Airplanes

[Bird]

Dan, I guess to be politcally correct, the Confederate Air Force had to change their name to the Commemorative Air Force. And your college on what used to be a military base sounds like the Texas State Technical College in Waco on the base I was talking about in this thread.

 

[ToadHill]

Lets see. My first flight was over Niagara Falls I was 10 (I won it in a local radio contest) I went with my dad, it was the only time in his life he ever flew. It was an old WWII converted Gooney Bird. Most memorable flight was in a early chopper in the army, you could watch the sides flap.
Most fun was in an old WWI biplane a fellow I worked with used to own, took off at 60mph, flew at 60 mph and landed at, well I don't know he shut the engine down and glided in.

1947 Piper
Electra prop jet
DC 3
707
747
757
and a few more I can't remember.

 

[Dennisfly]

Thinking back, I just remembered my best flight as a passenger. It was about 10 years ago in Anchorage. I was part of a lay-over corporate crew that had a few days to kill.

The FBO (Fixed Base Operator) was ERA Aviation. They provided a number of services including glacier tours. Crewmembers could ride for free on a space available basis, so we decided to do it.

The flight was on a beautifully restored DC-3 that looked as good as it might have on the day it was new in 1939. The crew was dressed in period uniforms of the 1930s and 40s. As you boarded, there was music playing by Jimmy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo. The flight lasted an hour or more and flew up mountain canyons at low altitude offering a spectacular view of a number of glaciers from a perspective that could only be seen from an aircraft. Champaign was served with platters of crackers, cheese, and fresh fruit. There were Look and Life magazines onboard from the 1940s and 50s. What a great flight!

I heard later that after 9/11 they had to stop using the DC-3 for passenger service at ERA because it wasn't economically feasible to reinforce the cockpit door to meet the new anti-terrorist requirements. What a pity!

 

[Tractors4u]

I don't know what all I have flown in commercially, but here is the military list.

UH1 Huey Army
CH47 Chinook Army
UH60 Blackhawk Army
C23 Sherpa Army
CH53 Marine
CH46 Marine
C130 Hercules USAF
C17 Globemaster USAF

 

[dbdartman]

First: The C-180's in my prior post should be listed as C-182's.

I also forgot the Cherokee 6 we used to jump in Lakewood.

I've never had the controls in my hands. Really wish I did! Matter of fact, the ONLY planes I've LANDED in, besides commercial airliners (yea, I HATE flying commercial, would much rather drive) were 2 different C-182's. One in Burlington County NJ (the jump door wouldn't open! ), the other in Maryland when we couldn't get enough altitude (clouds @ 1800').

My brother has only been on one plane flight in his life. We put the right seat in the Cherokee 6 & he went on a jump run. All the way to altitude (8000') the pilot, George (an old retired AF pilot), explained the instruments & controls to my brother. After dropping the load, George pointed the plane dead east (Lakewood is about 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean), let go of the wheel, turned to my brother & said, "Take it." My brother says, "Me? Take this? I-don't-want-it, you-keep-it!!!!!" LOL He did take the controls. They flew down the beach a ways, turned around & flew back up the beach, & eventually made it back. They'd been flying around for over 30 minutes after dropping the jumpers! He was so pumped after that flight it was funny. "I can breathe!!! My sinuses are clear!!!! I can't believe how clean the air is up there!!!" You ever see a 200+lb guy bouncing in a wheelchair? I have!

The plane I'd most want to take a ride in: SR-71. It wasn't until a year or 2 after Lakewood closed that I found out why one of our part-time pilots was so much smoother than all the others: He flew SR-71's! Also found out where his nick-name "Boomer" came from. Did you know the SR-71 will do in excess of mach-2 ON THE DECK?

 

[Egon]

I once had several commercial flights in a DC6.

There may be a replacement for the Blackbird just about ready to come out???

 

[AlanB]

Had not read the thread till now.

Army Aviation

AH-64
UH-1
OH-58
AH-1
CH-47

Some of the best and worst memories of my life, all rolled into one.

Flew on a (I think it was C160 Transall) in Sinai, two French pilots, steadily drinking wine, offering it to me, then asking me to fly (I am not a pilot)

Flying in back of a Huey with the Austrailian New Zealand Air Corp,,,,,, One of those rides that are hard to forget.

Test flying an AH-64 as a front seater. Pilot pulls power lever back (One, (two engines)) and both engines died.................Things got MUCH quieter then they should have been

 

[N80]

Never piloted anything. 'Cargo' in a lot of things.

Cessna 172 (?) generic looking Cessna
Stearman Bi-plane (the most fun of all of these!)
Some sort of 'Lear' jet for a med-evac
UH-1 'Huey' multiple times for med-evacs, Army, Dust Off (Second most fun)
Many civilian ariliners and turboprops
C-17 Globemaster (third most fun)
C-141 Starlifter
C-5a Galaxy

 

[RockyMnt1]

Active CFI/CFII/MEI (keeps me off the streets!):

C-150
C-172
Cessna Cardinal
C-182
C-310
Beech Sundowner
Beech Duke
Beech V-35
Beech A-36
Piper Commanche
Piper Archer
Piper Malibu
Piper Meridian
Piper Cherokee 181
Piper Cherokee 235
Varga
Koliber (Polish plane - single engine fixed gear)
Cherokee 6
Twin Turbo Commander
T-6
Viking
Lots of Mooneys
Decathlon
Aviat Huskey
L-39 (125 gals of fuel used in .9 hours!)

What the heck, I think that I'll start on my ATP soon.

 

[Tdog]

Dang, I envy you guys that get to fly so much - - I was not in the military, but I did take flying lessons as soon as I was out of school and started earning a paycheck. That was in the late 60's. Got my license and really enjoyed it. I joined a flying club that owned 3 Cessnas, a 150, a 172, and a 182. The rates were something like $8, $10, and $12/hour for those planes. Even at those rates I could not fly enough to stay current. My best memory was taking my wife with me to El Paso from New Orleans in a 152. The plane had a single radio - - I could talk or navigate. But heck, you did not need to navigate - - I-10 was right below you, just follow the concrete compass. We made it all the way to Lafayette the first day - - nasty weather forced us down. The FBO operator found out what we were in and where we were going and gave my wife some ear plugs - - he was right, it was a little loud. Great trip - - coming back, we got 'stranded' in Kerrville. Great place to get weathered in.
My flying time dwindled as time went on and my family grew. We eventually bought a horse or two, and flying money and time became scarce. I got up to something over 400 hours before I finally let it lapse.
Still miss it!
Jack