Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Years ago, I shared with my wife a few things on my bucket list. Scuba diving is so much fun as you pass fish. The think you must be an big ugly fish. Another bucket item is flying a plane. This is such a RUSH! I still have some other things to do.

Happy Shooting!

singleshot Loc: Georgia

As a very old and high hours USAF pilot it is my opinion that the kid wants to be a Navy pilot. So as not to have someone ready to fight, "I'm joking".

SteveR Loc: Michigan

If you'd watched "Air Disasters" on the Smithsonian Channel, you'd have thought more than twice before flying with those pilots.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

Had to go with what ws available. Methinks flying is still safer than via auto.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

To all fellow Hoggers: I had always stared upwards and watched planes. My wife knew that flying was on my bucket list. She drove me out for my surprise. When we got to the airport, I thought I was going to read a five inch thick book and take a two hour test. NOPE! The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) took me out to the plane. He explained the fuselage and had me sit at the flight deck. He explained the dials. Then he had me radio the tower. I dialed in the compass and taxied the plane to the tarmac. I radioed the tower for clearance and climbed onto the tarmac. After a few minutes I asked the CFI when we would be flying. He said, look out the side window. HOLY COW! We were about 50 ft off the ground. I asked the instructor when do I start flying. He responded, I was and he wasn’t helping me. His hands were in his lap the whole time. I flew the plane for two hours. WHAT A RUSH! The instructor had me radio the tower again. I dialed the compass and slowly a pencil line came into view. As it got larger, I down throttled and I made a perfect landing. My heart was beating faster that a dog’s tail wagging.

I’m far from being a licensed pilot. But what an amazing feeling. To all those out there, it is easier to pilot a plane than to drive a car.

I am currently working on creating a aviation curriculum at a local high school. I would like to see a new batch of high school seniors applying to aviation colleges!

Happy Shooting!

Linda2 Loc: Yakima Wa.

Love your story! I always look up and wonder who and where they are going!

SteveR Loc: Michigan

True. I'm just amazed, though, at the number of crashes because pilots messed up on pre-flight routines and forgot to set the flaps.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I think lots of aircraft, even including some smaller ones, have warning systems (assuming they work) that warns the pilot if the flaps aren’t down when take off power is applied.

I flew in a small aircraft with retractable gear that had a tape across the top of the instrument panel with bold lettering that went something like: “PUT DOWN THE F...... LANDING GEAR BEFORE LANDING”. Apparently the flying club that owned the aircraft had a previous bad experience with a retractable gear plane.