My dream started while growing up on a farm in Central Kansas (Flint Hills) during World War II. Most afternoons two groups of P-40s would mix it up in a huge dog-fight and P-38s did low level (tree top) rat racing over our house and farm. I knew from then on I wanted to fly like that.

I realized my dream and entered Air Force pilot training in March 1955. I was in the last class to fly T-6s in primary and went on the fly the F-94C after graduating from pilot training.

My first solo in a PA-18 and a year and half later in the F-94C were probably the most exciting flights of my career. The F-94C because there were no dual control trainers so we went to 10 hours of ground school and then went solo in an airplane that would break the sound barrier in a dive.

Currently I am building a turbine powered model of the F-94C. I have flown RC for 52 years and am looking forward to that first solo of my model F-94C with as much anticipation as any first flight I have ever made. Reading the previous posts really enforce my realization of how lucky I was to live my dream.

Sid Gates
AMA 725