Hello from Taxachusetts

[NBPD336]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to say hello to all. I guess you could say that I am new than new. I havent even gone on a test flight yet. I am hoping to in the very near future, I have never been off the ground. I would be lying if I said I was not a little nervous but I have always been fascinated by every thing to do with aviation. I just have never taken that next step. I was just wondering how many of you were nervous the first time you went up? I just joined AOPA and have been reading their Flight Training magazine cover to cover for that last few months.

 

[AuntPeggy]

Hello, Jett. Welcome to PoA. I ran the gamut of emotions while in training. You will, too. This is a good place to come air your feelings. Pilots are pretty cool people.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where you live and if there is a nearby airport. How you found PoA.

I am a chronologically-challenged woman living in New York. I own a Cessna that is tied-down in Bridgeport, CT. Working on my Instrument Rating on and off for the past several years. Hubby is working on his CFI. Besides lessons, we fly with friends for lunch on weekends and to OK or CA to visit grandchildren.

 

[NBPD336]

I live in the "wonderful" state of Taxachusetts where if they cant tax it, it does not exist. There area actually two airports very near by they are smaller, 60M and 8B5 are within ten minutes of my house. I believe there are approximately 38 or 39 airports in Mass. As far as I go, I work full time as a 911 dispatcher and part time as a police officer. I also work as an Animal Control Officer for a couple of different towns.

I am hoping to find the time to take an introductory flight some time this spring. I believe there is going to be an event on May 15 at the airport in Fitchburg for "internation learn to fly day". I am hoping to get up there for that.

Before I started dispatch I drove Tractor Trailer for 12 years, I used to run all over CT. I used to go to Bridge Port about one a week, 56 Cherry St, I remember that stop well it was a royal pain to get that truck in there lol. I look forward to reading the posts here and hoping the maybe make a few friends along the way. Nice to "cyber-meet you", (I guess that could be the term),Peggy.

 

[DC34ME]

Hey Jett, I am new too, but would like to say welcome! I have found this to be a great forum with lots of information, for new pilots, and also for the experienced. I learn something new each time I read posts on here. Please tell us about your first flight when it happens.

 

[SCCutler]

Jett, first off, I appreciate your service as a Peace Officer; there are not many thanks in that field, I know; There are other peace officers on PoA.

Welcome to PoA - be ready to tell us all about your journey to pilothood!

 

[NBPD336]

Thanks for the welcome, I will let you know when I go up.

 

[Arbiter419]

Welcome!

 

[Bob Noel]

Howdy (from another pilot/owner in Taxachusetts)

 

[AdamZ]

Welcome to POA Jett. Look forward to hearing from you more. Ask as many questions as you have.

 

[AdamB]

Welcome to POA!

 

[NBPD336]

Howdy (from another pilot/owner in Taxachusetts)

First of all thank for the great welcome here. Bob what part of MA are you in? I am out in central so I am half way to everywhere.

 

[Bob Noel]

First of all thank for the great welcome here. Bob what part of MA are you in? I am out in central so I am half way to everywhere.

6 miles from KBED

 

[PilotAlan]

Welcome Jett!
Just do it. Make the time, find the money. I started as a 19 year old EMT getting my license.
At some point you will ask yourself if you can accomplish what seems like a daunting task. I'm no rocket scientist, so if I could do it, you can too.

Former dispatcher, EMT, retired police officer, now an emergency manager.

 

[rottydaddy]

Welcome, and don't be nervous about that intro flight; relax and have fun.

You don't have to impress anybody-the sole purpose of the intro is to simply set the hook properly.

If you're like most of us, you will probably do better than you expected, and have more fun than you expected. My intro lesson wasn't my first ride in a light airplane, but it sure was special!

 

[silver-eagle]

Welcome from another Ma based pilot. I'm out of Marshfield.
I started nearly 20 years ago with a gift certificate for an intro flight. I got it on my birthday and it took me almost a year to use it. Being cheap, I took the flight rather than lose the money paid ($45 for an hour!). Been hooked since. So I can understand the trepidation.

 

[Steve Foley]

There area actually two airports very near by they are smaller, 60M and 8B5 are within ten minutes of my house.

Hi Jett, and welcome to POA.

I can highly recommend 60M if you're undecided. I kept my Cherokee there until September of last year. I hadn't flown in over a year and ended up selling it. There are no time-building instructor in Spencer. I think Ed Urbanowski has taken over as the 'flight school' there. He's a retired school teacher, and teaches in a Skyhawk and a Cub. He's also an A&P, but I don't think he works on anyone else's planes.

Gregg Andrews owns the airport, and lives in the house right next to the hangar. He spends most of his time wrenching on planes. He's also an instructor, but turned over the instruction to Ed because he makes more money wrenching.

Aside from the great people in Spencer, the most valuable skill you'll learn there is short field technique. The 1930' runway is one of the shortest in the state. Marlboro is shorter. When I was flying regularly, there was a group that would fly out every Sunday morning for breakfast.

Good Luck, and welcome to the skies.

 

[Dean]

Welcome to POA, the best little pilot forum site on the web. Glad to see another public servant has landed here. There are several LEO's here, including myself. I have 28 years in City, County and State Law Enforcement and currently an Emergency Services Director/911 Director in SW Missouri. So if you have been wondering if you can afford to fly on a COPS salary, yes you can, but you have to give up eating.

 

[steingar]

Welcome aboard. Yes flying is expensive, but there are lots of ways to reduce costs, many of which you will find in the pages of POA. And aircraft have never been less expensive than they are right now.

 

[lewy15]

Welcome to the board from one cop to another. I got my private pilot about a month ago and regret nothing about doing it. If its a money thing you MASS cops make way to much anyways.... Although the cost of living is a lot higher than Iowa.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Hi Jett, and welcome to POA.

I can highly recommend 60M if you're undecided. I kept my Cherokee there until September of last year. I hadn't flown in over a year and ended up selling it. There are no time-building instructor in Spencer. I think Ed Urbanowski has taken over as the 'flight school' there. He's a retired school teacher, and teaches in a Skyhawk and a Cub. He's also an A&P, but I don't think he works on anyone else's planes.

Gregg Andrews owns the airport, and lives in the house right next to the hangar. He spends most of his time wrenching on planes. He's also an instructor, but turned over the instruction to Ed because he makes more money wrenching.

Aside from the great people in Spencer, the most valuable skill you'll learn there is short field technique. The 1930' runway is one of the shortest in the state. Marlboro is shorter. When I was flying regularly, there was a group that would fly out every Sunday morning for breakfast.

Good Luck, and welcome to the skies.

FWIW - if you ever plan to end up in a tailwheel aircraft, you are better off doing your primary training in one (if you can find one).

It is easy to learn in a tailwheel (my experience), but hard to transition from a nosewheel to a tailwheel (my observation) - you have to do a lot of unlearning first.

Same thing with short runways. No big deal if you don't know any better...

Transitioning from a proper airplane to a nosewheel ain't too bad (my experience). Going from something like the above mentioned Cub to something like the 172 you will find that those flap thingies are a pain in the butt to use, but the trick seems to be just put them down at some arbitrary point in the pattern (for no apparent reason) and drag it in with power just like everyone else

 

[Lawreston]

Hi, Jett:

Welcome aboard the PoA flight deck. I'm a bit "Nawth" of you, not far from Bowdoin College and Bath Iron Works. But we Maniacs do get out of town occasionally. These scenes are probably more familiar to you than to others.

HR

Oh, you might want to change your nickname. While in the air, "Hi, Jett" could be misunderstood as something else.