What have you actually flown in?

Rode in for transport or troubshooting:

MH-53J

Chinook

Blackhawk (several variants)

C-23

C-130 (several variants)

C-141

C-5

KC-135(A,R,&Q)

B-52

Incentive rides in:

F-4G

F-16D

F-111

Thank Uncle Sam

mach71

 

mach71

Lets see if I can remember them all.

piloted

Cessna 150, 152, 172

Grumman Cheeta

T-37. flew like a 150. Great acro airplane

T-38 A kick a$$ airplane. But 6-7 Gs hurts

C-23 Militarized Shorts 330

C-5 A GREAT aircraft. Did low level, airdrop, tactical (I know, crazy), AR, along with plenty of trash hauling.

Then into the civilian world

727s sideways

MD-80s Another great aircraft

737s, about 39 versions of them.

Thats where I am now. The left seat of a 737.

Oh. Does sitting in the cockpit of a Russian Mi-8 count while it was cargo on my C-5 count? We were crossing the Atlantic at the time. Same with Marine 1.

As a passenger.

All the Boeing's in passenger service in the 25 years

All the Douglas's the same

All the Airbus's except the 330, 340, 380

Been in the cockpit of most of them on the jumpseat

E-190

CRJ's

-8's

Uh-1. The only helicopter

Sat/been in

B-17 Shoo shoo baby while at Dover AFB

F-106

B-1, you wear it

CH-53

Hind

B-29

B-24

F-20

F-5

MiG 21

MiG 23

MiG 25

Not aircraft but still cool

ZSU-25

M1-A1 Abrams VERY VERY cool

I probably missed a few but that's got to be most of them

In all that time I've never flown a bad aircraft. Some have been better than others

but they have all had their good points.

 

 

 

 

 

I should update the list. Since then I have flown a Robinson R-22

And been passenger in 787-900 and an A-330

 

You win!

Excluding commercial aircraft: T-28B in Texas,  C-47 (Only half a trip. Jumped out of it over NAS Lakehurst NJ :),  UH-1N on Guam, C-130 between Capodichino Italy and RAF Mildenhall UK, and 1 cat shot off the Eisenhower in a C-2A(R) Greyhound.

 H130 helicopter over Niagara Falls. They have the helicopter tour thing here recommended if you come to the falls ever 

Bought my wife and me a ride in a UH-1C at the local airshow a couple of weekends ago. She and I rode in the gunner's seats (no doors, looking directly out to the left side, feet hanging out the door, only our seatbelts holding us in). The pilot made sure to do a couple of "Zero-G" maneuvers just to hear the females on board scream (ten passengers total on this ride). Screamers included my wife, of which I got some very good video, so she can't deny it. Very fun day!

Anything else??? That's one helluva lot of experience in aviation right there!

If I broaden the response, I remember now the first planes I flew in.  Dad had an Aeronca C3 and later a Taylorcraft L2-B (war surplus).

mach71

Lets see if I can remember them all.

piloted

Cessna 150, 152, 172

Grumman Cheeta

T-37. flew like a 150. Great acro airplane

T-38 A kick a$$ airplane. But 6-7 Gs hurts

C-23 Militarized Shorts 330

C-5 A GREAT aircraft. Did low level, airdrop, tactical (I know, crazy), AR, along with plenty of trash hauling.

Then into the civilian world

727s sideways

MD-80s Another great aircraft

737s, about 39 versions of them.

Thats where I am now. The left seat of a 737.

Oh. Does sitting in the cockpit of a Russian Mi-8 count while it was cargo on my C-5 count? We were crossing the Atlantic at the time. Same with Marine 1.

As a passenger.

All the Boeing's in passenger service in the 25 years

All the Douglas's the same

All the Airbus's except the 330, 340, 380

Been in the cockpit of most of them on the jumpseat

E-190

CRJ's

-8's

Uh-1. The only helicopter

Sat/been in

B-17 Shoo shoo baby while at Dover AFB

F-106

B-1, you wear it

CH-53

Hind

B-29

B-24

F-20

F-5

MiG 21

MiG 23

MiG 25

Not aircraft but still cool

ZSU-25

M1-A1 Abrams VERY VERY cool

I probably missed a few but that's got to be most of them

In all that time I've never flown a bad aircraft. Some have been better than others

but they have all had their good points.

 

I should update the list. Since then I have flown a Robinson R-22

And been passenger in 787-900 and an A-330

This is a fun post. Lotsa guys in lotsa planes. Cool for sure. I have lists for several things and variations to make it even more fun. For aircraft its flown, ridden in, set in, touched and seen which makes it more interesting. By 'flown' I mean stick time however short and on down to 'seen' which can be in museums, flying or sitting. 'Touching' is fun at air shows in that you should get permission which usually requires social interaction with the pilot and/or owner or in the case of military aircraft, the crew which are always eager to give you a tour. Sit-ins can be museum cockpits or entire aircraft. It' just a game that shows whether you are a real Aircraft nut or not! LOL!

Since I have no licence to fly any of this stuff, the best I can get is stick time, which is not often but my sit in and touch list is great, probably due to my age and early intrest. The sit list includes SR-71, B-47, F-100, E-6B (really secret!), B-25, B-17, A-7, F-16, F-4, He-111, no chairs but Apollo 13, Blackhawk, Sea Cobra to name some of the good ones.

