Warbird Information Exchange

Hello all,

I hope everyone is doing well. I hope better then me since I just got stood up...again!

Anyway this is a question for all you pilots or going to be pilots out there. Why do you want to be a pilot?

For me I guess I have been interested in planes since I was a kid. While most kids were going to football games or parties or whatever, I was going to airshows! Since I was five I think. My dad(now lost in mental problems) was a big insperation to me becasue he liked planes too! My dad even took a few flight lessons when he was younger. Not sure why way he didn't go all the way. Money was probably a big factor though. Anyway he even flew in a PT-17 Stearman once! Before I was born of course. Everyday I get closer to getting my butt in gear and heading to the airport to sign up for my flight lession. Why I haven't yet? Not sure, fear of failing I guess. Or cracking up a nice new airplane.
But I guess flying for me is something where I can doing something that not many people can. Much of my young life people have tunted me that I can't do anything right. But flying, planes has been something I have been good at. Why not achieve something your good at right? I also think of all the great flyers before my time. How maybe one day I could be included in that great bunch. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you some of my thoughts and feelings.

Thank you for your time.

Tally ho,

Your friend,
Nathan

I think I was a bird in a former life.

I love the air, love the smell of fuel and love hearing the buzz of the engine.

I am a mechanic first, pilot second, but ask yourself this, would you take your car to a mechanic that did not know how to drive ?

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Best seat in the house with a great view....

Lynn

Most fun you can have with your clothes on...

I think I was born with avgas in my veins...I have found drawings I made as a very young child...most of them are crude aeroplanes! When most of my friends were talking football or baseball, I was stuck in the clouds. In 7th grade the librarian banned me from checking out Jablonski's "Flying Fortress" because I had it checked out for 3 months in a row...

It is one of the most satisfying things I have ever done.

Now I'm a bearing salesman... ($$$)

Nathan, If you want to be pilot, go to it. The motor skills part is about as difficult as riding an average motorcycle; the academic part is about like a junior high school course. There's nothing to bar any average person, from doing it, if you,ve got the time and money. With CD or computer interactive courses available the book work is no obstacle, but you can;t sluff that off. Ask around for who is a good conscietious friendly instructor. See if there is something fun to learn in or cheaper than just a 172. Some of the fun is the first 10 or 15 hours to solo, it's all new and most of it is cool. Learn it right the first time, the private course is the first half of all the advanced stuff. Look for a smaller non tower airport as a way to get more for your money. Don't be satisfied with good enough, try to do it right, and once you get going remember it is good judgement that can keep you safe more often than skill. Good luck

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Nathan,

I'm totally with you on the "close but haven't done it yet." Right now, my main obstacle is current enrollment in law school. Law school=big bucks=big student loans=wife who says no to flying lessons. I have to content myself for the time being stealing rides from sympathetic friends. Why do I want to fly? Three great uncles flying B-17s and B-24s (and all three getting shot down) probably has something to do with it. I've loved flying since my first flight to NYC in a big TWA airplane when I was 7- now I want to be the one doing the flying. Eventually, I'll get 'er dun.

kevin

I blame my dad for starting it all! I grew up with an airplane in the family, and never really knew any different.

Like you, Nathan, I went to every regional airshow as a kid, and that certainly had a big influence on me, especially my enthusiasm for warbirds.

"Why" is such a tough thing to put your finger on in aviation. I think you either have the passion for aviation and get it, or you just don't get it. Sounds, like all of us on this site, that you have the passion!

Not interested 'being' a pilot.

Quite interested in flying though.

Some people become pilots for the (perceived) status (not that I think that's what you mean, Nathan) and that's something I have no respect for.

Epaulettes and ego is a problem for some. Thankfully there's a lot more who regard aviation as something to share, and the more really 'special' a pilot is, the less they think they are...

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Raven

Like Matt, I am a mechanic first, pilot second. I was one of those born into aviation. My father was a Delta mechanic and I used to go to work with him as a child. I would follw him with the clipboard and read the checklists. Everyone always laughed when they would see the little girl following her father around and reading the checklist! My stepfather is a retired ATA captain. We always owned airplanes when I was a kid, and my father planned our vacations based not on destination but what type of airplane we had not flown on yet! I have always loved aviation but my motivation for becoming a pilot.........my father told me "it is called a cockpit for obvious reasons"! I wanted to prove him wrong and I did.

I wonder if he meant a place for two birds with small brains to have a fight to the death for those who've bet on them?

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Raven

Kids at my school are always asking me why I want to be a pilot.
My response is, "25% of the earth is covered by land and everyone has access to it. 75% of the earth is covered by water and still most people have access to move across it. 100% of the earth is covered by air and only a small percentage of the worlds' population have acess to it. And I would like to be one of them.

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The conquest of space is worth the risk of life. - Gus Grissom