yellerchamp

My Feedback: (42)

I was lucky growing up on a farm with a dad that flew in ww II, hellcats and f4u corsairs. We had a champ and then a chief up the ladder to a archer then back to a chief. My dad taught me to fly and he still outfly's me. He's amazing at 77 he flew a AT-6 last year and really put on a show as you can see he's my hero. I just got into rc last year and love it. It's a great hobby.

A4HawkPilot

My Feedback: (3)

I think anything is possible as long as you want it bad enough.
I started out by getting my private only as a way to commute for my business because the 6hr drive was getting old. Then I caught the bug and wanted to do it for a living even though I had people from all directions telling me it was going to be hard to find work and the pay would be terrible. I ignored that and finished my private, ifr, and commercial in 11 months at the same little FBO I started at. It took me another 3 1/2 months to get my CFI/II and I started instructing at the same FBO I received my training from. 300hrs later I started flying 135vfr stuff. Mostly UPS runs in a C-207. Thats still about where I am at now, almost complete opposite of what I was doing 2 years ago. I just bought a house and have a wife and 2 kids so I don't really want to move anywhere. I know that will be a limiting factor but I happy with where I am at now. Soon I will get my MEI and 135 IFR. Every time I achieve something that is beneficial to the place I work at I get a raise. The FBO just bought a 337 and the forrest service is looking to hire it with a pilot to fly fire watch and forward air controller for the tankers. You need 1500hrs though so I figure I'll be doing that starting next summer. The pay is awesome and I don't have to move anywhere. Two instructors just left where I work. One went to aeroflight and the other went to ameriflight. Both had to move to Portland, OR and one has a graveyard shift flying a navajo. Both of them are actually making less then they were instructing but its a step they need to take to get where they are going.

I'll admit it was a large initial investment but I'm doing something I have come to to really love and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

DT56

My Feedback: (18)

30 years of full scale airplane and helicopter. Started R/C 10 years ago.

AltimaDude

I would loved to be air force pilot flying those 30 million dollar jets. I tried to join up but they said that i will never fly anythign cuz i am deaf. so i turned to RC so i can fly those rc jets. it is lot cheaper and u dont' have to get pilot licence.

FormerCA.

My Feedback: (8)

You can't be a "real" airline pilot until you;

have been furloughed
Have been fired
have changed carriers
have merged with 3 other carriers
have been displaced
have a 16 year, no-strike contract shoved up your ***** by ALPA
have flown with an Eastern scab
were flying on 9/11(in the air during)
made an emergency landing and saved someones life
gotten laid while flying airliner (she wanted to look out the front window, what was I to do?)
changed to a medical career at 42 (best move I EVER made$$$$$$$)


like me.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

furloughed, check
fired, check
changed companies, check
merged, Nope
displaced, check
contract, nope
flying on 9/11, check, and was the only private held plane in the air over the US for the next 6 days!
emergency landing, check
mile high, Hmmmm, can I count cindy crawford sleeping on the couch in back and putting a blanket on her? Boss said I could
med career, not yet.


Bummer, guess I will have to stay flying corperate.

FormerCA.

My Feedback: (8)

Don't worry, you'll get there

MustangAce

My Feedback: (3)

Affirmative.... PP mostly 172s 152s and once a TF-51!

My dad compares me to Walter Middy

But how many people do you know that have flown a real P-51 Mustang.......that is what I always say.


Started flying RC when I was 15. Went to college and quit cold turkey. Got back into it about 2 years ago. Awesome hobby but consumes massive amounts of time.

I own 7 rc planes now. I guess you could say that I am just a little obsessed. I don't care for choppers although I have a little stick time in the real ones.

zope_pope

Ppl working on Instrument and pursuiting an airline career. I fly 172's right now but am going to get checked out in a 152 to earn some cheap flying time. I have been flying full scale for a year and rc for 5 years. I have been obsessed with aviation since I was about 3.

Adam

Ed Toner

I ended up with FAA Airman Certificate 1361669, COMM SMEL INST ATP B-707,
720, 727, 747, 757, 767, and L-1011. Retired TWA L-1011 Capt. in 1987 after
30 years.

