Why are you a pilot?

Sport Pilot

Sport Pilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
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297
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Illinois
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Pilot
Why did you become interested in aviation?

Flying Radio-controlled aircraft is what got me interested in becoming a pilot.

I started flying 7 foot RC helicopters in 2010. I built a servo gimble to the helicopter, attached a camera, and flew commercially. This was before drones were even an idea. The FAA told me that I needed to become a commercial pilot to fly for money. As this was back in 2010, rules were never established because nothing like this was ever seen. Now there are regulations, licenses, and drone commercial businesses.

Here is an issue of RC Heli Pilot from 2012.

10.jpg
 
I always was fascinated by aircraft. It started when my parents took me to a small local airport when I was ~1 year old. I always wanted the LEGO or Knex airplane kits growing up. I did do RC flying for a couple years, but then on a family vacation I had the chance to ride in a Stearman and an MD500. I started flying lessons shortly after that. So answering your question of why I became interested is impossible, it has just always been in my blood.
 
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As a child and into adulthood I would see GA planes taking off and landing at the local airport. I always thought it looked like so much fun. I would wonder where they were flying to and what they were going to do once they arrived. Health and finances prevented me from pursuing the hobby until later in life. Once I was in a position to start training, I took a discovery flight and I was all in after that. Got my cert about a year later and bought a plane.
 
flying is the ultimate expression of freedom to me. The sky is the limit.
 
I went to a Wings seminar last night...LOC in maneuvering phase...hosted by Mike Church. He said the biggest attraction of flying was, simply, the view it affords of the world.

I'm down with that. :)
 
I like to be able to do anything (trade/skill/operate). I also like the time machine aspect. the plane saves me a ton of time for some trips and eventually, will save me some money on family trips.

I also like being able to explore the country, though I've not done nearly enough yet.
 
My first flight was when I was three weeks old, with my Uncle. My Mom wasn't too happy, but I'm pretty sure I was addicted even back then. To this day, I love anything to do with flying. I'm as happy in the right seat as I am in the left, and may be most happy hanging out of the plane taking photos of you flying! I always feel sorry for those who don't understand the love we have for flying.

And yes... it's fun!
 
I bought an airplane to minimize my time spent traveling to/from places. It doesn't really save that much time depending on the trip, but there are other advantages like no TSA and traffic jams. Also, after starting to fly I found out that I like to go up to relax because nobody can bother me when I'm in the air.
 
Because I wanted a cheap hobby...

Father was an airline pilot so I have been around aviation all my life, just seemed like a natural progression...
 
I'm a pilot because the FAA said so, in writing.
 
Because my eyesight isn't good enough to get me into the astronaut program. Next best thing.

Also, because "wanted to since always".
 
I'm a legacy, they had to take me.:)

Grandfather was a pilot (Eastern 52-82), Dad was a pilot but gave it up when the flying club Ercoupe went to $8 an hour. :eek: We flew models growing up, U-Control, indoor and R/C. Dad is 80 and still flies a couple times a week. I joined the Navy and flew as a Prowler NFO. Retired in 07.

A couple years ago my wife had enough. "You look up at every airplane and you've talked about it and you have the time and money go do it". I knew I married her a couple decades ago for a reason. Private last spring, working on instrument and loving it (and lucky she loves coming along).
 
Loved airplanes for as long as I could remember. Any kind of airplane - small ones, large ones, military - anything that flew. My parents thought I’d grow out of it. My Dad was a tech guy and always figured I’d wind up writing code for Microsoft, Google, or wherever. I was good at writing code, but all I wanted to do is fly airplanes.

Fast forward 20+ years and I’ve been flying for a living for the last 15. My Dad’s not happy, but he still holds out hope that I’ll come to my senses and get ‘a real job’.

I don’t think it’s gonna happen. I just got my SES back in September, and had a blast doing it. I love this stuff, and have no intention of slowing down. Next up - glider? Helicopter? So many options!
 
Sport Pilot said:
Why did you become interested in aviation?
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I'm not sure really, I never really thought about it till not long before my first discovery flight (age 44 or 45). I had never been exposed to GA or played flight sims or anything. I can't remember exactly why I got curious, maybe a book I read, ?? I started playing a flying game on xbox(Birds of Steel) and found it more fun to just 'free fly' around in the game, take off and land and cruise around and ignore the missions/game play for the most part.

After the discovery flight it was kinda like a Forest Gump running situation:

Forrest Gump: That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going.
 
What a pilot...

I had too much money to be a scuba diver.
 
Lowflynjack said:
To this day, I love anything to do with flying. I'm as happy in the right seat as I am in the left
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I’m actually pretty happy in the back seat too. I just enjoy anytime I’m up in a little plane. Come to think of it, I’m probably also one of the few people left that still likes riding in one of the big guys too. Sure, security sucks and the seats are tiny, and somehow there’s always a baby crying, but I can’t help but smile as we accelerate down the runway and lift off the ground.
 
because it would be much harder to fly a plane if you weren't. Skyking excluded.
 
Flying models, especially RC.

That was long before there were RC helicopters though. There was one in ‘69 that could move along the ground but not quite hover. Then it was Dieter Schluter (?) that blew everyone away circa ‘71.


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I would lie to people about taking flight lessons. Usually a feeble attempt to impress a girl. After two years of lies it finally caught up with me, so I had no choice. Pretty lame, I know.
 
After a stint in the service, I werked construction for several years. Didn't care for it. Said "Self, there has gotta be something else to do with my life:confused2:." Being I became too lazy to werk and too scared to steal, I became a :cool:pilot and got lots of girls, made lots of :cool:money and traveled to a lots of :cool:neat places. Then the gummint said ooh, ooh, you gotta quit:eek2:...you are too old:sad: to haul people through the sky in prefabricated tubes with things sticking out the top and sides at high rates of speed. So, I quit.:happydance:

Noah W
 
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