What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I know where mine started: Out of the blue of the western sky, comes Sky King........... http://www.skyking.com/

Then four years in the United States Navy as an Aviation Electricians Mate AE2. First squadron was VF-62 with F-8H Crusaders aboard the USS Shangri-la CVA-38 (and a med tour on it), then on to VAQ-33 http://www.reenactor.net/vaq-33/index.htm where I got my MOS for the F-4 Phantom II.

Me eighty pounds and 40 years ago in leaning on #206 F-8H Crusader that I was plane captain on:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...der/F8HJCO.jpg

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I think it came as part of the DNA. :D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

My Mom was a flight attendant for 12-ish years (Braniff and TWA) when I was growing up. I can't count the number of hours I've spent on a plane or waiting for a plane. :)
My grandpa was in the USAAF and a private pilot too.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Well... According to my dad, my first word was "airplane" as I pointed to a Cessna that was flying overhead.:)

I've been addicted ever since. I was folding paper airplanes before I was three. I have run the "R/C gauntlet". The only aspect of model aviation that I have not done yet, is turbine jets, and that is on the schedule for the winter of 2010. Oh, did I mention that I live at a residential airpark and fly my full scale Cherokee out of my back yard? Hehe... And, I own and operate a full scale maintenance shop.... Yep... Now that's an addiction! :D:D:D:D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I agree, DNA. Also watching SkyKing, 12 Oclock High. Then I started putting plastic models together and gliders. My interest really took off when dad got me a cox control line corsiar when I was about 12. Lasted about one lap. But I fixed it and flew it. The rest is history.
Edwin

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Few will remeber this but guess it was joining the Junior Birdmen of America way back about 1932. my interest spans from solid balsa 10 cent models through free flight rubber, glow, u-control, Navy WW-2 aerial gunner to present RC addict. Great hobby.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

"up in the air junior birdsmen....." hehe I remember that song!

I grew up a few miles from Willow Grove Naval Air Station and watched P-3's coming and going, and of course catching the Blue Angles there once a year in their F-4 Phantoms and later A4 Skyhawks. I always wanted to fly on P-3s. That turned into a carrer as a P3 Inflight Tech VP-46, VP-62 among others.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Mine was "Wings over the World" on Discovery Channel.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Hey 1stplace,

What classes did you race?

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

My fascination started at the age of three and has only grown since. For Christmas I got an airport which consisted of a little terminal building, control tower, little airplanes, and even maintenance trucks. I was so excited when I unwrapped the package that I almost wet myself. I was jumping and screaming, "It's an airport, It's an airport!" We still have that on videotape, and I laugh every time I watch it. I played that toy to death. I have since flown full scale gliders, majored in aviation in college, and of course became addicted to R/C flight. I still get goosebumps every time I leave the ground, as if it was my first time all over again.

I'd blame it on DNA, but nobody else in my family holds my interest. I have no idea where it came from.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I forgot about plastic model airplanes (I probably had hundreds of them from WWII through the 1960's aircraft like the F-4, X-15, X-1, drone missles, etc.

AND while in NATTC AE School in Jax Florida I flew control line aircraft almost every day off from school.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

1/4 midget... My dad was building a couple of F-1's for me when he died of a heart attack. [:o] That ended my competitive flying. [&o] I still have one of them that has not been finished. The other, I finished, flew and destroyed. I was just starting to get into pattern at that time too.... Oh well, I can't complain. Life is good now! :D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Brother built control line and free flight. Good friend of the family was pilot for Northwest, he also owned a Cessna 170 and was rebuilding a Bellanca Cruisair in his yard. My dad got to just beyond solo and then developed heart problems and could go no further. I was exposed to general aviation and model airplanes at a very young age and simply fell in love with airplanes. Since as far back as I can remember, I have modeled and been interested.

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

When I was approximately 4 yrs old the man next door built model airplanes and was always in his garage soldering something up. When I was 5 my dad took me out to watch him fly one of his models. It was cub-yellow and I watched him flip, flip, flip, to no end. The field was at a local airstrip and my dad told me to stay put while he ran over to a nearby business to use the men's room. Since airplanes were flying in and out not to mention our neighbor finally got his model going I didn't react to a plane growing louder and louder until I could feel the air shake. It was my dad in an Aeronca waving me to come over. I was a little scared but I ran over and he got out and put me in the rear seat.

To this day I remember standing up and peering over his shoulder, him reaching back to assure me all was well. Wish I could remember all the details but I know I liked it. Must have talked about it enough that other friends of my folks would give me balsa/tissue model piper cubs with rubber band motors for my birthday or Christmas. Seems like all of those collapsed when I'd overwind them to make them fly faster-longer.

But those two things combined firmly affixed my interest in airplanes.

That was 50 years ago.

