For the pilots

[rk911]

570??

 

[catii]

Had my private license on my 16th birthday, flew Phantoms in Vietnam for 5 years, & still anything that comes my way.

 

[samcat]

First airplane ride was in 1963 at age 5 in a Stearman biplane. That sealed the deal and ALL I ever talked about was being a pilot. Unlike most 5 -10 year old boys who change their mind almost daily and vacillate between Fireman, Policeman, Army Man, etc. I never shut up about it and even though, I am color blind, I hated math and science classes, was an extremely poor student, and almost flunked out of H.S. - I became a Private Pilot at 19, graduated with an Aeronautics degree at the age of 22 and then picked up all my ratings and licenses and became an Instructor for a few years before I commenced upon a 30 year career as an Airline Pilot.


Qualified as Captain on the Citation Jet, B-727, B-737, B-747-200, B-747-400 .

Wouldn't change a thing and Life has been one Helluva' ride. It feels as though I have never really worked for a living....Which was exactly my "Evil Plan".





Taking some time off for the last 3 years - although I flew a corporate turbo-prop in February and will be traveling soon and re-exploring flying sailplanes again. Nice and quiet, just me and the Birds.

Birdman


P.S. - And "Yes", to the poster questioning if the sound of a 727 powering up was "music". To me it was, and I referred to it as "Rolling Thunder". My 4 year old Son however, would cry and ask " Da-Da!! WHAT is that horrible noise!". All a matter of perspective I guess.

Can I ask how many hours you have? Our son has 750. He is a first officer flying Learjets out of Memphis for a charter company. He loves to meet people like you.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

UAL was my first choice but hired as a "570," I had to go elsewhere.

Thanks for your loyalty. I hope the alternative worked well for you.

570??

A group of 570 pilots "hired" by United just before a pilot strike in the 80's but then told they had to work as strikebreakers or be "unhired". To their credit, very few of them worked. Eventually, United's action was found to be illegal but many of the 570 had found other more friendly airlines by then.

After they eventually got hired/rehired by United, I found them to be a great group of people both personally and professionally. For the rest of my career, no 570 was allowed to pay for his/her own meals when we were on layovers.

 

[check6]

Thanks for your loyalty. I hope the alternative worked well for you.

Thanks Jim, it all worked for the better in the end. You know what they say, until you retire you never know if you made the right choice. Through various mergers I ended up becoming a "SouthernJets Professional." (inside joke folks)

 

[troutnut1]

Private license obtained in the 70’s when I was 25 and had a great time for quite a few years. Went on to get a sailplane rating too and that was even more fun. I think being a private pilot is what got me my beautiful wife 36 years ago. It was way better to pull up in an airplane than a nice car. Her dad was an Army Air Corp ferry pilot in WWII and flew everything. THat gave me the edge I needed. So it was money well spent.

But in a cruel trick of nature, I find that now that I can afford a plane of my own, and a great fiberglass ladder, I’m afraid to get very high on either of them. In my 20’s my retirement plan was to die by 30, so I didn’t worry about it. In my 30’s I didn’t worry about it either. But now that I have a few dollars, good sense, and a lifetime of close calls...I’m finding I want to live a lot longer. And flying is pretty unforgiving of the little mental lapses I find increasingly common.

But if the TSA keeps ticking me off I just might change my mind. They are becoming more of a threat that small airplanes are.

 

[Old Microbiologist]

I have a commercial/instrument with 2,500+ hours but haven't flown since 1989. I was a rotary aviator in the Army for a few years before I was forced to switch to Microbiologist (what my Master's degree was in) due to the needs of the Army. I kept flying a bit mostly shuttling my own personnel for regional hospital inspections but stopped that in 1989. My last personal and professional flight was in 1989. Because I then lived in the DC area for the last 15 years of my career where private flying is extraordinarily difficult (and much worse since 9/11) and also due to the expense I stopped completely.

However, one aspect of flying was not mentioned which is flying drones. I have been flying drones since 2009 and have a commercial UAS pilot's license under Part 107 (which gets me reciprocity here in Europe). The $150 FAA test is a lot less expensive than the $1,500 EU test. So, in a sense I am still flying. I couldn't pass the Class II medical now to keep my C/I or even the Class III for my Private due to vision problems from several episodes of detached retinas caused by a massive shrinkage of vitreous humor and/or parachute jumping and also because I had both severe cataracts replaced. The latter caused by taking statins which is a known side effect. I get my joy from sailing now and have my ICC and sail every day I can.

 

[Jollyquick]

I was one of the “High School To Flight School” generation recruited by the Army in the 1980s to cover military pilot shortfalls. Hundreds of us were brought in but quite a few washed out of the program.

I was an Army Aviator and then crossed over to the USAF as a pilot for career total of 26+ years. I loved flying, even the combat time. However towards the end my copilots kept getting younger, the systems more complicated, and the hours longer. The administrative paperwork involved in every pre and post flight really became an unpleasant burden in the end. Gone are the days when we zipper-suited sun gods would just, “kick the tires and light the fires”!

At some point it just stopped being fun anymore so I dropped my retirement papers and hung up my flight suit. It was a bittersweet moment when I had my “fini-flight” but it was time to move on and FIRE was calling my name.

I was recently called back to active duty and surprisingly passed the flight physical. Luckily they didn’t need me in the end and I didn’t have to strap on another aircraft!

I have no intention of piloting an aircraft again. Instead I get my thrills on a motorcycle and that is more than enough to keep me happy (and a lot less expensive!)

 

[JAGOTI]

I have a Private Pilot license but haven't flown in 5 years and am not current.

I love to fly, but it scares the holy S#$T out of my DW.

So.....I don't fly. Do I miss it? A little. But I love my wife a helluva a lot more!

Live is good. Very good.

 

[zfire]

Flying 150-175 hours a year and still saving for ER. Good fun!

 

[Uplooking]

HS Aviation class - passed written and had a check flight - found out I needed glasses!

 

[GladToBeFree]

My DW before we were married and I took ground school together. We both took lessons, but she quit before she soloed 'cause teachers in VA didn't make loads of money. I wasn't real sorry. I'd have been scared to go up with her.

I went on and got my PP but because we were moving every year or two I stopped trying to get current at a new airport/airplane. Now I'm settled and can afford it, I can't get a medical for health reasons.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

My DW before we were married and I took ground school together. We both took lessons, but she quit before she soloed 'cause teachers in VA didn't make loads of money. I wasn't real sorry. I'd have been scared to go up with her.

I went on and got my PP but because we were moving every year or two I stopped trying to get current at a new airport/airplane. Now I'm settled and can afford it, I can't get a medical for health reasons.

This is being discussed to a point in another thread, but if you haven't even had a FAA physical "go bad" and don't disqualifying condition, you may still be able to fly under "basic med".

 

[rk911]

My DW before we were married and I took ground school together. We both took lessons, but she quit before she soloed 'cause teachers in VA didn't make loads of money. I wasn't real sorry. I'd have been scared to go up with her.

I went on and got my PP but because we were moving every year or two I stopped trying to get current at a new airport/airplane. Now I'm settled and can afford it, I can't get a medical for health reasons.

- when did your last medical expire? if it was no earlier than july 15, 2006 you *may* be eligible to renew under Basic Med.
- as long as your medical was never denied, revoked or Special Issuance you can fly under the Sport Pilot program.