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How did you get involved in aviation?
- Thread starter narfmasta
- Start date
HA! Says the P-3 guy. Sorry. Couldn't help it.
No aviation background or military in my close family. Just decided I liked airplanes.
My parents bought me a ride with a local pilot for my 5th birthday...I've never looked back. Still have the post ride picture and can remember the whole flight 24 years later. 
The military part...great-grandfather, grandfather, dad, brothers....it seemed to fit...and now, I love that too.
The military part...great-grandfather, grandfather, dad, brothers....it seemed to fit...and now, I love that too.
I bet I've gotten laid in my P-3 more times then you have in your fighter.
(Yes - by women. On the ground. In the hangar or at air shows.)
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
Went to an airshow when I was 9 or 10 at Otis AFB. There were a bunch of Navy static displays, and my impressionable young mind had just watched TopGun and thought it was the best thing ever. Could have cared less about Kelly McGillis or Meg Ryan... But the F-14, that was the coolest thing ever to me. I lived near PYM and always saw the old stuff (were quite a few warbirds there in the late 80s) flying around. Used to ride my bike to the airport and watch planes.
Anyways, talked to the Pilot, and he told me to go to school, and do well, and apply when I was older. I asked him what he went to school for, "Mechanical Engineering". Take a wild freaking guess what my major was. Granted, there were other reasons I went engineering, but I do wonder how much was the bug that unkown Tomcat driver put in my ear. He also told me how cool it was to land on a boat, and that only girls need runways.
I was introduced to Zoomie bashing at a young age as well.
Fast forward 11-12 years, I'm in college and not enjoying being an engineer. The whole fighter pilot thing had been put on the back burner by not having 20/20. My eyes got better in College, I think it was the drinking, and I decided to apply to OCS. Accepted, BCDP, OCS, and so on.
Anyways, talked to the Pilot, and he told me to go to school, and do well, and apply when I was older. I asked him what he went to school for, "Mechanical Engineering". Take a wild freaking guess what my major was. Granted, there were other reasons I went engineering, but I do wonder how much was the bug that unkown Tomcat driver put in my ear. He also told me how cool it was to land on a boat, and that only girls need runways.
I was introduced to Zoomie bashing at a young age as well.
Fast forward 11-12 years, I'm in college and not enjoying being an engineer. The whole fighter pilot thing had been put on the back burner by not having 20/20. My eyes got better in College, I think it was the drinking, and I decided to apply to OCS. Accepted, BCDP, OCS, and so on.
I read a lot of military history and wanted to fly Hellcats in WW2 ... I guess I missed that one.
Grandfather put me under a cieling fan when I was 3 months old.... at least thats what my mom says did it.
Family buisness is pretty much military/police. Saw a Cobra for the first time when I was like 3 and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Started reading every book I could from that day on. Between reading and X-wings in Star Wars I was sold on wanting to fly.
What I wanted to fly has changed a lot over the years (Cobra to Tomcat to Hornet to Harrier) but I have always wanted to fly.
Family buisness is pretty much military/police. Saw a Cobra for the first time when I was like 3 and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Started reading every book I could from that day on. Between reading and X-wings in Star Wars I was sold on wanting to fly.
What I wanted to fly has changed a lot over the years (Cobra to Tomcat to Hornet to Harrier) but I have always wanted to fly.
I grew up with my Grandfather telling me stories about how he fought the 'Meatballs' in WWII as a co-pilot of a B-24 in the PI and China.
My Uncle Mark flew into Andrews when I was 5 years old in his F-14. I got to wear his helmet, walk on the wings and sit in the cockpit. At the end of the day, we got to watch him take off, roaring into the sky while I had my fingers plugged into my ears. That was a very cool day.......
My Uncle Mark flew into Andrews when I was 5 years old in his F-14. I got to wear his helmet, walk on the wings and sit in the cockpit. At the end of the day, we got to watch him take off, roaring into the sky while I had my fingers plugged into my ears. That was a very cool day.......
haha that's great!
And great stories guys!
I think the thing that made me want to do it was when my dad, grandpa, and I went fishing right behind one of the oceanside runways at Hickham AFB (he's retired AF and got us in). The RIMPAC exercise was going on during our visit and while we were fishing all of the planes started taxiing about 10-15 yards from us and taking off. Holy s**t that was the GREATEST thing I've EVER seen. I was maybe 9-10 years old and I was standing clutching the fence while Canadian F-18's, American F-15's, Australian F-111's and many other jets came taxiing by. The coolest thing was when the Canadians and Americans were coming by, they saw me standing there watching them and they saluted me
Highlight of my life right there because seconds later they lined up on the runway and lit the burners! Damn I've got the chills and a huge grin on my face right now just thinking about it and that was some 10+ years ago! I didn't fish the entire time they were coming by and when the last ones were taking off the sun was going down so you could see the afterburners clearly. The F-111's looked amazing
Always like flying as a kid and I guess it went from there. Thought the flying off carriers thing was cool in high school so I gave it a shot. Just never thought I'd be flying off carriers in the Thunder Pig 
My mother did find, about 2 years ago, a piece of paper from around 1st grade and it was titled what do you want to do when you grow up.........my answer......be a pilot. I guess it's good when things work out. I wouldn't say I love flying to the point I need to go up everyday and I'm not sure about civilian flying, I consider it my job and not a hobby. I do get edgy when I sit around for days on end, then I want to go up. Who knows? Lets just say if the C-2 wasn't a carrier aircraft, I would have gotten out of there a long time ago. To me, flying is worth in some cases (fun, exciting) but can be boring as well. Then again, pay me enough, I'll fly anything, no matter how boring.
My mother did find, about 2 years ago, a piece of paper from around 1st grade and it was titled what do you want to do when you grow up.........my answer......be a pilot. I guess it's good when things work out. I wouldn't say I love flying to the point I need to go up everyday and I'm not sure about civilian flying, I consider it my job and not a hobby. I do get edgy when I sit around for days on end, then I want to go up. Who knows? Lets just say if the C-2 wasn't a carrier aircraft, I would have gotten out of there a long time ago. To me, flying is worth in some cases (fun, exciting) but can be boring as well. Then again, pay me enough, I'll fly anything, no matter how boring.