Hard for me to believe it,

Clay

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Found this link to my first squadron, VF-62: http://www.cloudnet.com/~djohnson/vf62.htm

I remember our skipper Commander Sam Hubbard was a very kind man and took the time to talk to all the troups when he had it. Lt. Jim Kirkwood was very good to me as I kept #206 in pristine and tip top shape for him. I've been told that some of the pilots from my squadron went NASA as test pilots too.

Sincerely,

John

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I guess you could say for me, my love of aviation began when I was a little girl. I was named after the Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Allison engine. Growing up I loved anything with wings, now, Im 12 and have grown to love airplanes even more, especially, Warbirds. Aviation has always been in the family. My dads relatives flew in WWI - WWII, my uncle is a pilot, and my grandfather had collected many airplanes by the time of his passing. I have one man to thank for my continuously growing passion for aviation, my father. Me and my father belong to a great club (first and only girl) and Im anxiously waiting to train, with the support and encouragement from my dad, and plenty of sim time.


TakingFlight96

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Reading that story reminded of one. I remember seeing my first control line airplane. My dad took me over to a guys house that he worked with. He showed me a room full of planes and a closet full of plans. All I could talk about was those airplanes for days. Thats when dad bought the cox corsair for me. About 4 years ago a local guy advertised some plans for free so I snagged them and looked them over and to my great surprise, there was that old mans name on some bonanza plans. I still remember seeing that plane leaning up against the wall. It was about 40 years ago when dad took me over there to meet him. I'm gonna build that bonanza one of these days.
Edwin

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

This is going to sound wierd, but, pheasant hunting in Pennsylvania started it. I shot at the pheasants and after missing them I watched them gracefully glide away, their wings arched downward (I now know that it was anheidral). What a sight.
I started with a glider. I didn't know anything about CG. Watched it go in tail first after leaving the bungie cord.
Designed and built my own glider using stuff I got at the LHS. It did the same thing.
Went to "U" control. Sucessfully made a couple of rounds and crashed.
By this time GIRLS became more important.
In the 1970's I was driving down a country road and saw airplanes flying like fools. I thought they were real.
Those guys are going to kill themselves!
I drove over to the airfield saw that it was model planes and watched for hours. I then frequented often.
Santa brought me a radio control COX aircraft for Christmas that year.
I've been hooked ever since.
Oh, yes, I can still crash them.
Ron

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

DuceNova

John,
Thank you for starting a great thread, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to our country!

C'mon folks! let's hear your stories!:D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

After reading these, I was hooked:

http://www.biggles.info/

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I used to work too much....had a stroke at 35.

Doctor said I needed a hobby, so here it is....

7 years later, now doctor says I need a new hobby.....having too much fun with my airplanes...(I think the wife coerced him into saying it):D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I have always been into RC airplanes. But thought I could NEVER fly them. So I had cars when I was about 10-16 years old. Stoped RC for about 20 years. Then got back into it. Decited to get a plane to learn how to fly. Got an electric, then a gas, now a TURBINE!! I am addicted to flying and really addicted to jets!! Just really expensive though.. (jets)
Mario

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

Back in the 60's I lived close to an old airport with a grass runway. There weren't many planes there just a hangar with a few in it. In the summer I'd ride my bicycle down there and walk around looking at the planes. Occasionally I'd get to see one take off or land. In the evenings some guys flew RC planes and line control on the runway. When I'd hear one flying I'd jump on my bike and take off down there to watch. There was a huge corn field beside the runway and when one of the RC planes crashed we would take a row at a time walking through the corn until we found it. If I found it I got a quarter. I was happier to get to help carry the plane out than I was over getting a quarter. It seems like the flights ended with a crash more times than not. In the early 70's my older brother and his buddies got into line control and I got to help by running out the lines and holding the planes with the engine running while the pilot checked the control surfaces. Then I'd get the wave to let it go. When they'd land I'd get to carry the plane back to the pits. Eventually I got into flying line control with the planes my brother gave me or I saved my money and bought. I never could afford RC equipment and never thought I had the skill to learn it. The desire never left me. Finally 5 years ago I bought an RC trainer and gear and I've been flying ever since. I still fly line control too. The seed was planted long ago down at that old airport. I never forgot the fascination I experienced watching a plane fly. The old airport is gone, but everytime I smell castor oil or I am flying one of my planes I am 12 years old again.
Bill

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

when I was about 3 years old, I was in the front yard and looked up to see a big cigar in the sky. They told me it was a blimp (or what ever your called them back then) Never forgot that day , still can see it and it was going north west. ( this was a couple of days ago):D

RE: What got you interested in airplanes in general?
 

I fell in love with RC airplanes the instant I saw one. Started flying them 2 weeks later after building my Sterling Mini Fledgling. One of the guys at the feild hired me to work at the airport the next summer. Then, one summer, a bunch of guys from work, mostly charter pilots were taking the ATC test after Reagan fired all the ATC's. Guess what. They hired me. Been doing that ever since. RC has been very very good to me !!:D