Just had to share the news......

[Iowawegian]

I'm so excited, even though this has nothing to do with motorcycles, I just had to share the news.

Our oldest son, 26, has always wanted to be a pilot. My grandpa flew a Cessna, my dad is a pilot who flew Satabra's and since our son was 8 yrs old, he has wanted to learn to fly.

 

He finally took the step and had his first flight lesson today!! Took off, flew the whole time and landed by himself!!! He called afterwards and I've never heard that kind of excitement in his voice!! I'm just so happy for him that I had to share the good news!!

 

The instructor told him that he's had pilots with 15-20 hours flight time in and can't land as smoothly!! That's my boy!! (Mom's are allowed to brag bout thier youngin's once in a while aren't they?)

Anyway, just so dog gone happy he's following his dream!! Thanks for letting me share!:dancefool::dancefool:

[T.J.]

Great days in the morning!

[Cinderella]

awesome..........but dont let dale read this..he has always wanted to get his pilots license.

 

glad to see a boy following his dreams, too many of us never did that !

[wes0778]

GOOD FOR HIM!!! It is never too late

 

I literally wore out 3 power lawn mowers in the mid 60's getting my pilot's license. Back then, my Explorer Scout Air Squadron, with contributions from a local business man, even rebuilt a 1941 airplane from the ground up. We flew it for several years.

Riding a scoot is the next best feeling of freedom, compared to flying, I miss it!

Edited April 7, 2009 by wes0778
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[Dragonslayer]

My first flight experience was when I was about twelve. My Dad was the Chief Engineer at Colonial Pipeline Company at the time. For some reason their company plane had to go to New York, NY with no load of passengers. So my Dad was able to get me and him a free one way ride to New York to visit the World's Fair. I will never forget the experience.

 

The plane was a twin engine Beachcraft Bonanza with three souls on board., the pilot, me and my Dad. As soon as we boarded at Peachtree Dekalb Airport in Atlanta the pilot invited me to sit in the cockpit with him in the co-pilots seat. For me as a boy of twelve this was the greatest thrill of my young life to sit in the co-pilots seat for the take off.

 

I was somewhat expecting to be invited back into the cabin after takeoff, But, instead after we reached altitude and cleared the airport traffic, the pilot asked me if I would like to learn how to fly. SURE, I'm sure I exclaimed with enthusiam. Take the yoke, he said, as he released his grip from his dual control. Suddenly, it was me, a twelve year old boy in control of this plane, and ultimately the three souls on board. The pilot cooly and calmly leaned back in his chair and confidently told me what to do.

 

He systematically told me what to do step by step as he explained the controls and gauges that surrounded me. He explained the artificial horizon and taught me how to keep the indicator wings lined up with the horizon as I moved the yoke left and right to dip one wing then the other. Then dive below the horizon line then climb above by moving the yoke in and out until I was comfortable maintaining straight and level flight by control of the yoke.

 

He explained in a way that I could understand how the control surfaces effected the movement of the plane as the wings provided lift and props provided thrust. He explained the use of the rudder to control yaw caused by the centrifical thrust of the props.

 

He then showed me how to adjust the trim tabs so that the aerions (sp?) elevators and rudder were properly set to maintain altitude and compass heading. As I watched the altimeter, compass and artificial horizon to make sure we were on the correct settings the Captain told me to maintain until we reached our next waypoint.

 

Along the way the Captain would interject points of interest on the ground, noting weather conditions while maintaining visual watch for air traffic in the vacinity. He would answer the garbled sqawks of incomeing messages on the headsets that were in a code or laungage that was hard for me to follow. Then he explained what they said and what it meant to us.

 

As we passed over the countryside the bird's eye view of the towns, cities, mountains, lakes, streams, Valleys, Woods as well as the patch work of farms, pastures, cultivated crops and swamps, I suddenly gained a newfound sense and perspective of the earth I lived on and how small a part of it I was in a way that I had never understood before.

 

I was amazed as the changes of geology and topography as we covered distanances from state to state.

 

As we approached each waypoint he would calmly explain what adjustments to make to change our compass heading, altitude and air speed as he requested permission than announced the changes in flight path to the air controller voice over the headset.

 

Sooner than I realized or wanted, the Captain pointed out the runways on the ground of Laguardia Airport. As we entered the traffic pattern waiting for our turn to land the Captain took back control of the aircraft and took us in for a smooth and safe landing.

Even though I was somewhat sorry that my first flight and pilot lesson was over I was amazed that I was allowed to fly the plane from Georgia all the way to New York. From that day since I have never lost the thrill of flight I acquired on that day. A thrill and love for flight that has remained with me through my entire life. To this day I can remember in vivid detail every flight that I have ever taken wheather it was on a commercial flight or the times when I was privelleged enough to sit behind the controls.

 

In my lifetime i have been able to fly the following aircraft.

 

Cessna 152, 182

Piper Cub

Fixed wing 2 seater glider trainer

Aeronica Champ

Twin Engine, 10 seat King Air

Cessna Citation

Hang Glider

Boeing Stearman Open cockpit, Bi-wing, 13 cylinder rotory engine, cloth bodied plane.

 

The truth of the mater is I Love flying as much as I love riding motorcycles.

[RoadKill]

I'm so excited, even though this has nothing to do with motorcycles, I just had to share the news.

Our oldest son, 26, has always wanted to be a pilot. My grandpa flew a Cessna, my dad is a pilot who flew Satabra's and since our son was 8 yrs old, he has wanted to learn to fly.

 

He finally took the step and had his first flight lesson today!! Took off, flew the whole time and landed by himself!!! He called afterwards and I've never heard that kind of excitement in his voice!! I'm just so happy for him that I had to share the good news!!

 

The instructor told him that he's had pilots with 15-20 hours flight time in and can't land as smoothly!! That's my boy!! (Mom's are allowed to brag bout thier youngin's once in a while aren't they?)

Anyway, just so dog gone happy he's following his dream!! Thanks for letting me share!:dancefool::dancefool:

 

Congrats!! You are allowed to be proud, as you should be!

[Blusees]

I LOVE, love, hearing the proud-parent love in your text from your post.

[eazyduzzit]

Good for him, I think that's great! I don't blame you for being proud.

[autopilot]

For a young guy, to be able to have a flight of fancy, that he had held in his mind as a dream....Yeah man ....that's special! Of course now he's hooked!

 

Wes is right. Riding a motorcycle (particularly out in the country on a scenic road with little traffic) is as close as you can get to flying. In some ways it's better, because you're totally open to the environment.

 

OK, let's go ride....fly.....no,... ride..no,.....fly......ride............................