Peace and quiet!

[TheSoccerMom]

I think we have a DUTY to let people look at our planes, helicopters, etc....  It bothers me when pilots can be so closed-off and cold to people who obviously WANT to see an airplane, or have the kids by the fence...  you get the drift.

I never even SAW a flying machine of ANY kind until I was in my 20's, and I wonder sometimes if I could have had a good head start on flying if only I HAD KNOWN ABOUT IT.  So, I do the school programs, and the airport days, etc., and try to always let kids get in the seat.  It does register...  when we landed in Twin Falls a few weeks ago, one of the fire guys came up and said "Man, my kids are STILL talking about you and Pepe' [my stuffed skunk who is always in my airplane]!"  It was YEARS ago that he had stopped by to see the airplane with his little kids.

We're lucky to be in an area we all love, but we do need to remind people of how many positives aviation does bring to our lives.  The most immediately appealing, I think, is pointing out search and rescue, and medivac work..   no one can argue against THAT, after all.

Okay, enough babbling......   

[airtac]

Modern airplanes and the airlines have taken much of the mystique out of flying (not to mention video games and flight sims) so that a lot of the younger generation has a ho-hum attitude toward general aviation---
People in many towns can't even tell you where the local airport is and the ones who do know bitch about every airplane that flies over--they consider them rich folks toys !!
My own grandkids (all eleven of them) don't even know or care what I do for a living---if it ain't a 747 on it's way to Hawaii, they don't want to ride in it
What's the answer, I sure don't know......................

[Frank N. O.]

Well that's just another evidence that I'm not like the normal Joe Average (or whatever name is used in english) since the smaller the plane the more interesting it is, at least when it flies over here. I can't see/hear much of a 747/340 flying overhead, a turboprop is more like it, a piston-twin GA even better (also in sound) and a small single flying just 1 km or so overhead is awesome since I can rally see and hear it up close, like the Cessna 172 that flew right overhead after we'd picked up my brother this noon, I just stood there with my head up looking for several seconds as it slowly and calmly flew past us with the nice piston-engine making a nice sound 

Small planes are great as long as you know/trust the pilot and that the plane is serviced. You get much more involved and share the experience. Big jets are fine also for transport to far away places, but don't diss the small aircraft either 

Frank

[TheSoccerMom]

Hear, hear, Frank!  A little flying machine is also a thing of great beauty.   

[Rooster Cruiser]

All flying machines are things of great beauty.  It still gets to me what a magical thing it is everytime I slip the surly bonds.   

[airtac]

OH GOD !!--"slipped those surly bonds"--aren't we such romantics---no wonder our employers think we're nuts

Actually, I sometimes hum the theme from 'Rocky' as I roll out for takeoff ---just caint hep maself !!

[AirScorp]

So ,you think it was that military family friend who got me into the seat of an F-16 at age 12 that I should thank for my aviation dreams?
HELL YEA! 

[Rooster Cruiser]

OH GOD !!--"slipped those surly bonds"--aren't we such romantics---no wonder our employers think we're nuts

Actually, I sometimes hum the theme from 'Rocky' as I roll out for takeoff ---just caint hep maself !!

Take it easy on me Jim, I wax poetic everytime I go see the Blue Angels.




...And I'm happy to hear that you aren't humming the theme song for "Hawaii 5-0" on your takeoff roll!  Hehe.

[PiperGirl]

All flying machines are things of great beauty.  It still gets to me what a magical thing it is everytime I slip the surly bonds.   

I slipped the surly bonds last evening for a just-for-the-fun-of-it-flight.  It was sooooo beautiful. The sun was setting, and there was a thunderstorm building in the distance which made for a lovely sunset. We could see Chicago across the lake silhouetted by the sun. It was one of those moments that make you fall in love with flying all over again.

[airtac]

OH GOD !!--"slipped those surly bonds"--aren't we such romantics---no wonder our employers think we're nuts

Actually, I sometimes hum the theme from 'Rocky' as I roll out for takeoff ---just caint hep maself !!

Take it easy on me Jim, I wax poetic everytime I go see the Blue Angels.




...And I'm happy to hear that you aren't humming the theme song for "Hawaii 5-0" on your takeoff roll!  Hehe.

Yeah and I forgot to mention that I'm humming "ride of the Valkyrie" whenever I roll in on a fire 

[TheSoccerMom]

 

I KNEW that was you..........    doing those ROLLS over the fires.............   

 

[The Dancing Bear]

  He wuz doin WHAT!  Holy crap ,Batman ! Now I finally know keeps over stressing the wings !   All i wanna know iz wuz it fun fer ya ? Thar, consider yer self rip-remanded ! But, the bird is still in one piece .....mumble,mumble, snort.

  i should talk, I'm the scofflaw with all the speeding tickets. Even the cop didn't think I could make it go THAT fast !

[airtac]

I KNEW that was you..........    doing those ROLLS over the fires.............   

 

Sorry, no rolls over the fire--I can imagine some wienie little lead plane jock having a bowel movement of delight just writing the  SAFECOM if I did a couple !!

[TheSoccerMom]

Er, uh, the last roll I ever saw in a govvie airplane was done BY a leadplane pilot...............  hee hee.........  that was many years ago, though!   

[airtac]

I'm not going to ask you reveal that name but does it rhyme with Mike Lynn?