Accumulated around 20,000 hours in 7 logbooks over 34 years, including Navy. 106 carrier landings, mostly in the F2H-3. Member, Tailhook SAssociation, Centurion, and yes, I WAS at THAT symposium. Brought my wife.[:@]

No accidents or
incidents, no damage except a blown tire in a B-727 at CLE..

Suckered into landing when the runway had about 4" of standing water -
Hydroplaned, had to turn off Anti-Skid to stop. Tower never mentioned
standing water "Cleared to land TWA".

Retired Fighter Pilot

My Feedback: (4)

I'm a retired USAF Fighter Pilot..F-86, F-101, RF-101. F-102, F-104, F4-E, Combat tour iin Thialand in RF-4. Started flying Citations about seven years ago. Have not been upside down, however!

Howard

taildragger21

My Feedback: (197)

I have been an rc pilot since the age of 13... Always loved flight and recieved my airport bum certificate..[8D] Some of the older fellas in the club would give me a ride to the field.. They donated a few planes to me being I was a poor kid..I am now 23...Got back into rc 4 years ago.. My collection has varied on and off on different numbers...Im over 10 now!!! Got many rides from some guys at the airport.. got a few hours in a citabra, long-eze, cessna cardinal..Started my ppl..I soled in 7.9 hours soled a few more times and said heck with it.. cost too much, and couldn't justify a career in aviation because of way over cost of the industry, and risk of losing jobs.. Started flying ultralights and loved it since.. To me its the only way to capture true flight!! low and slow.. now when i go up in my buddys 172, and 150 it feel like I'm flying the family truckster......lol.. Here are some pics of my quicksilver sport ultralight...

vmgo22

My Feedback: (31)

Im looking for anybody had built an RC GUYS Cessna 150, I need support for how to build the assembly of the elevator push rod, the manual is very poor on this part.

Thanks.

cfijeff22

My Feedback: (4)

I started flying RC airplanes with my father and caught the bug..became an airline pilot...now I fly RC again

maxmwill

Uh, would being an A&P count? Been one since 1987, and have been working part time at a grass strip in Kentucky on the odd puddle jumper Aeronca and Cub, but also have an Apache hangar queen(the boss refuses to put the engines back into TBO, but wants to use it to fly around the cabbage patch some day) to help take care of. Also have a 185 on amphib floats, one with the straight tail, to take care of.

yellerchamp

My Feedback: (42)

I made a post earlier about dad getting me into flying, he is now 85 his health is really failing fast , he recently showed me some pictures from wwII shows a fire fight on some island, the island was being attacked by ship and dive bombers at night all you could see was streaks of light going from the ships and explosions on the island, Dad was on a destroyer then, I remember him saying without seeing this picture how could anyone explain what they were going thru. He was proud of the navy and how even though they were all scared kids they knew they had to do it. He talked about there not being time to be scared, but thats why they all drank and smoked for relief from the action. He laughs at some shows because there werent any girls on the islands, like baba black sheep..........some say that was the best generation and I agree

acam37

My Feedback: (16)

I own a 1967 C172H. Since flying the big plane ,I haven't had much time for R/C. I still enjoy going out to the local clubs to hang out with the guys and occasionally I'll take one of my dads plane out and fly a little. I've been out of R/C long enough that it's time to completely upgrade my flight box. I can't believe how technology has advanced in the last few yraers.

maxmwill

Working part time, I have some time to pursue the hobby. Another aspect that I pursue is scale plastic models. While those in the RC community might look down on plastic modellers, I find that plastic models afford me the opportunity to "get to know" a particular design before I decide whether or not I want to build the bigger version. And as far as getting an idea as to the design, with a plastic model, most of the "skull sweat" is done for the prospective model builder by giving a physical 3 dimensional representation of what the finished RC model might end up looking like. But then, with RC models, I like to "roll my own", when it comes to building spomething in particular. Not every aircraft one wants to fly as a model is available in kit form at the local hobbyshop. And, unlike many of the "kids", I prefer putting pencil to paper, instead of trying to wrestle with a CAD program. There is a certain amount of enjoyable satisfaction that comes with just sitting down and drawing it out.

