybe where the seed was sown...
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First flew when I was 9 years old...still remember standing, apprehensively, at the cold, dismal gate at a rainy Manchester Airport at midnight (really seemed like the middle of the night for a 9 year old!) and as soon as I heard those engines running up, that was it, I knew what I wanted to do!
First flew on my 14th birthday, got a paper round and saved every penny so I could fly again. Finally got my PPL last year (at the age of 20) Did the traditional airfix kits, standing at the end of 24 at manchester in awe for hours on end, watching all the films...and really boring my family!
That RHS in a 737 still beckons..!
First flew on my 14th birthday, got a paper round and saved every penny so I could fly again. Finally got my PPL last year (at the age of 20) Did the traditional airfix kits, standing at the end of 24 at manchester in awe for hours on end, watching all the films...and really boring my family!
That RHS in a 737 still beckons..!
Working as a junior Engineer at a small firm in Somerset called Westland Helicopters. Realised that all the most interesting Engineering jobs went to people who knew about flying, and I'd better learn. Later discovered that flying was fun for a whole bunch of reasons unrelated to Engineering.
The fact that Genghis Sr. was an Engineer at Supermarine, and named me after his favourite war hero (an RAF pilot), the story of whose exploits was a compulsory part of my upbringing may also have been significant.
G
The fact that Genghis Sr. was an Engineer at Supermarine, and named me after his favourite war hero (an RAF pilot), the story of whose exploits was a compulsory part of my upbringing may also have been significant.
G
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It all started with an airshow visit as a kid of about 5 - the noise was fantastic!!!! Starfighters, Phantoms, Vulcans, all the really great noisy, smokey stuff we used to have around really set something off inside.
Got into model kits after that. My friends just really didn't (and probably still don't!) understand the fascination I had with planes, especially the military fast jets. Loved going to airshows, and always stopped to stare when anything ripped past the house at low level back when the RAF could afford to fly, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Older brother joined the RAF when I was 12, and all his tales just made me want it more. Joined a UAS when I was 18 and got my first ever flight - Bulldog T1. Must have grinned for a month. Logged about 50 hours there, including some solo aeros - what an absolute hoot - and all at the poor old taxpayers expense!!!
However, met my wife at around same time and the RAF thing sort of went pear-shaped. Couldn't get flying out of my head though despite trying to, and 2 years ago took the biggest gamble of my life and packed in work to do my ATPL. Now working as company pilot for a small aerial survey outfit and I love it. You really just can't call it work
Got into model kits after that. My friends just really didn't (and probably still don't!) understand the fascination I had with planes, especially the military fast jets. Loved going to airshows, and always stopped to stare when anything ripped past the house at low level back when the RAF could afford to fly, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Older brother joined the RAF when I was 12, and all his tales just made me want it more. Joined a UAS when I was 18 and got my first ever flight - Bulldog T1. Must have grinned for a month. Logged about 50 hours there, including some solo aeros - what an absolute hoot - and all at the poor old taxpayers expense!!!
However, met my wife at around same time and the RAF thing sort of went pear-shaped. Couldn't get flying out of my head though despite trying to, and 2 years ago took the biggest gamble of my life and packed in work to do my ATPL. Now working as company pilot for a small aerial survey outfit and I love it. You really just can't call it work
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Easy - I grew up with it. My dad passed his PPL when I was 4yrs old and I have some great early memeries from the many, many hrs I flew as pax... I remember poleing around a Rallye long before I could reach the rudder pedels.
Also, me and my brother thought it was great fun pulling the rudder cables when flying in the back of our Tri Pacer much to our chastisement from mum. 'Will you two stop messing around, daddy's trying to land!...'
We also used to take turns riding in a Cub with the doors open to fly over the strip and throw Action Man out on his parachute - very cool when you are six! As a strange quirk of fate - I'm now a co owner of that Strip and a Cub too nearly 30years later.
It took many years to get my PPL mainly due to women/money problems but I did loads of gliding and stuff which kept me flying in the mean time.
Kingy
Also, me and my brother thought it was great fun pulling the rudder cables when flying in the back of our Tri Pacer much to our chastisement from mum. 'Will you two stop messing around, daddy's trying to land!...'
We also used to take turns riding in a Cub with the doors open to fly over the strip and throw Action Man out on his parachute - very cool when you are six! As a strange quirk of fate - I'm now a co owner of that Strip and a Cub too nearly 30years later.
It took many years to get my PPL mainly due to women/money problems but I did loads of gliding and stuff which kept me flying in the mean time.
Kingy
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Well, let's see...
I could tell you that my very earliest memory is of flying to Holland with my dad at the age of two (scheduled airline; none of my family were pilots); I remember looking out of the window of the aircraft at this much bigger one, shining with the sun on it, and calling out: "I want to go on that".
I could tell you about cycling up to Biggin Hill as a child, sticking my nose through the wire, and wondering how you got to persuade someone to take you flying.
I could tell you about discovering the father of the kid down the road was a glider pilot. I stopped beating her up and throwing sand in her hair, thinking maybe if I was good he'd take me flying...but he never did.
I could tell you about getting stranded in a village in Bolivia while trying to travel down the Amazon just after university; I caught the once fortnightly flight out; it acted as a sort of bus service landing at roughly cleared strips in the jungle, and as the only foreigner I got invited to do the whole trip on the flight deck. I absolutely loved it.
All of the above are true. And I maybe considered flying, but never seriously; I had no idea it was possible really. And I was always doing too many other things, and permanently broke. Until one day in 1997, having just had a windfall and paid off all my debts, when I screeched to a halt outside my local airfield, having taken a scenic route home, and booked a trial lesson in a PA38, completely on impulse. Had no plans even to get a PPL...but I just kind of never stopped.
So I won't re-write my personal history and pretend it was planned...even though it might make a better story.
I could tell you that my very earliest memory is of flying to Holland with my dad at the age of two (scheduled airline; none of my family were pilots); I remember looking out of the window of the aircraft at this much bigger one, shining with the sun on it, and calling out: "I want to go on that".
I could tell you about cycling up to Biggin Hill as a child, sticking my nose through the wire, and wondering how you got to persuade someone to take you flying.
I could tell you about discovering the father of the kid down the road was a glider pilot. I stopped beating her up and throwing sand in her hair, thinking maybe if I was good he'd take me flying...but he never did.
I could tell you about getting stranded in a village in Bolivia while trying to travel down the Amazon just after university; I caught the once fortnightly flight out; it acted as a sort of bus service landing at roughly cleared strips in the jungle, and as the only foreigner I got invited to do the whole trip on the flight deck. I absolutely loved it.
All of the above are true. And I maybe considered flying, but never seriously; I had no idea it was possible really. And I was always doing too many other things, and permanently broke. Until one day in 1997, having just had a windfall and paid off all my debts, when I screeched to a halt outside my local airfield, having taken a scenic route home, and booked a trial lesson in a PA38, completely on impulse. Had no plans even to get a PPL...but I just kind of never stopped.
So I won't re-write my personal history and pretend it was planned...even though it might make a better story.
Last edited by Whirlybird; 20th Apr 2003 at 05:10.
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At 14 my father learned to fly (but never actually finished his PPL). I expressed an interest at 16 and had my first lesson. Got to solo stage and waited and waited and waited until...........turned 17 and completed rest of syllabus within 4 weeks!
That was 14 years ago and I reckon the PPL was the best thing I have ever done (in terms of the self satisfaction I achieve from my flying).
Oh and I love my wife and kids too!!
That was 14 years ago and I reckon the PPL was the best thing I have ever done (in terms of the self satisfaction I achieve from my flying).
Oh and I love my wife and kids too!!
Some more money for Capt PPRuNe
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For me the thing that really did it was the flying I did as a "passenger" in the mid/late 80's as a skydiver (at the then named Leeds Bradford Freefall Club). One of the a/c I used to jump from was an Islander piloted by a gentleman by the name of Tom - I believe he is now the Aerobatics Association Vice-chairman Tom Cassells. I remember him as a pleasant chappy who was always happy to explain things to me.
Thinking back now, aviation had always appealed to me anyway but the parachuting really brought me much closer to it. Unfortunately as a student I could not have possibly afforded to do a PPL then let alone the subsequent flying so I put it off until the mid 90's
when I could sort of "afford" it.
Fujiflyer
Thinking back now, aviation had always appealed to me anyway but the parachuting really brought me much closer to it. Unfortunately as a student I could not have possibly afforded to do a PPL then let alone the subsequent flying so I put it off until the mid 90's
when I could sort of "afford" it.Fujiflyer
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I got a go in a MD83 simulator as a present. Then started spending too much time playing FS2000. Then was surfing the internet and found sites of various people (mostly in the US) who had built homemade full cockpit simulators (one guy even bought the front end of an airliner) and found myself wondering (a little scathingly I admit - sorry) why they didn't just fly for real. The irony hit as I started FS2000 that evening so I started looking at PPL courses. 4 weeks in the States and the bug had bitten.
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When I was an 8-year-old "unaccompanied minor" en-route from Schipol to Gatwick a kind British Caledonian BAC1-11 captain invited me up to see the view from the pointy end. Wanted a PPL since then. Took me 19 years to be able to pay for my lessons, but got there eventually.
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I have been around flight sims for many years, even had the first Microsot Flight Sim. I must have spent thousands on them over the years, whilst I was simming two of my friends had the real lessons, and one is now a BA captain.
Finally had a light aircraft flight over Lanzarote and just loved it. But went back to simming, and have ended up with about 2 grands worth of Go Flight gear, yoke, pedals, all the scenery add ons and now building the dials from Simkits.
I have been around aviation parts manufacturing for a few years too, selling industrial laser equipent which drills the holes in many jet engine parts, so met some really interesting guys at Rolls ROyce and P&W.
Got a trial flight for Christmas, and now i am hooked on doing my PPL, and getting an Instructors rating. I have left it too bloody late to become a commercial pilot, but not sure if I could afford the pay cut, initially. So now I simm, and practice my lessons, and fly as often as i can.
Finally had a light aircraft flight over Lanzarote and just loved it. But went back to simming, and have ended up with about 2 grands worth of Go Flight gear, yoke, pedals, all the scenery add ons and now building the dials from Simkits.
I have been around aviation parts manufacturing for a few years too, selling industrial laser equipent which drills the holes in many jet engine parts, so met some really interesting guys at Rolls ROyce and P&W.
Got a trial flight for Christmas, and now i am hooked on doing my PPL, and getting an Instructors rating. I have left it too bloody late to become a commercial pilot, but not sure if I could afford the pay cut, initially. So now I simm, and practice my lessons, and fly as often as i can.
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Finally had a light aircraft flight over Lanzarote and just loved it. But went back to simming, and have ended up with about 2 grands worth of Go Flight gear, yoke, pedals, all the scenery add ons and now building the dials from Simkits.
Most people sim because they cannot afford to fly for real, wish I had £2000 - but I would have spent it on going to US for a JAA PPL !