But then, I come from an artistic family. My mother draws a blank, my father draws unemployment, my sister draws blood, and if I'm lucky and have a good enough straight edge, I can draw a straight line.

maxmwill

We should all try to keep the stories alive. While I served in the NAVY too late for Vietnam(although I was in bootcamp toward the end of hostilities), I heard plenty of stories from older shipmates, especially from some of the more talkative officers. I was in VA195 just after Mad Dog Williamson had left as skipper. Being a plane captain there, I heard enough to feel relief that he was gone(he ordered one pc to stand fast no matter what, and then he taxied his A7 onto the kid). Carrier life was a whole 'nother world "out there".

Avistarpilot

Awesome to see how a hobby can ignite into bigger and better things. I have always been floored by aviation but just started flying R/C my Jr/Sr year of high school. I went to school for my Airframe and Powerplant ticket and flew my R/C on and off for a bit during but kinda let it sit while I was doing my studies. I started my Private license while in school also from a friend that I met that was a CFI taking the A&P course. I got about half way through and just ran out of time and money, working full time putting myself through college. Since I have worked for Cessna as a Test Flight Mechanic for the Citation Mustangs. Did that gig for a few years until the economy crashed and took a voluntary lay off to come back home. Luckily got a job at our local FBO and regional airport. Mostly single engine work and commuter planes(what a big difference compared to corporate jets!), while being on call for Delta airlines(now American) for their CRJ's that fly in and out. I worked there for a while but the economy slowly dwindled down the pilots coming in to get their work done...cant blame them when most of the work is private owners. The first thing to cut was their toys. After working a few years at reduced hours and quite honestly not enough pay I decided to take a step in another direction. Im currently a Product Development Specialist for a major Ag firm up here and get to do R&D testing for all their new products coming out. Currently in power systems testing engines. It's not airplanes, but my A&P got me this job(part of a pre-requisite) so I guess thats just the way the cookie crumbles.

I recently starting getting back into flying R/C and am currently building a GP Decathalon that I got from a coworker when I was at Cessna...and just now getting to it at age 25. It's all complete, the guy just never had time for it. 20 bucks and it was mine. Cant wait to get it up and going. I also am fortunate enough to fall into a restoration project from a pilot who heard of me from a friend. I havent done much with it yet but its a 1948 Piper PA-17 Vagabond that needs ALOT of work. But the owner wants to trade off mechanic time for flight time so I can finish my Private so I guess the world has a way of making things all work out in the wash. He also has an airworthy Vag that I will be doing work on here or there whenever its needed. Got a well paying cush job for the week, and get to use my A&P on the side...I dont thing thats a bad deal at all

Keep the stories coming, love hearing about folks with the same interests!

frisco2022

My Feedback: (16)

Been obsessed with aviation since 5 when I broke my arm playing hockey, my Dad bought me a Monogram 1/48 P-47. Yes I know it is odd I still remember that plane. Started flying at 16, went to college then became flight instructor. Now I have been flying corporate for 11 years with ATP and type ratings in Citation 550, Citation 650 and Beechjet. I would rather fly R/C!

draftman1

passed the written, (95%), 3.5 hrs training in the last 3 weeks. my 4th lesson saturday, landings need alot of work but everything else is going great!! and im having the time of my life!!!

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

What's the trouble you are having with landings? The flare, the approach, the level off?

Razor Hobbies

My Feedback: (50)

I fly a Cub regularly and also own a light sport Pietenpol. Real fun, fly every other weekend.

Draftman it just might take sometime for you if you have a problem getting used to landing procedures. Just stick with it and listen to your flight instructor and you will be up in the air with the rest of us in no time. For some people it can take longer and others it comes quicker.

draftman1

the fear of the asphalt coming at me!!! LOL

just keeping lined up and the flair, Im going out friday afternoon and I am positive i am gona get them right this time!!!

thanks guys