I'm not telling all of this to impress you, but to tell how fortunate and persistent and also lucky I was to be able to actually see and feel a large part of Aviation history. Just a game? Maybe--- Keep after 'em Gang!

Max

Ps--Did I mention my bird list? (It's true!) LOL!

I posted my list quite some time ago, but I just increased the number with a recent trip. Kansas City to Portland, Oregon, in an Embraer Regional. The designation escapes me, either a 175 or 195, it was brand spanking new, still smelled like a new car.

The winglets, (or tip sails as they are sometimes called,) were just enormous. I'd guess 6 or 7 feet in length, swept up at about a 30 degree angle and back at a pronounced angle.

Nice ride, interesting bit of aerodynamics going on there. I wonder if others will adopt that feature. Anyone on FSM familiar with the airplane?

Patrick

ridleusmc

CH-53E - too many times to count.

CH-46E - once

C130 - once

C5 - twice.  

I miss my 53's.

 

Never got to fly in a 53 but i did stand under one once. Boy thats some down wash. Was hard to stand up even under the airframe.

Beech Bonanza and Baron as a boy with my dad. Flight training in PA-28 Cherokee and Arrow, some twin time in a Baron. about an hour in a BT-13, then the best part - several hours right seat time in a B-17 I spent 6 mos. helping restore in Geneseo, NY. Got to help take it to air shows a couple times then do cockpit tours. I think they felt sorry for me since I avidly did the scut jobs just to be around the thing. Got to help move the PBY a couple times but no flying. Also got to hand crank the flywheel on a P-40. Those were good days...

Air force - Aloette 3, Aerospatiale Puma, Atlas Oryx, C-160,C-130, TP-47, C-47,C-53 ,Boeing 707

Civy - DC-3, Fokker friendship, Hieler Helo, microlights, T-6, Pitts S2b, Chipmunk,DH tigermoth, Atlas Kudu (para drop) I hold licence for C-172, C-150 and PA 18

Theuns

I've been around quite awhile, even long enough to fly on a DC-3 Airliner. I hung out with a flying crowd early on and rode in all the Cubs and such on up to modern Airliners. The best ride and stick time front seat was in a Navy SNJ when the Navy was trying to recruit me for Naval Aviation. This was in Kansas with no seas but they did have a deck painted on the Naval Base runway and we did a simulated carrier landing. I still had school to finish and never did take up the offer as the two friends that were with me did, and were both killed in separate air accidents which ended my flying dreams.

Max

Hey, I've got a heck of a sit in list, Does that count? lol! No seats in Apollo 13, but I did stick my head in it and played with the door latch stuff during restoration. Everyone should also have a touch list which can be fun and extensive!

CH-53E - too many times to count.

CH-46E - once

C130 - once

C5 - twice.  

I miss my 53's.

As a kid, I got time in Cessna 150s, 172s, Aeronca Champs, Morriseys [Now known as Varga], Piper Cheyennes, PA-140 Cherokees, with the exception of the Cheyenne I got time at the controls. My last flight was AT6 time back in 2000 with stick time as well as aerobatics. I've been on the ground ever since and now with coronary artery disease, I probably wouldn't be allowed to fly like that again.

Neat thread from the past.

Military wise...

C-5, C-130, C-141, C-17 the Navay equivilent of a DC-9 and I got 1.5 hours in the backseat of an F-15D (79-007) in the summer of 88 over Norway. We even had an inflight emergency and all the fire trucks waiting. 

We had a fuel imbalance at the end of playing around and dog fighting a few F-16's. 

great time!

Kevin

In the 5th F.I.S. if you worked operations with the pilots and were cockpit qualified, they gave you a pretty much open invitation, providing you were free  for the time, to go up and be part of the fun and sometimes get in some stick time.

The guys were great, if not sometimes a little bit crazy, I loved the aircraft (even worked on the new markings for the F-15s we transitioned into, but I just don't like flying.  This has nothing to do with the various near flying accidents I was in or the actual crashes I had to go to, I just don't like the senations of flying.

ikar01

Even though I always hated flying:

727

Dc-8

Dc-8 stretched version

dc-9

DC-10

L-1011

737

hot air baloon

C-130

C-141

C-5

C-47

H-43

UH-1

some cramped little twin turbo prop commuter thingy that skimmed over tree tops.

I have turned down rides on: T-33s/F-106s/F-15s 

 

DUDE! You turned down a ride in an F-15 and a SIX???? What is WRONG with you?

 

 

Only flown in, no stick time:

727(my FAVORITE airliner): flew commercial California to Chicago. Beautiful aircraft, period.

Shorts 360: (Wildest ride of my life flying from Chicago to Marquette, Michigan. Pilot hit turbulence coming into Marquette and at one point, airplane was almost on its side. I haven't flown much since then.)

KC-135: watched the refueling of a flight of F-106's from the 87th FIS on their way to Red Flag 84. GO RED BULLS! Sat in the jump seat coming back to K.I. Sawyer and got a quick education on what exactly a "cross wind landing" was. Weirdest thing I'd ever seen; the airplane is flying straight at the runway centerline but the nose is pointed off to the right by about 5 degrees.

B-52H: sat in the cockpit as a guest of the AC and gunner. Looked around thinking "How the HELL do they memorize all this stuff?" That airplane's in my top 10 favorites list for sure. 

Other than your standard airliners, a Boeing Stearman and Hughes 500 (MASH type) helicopter (as passengers). 

Got to wear the leather helmet and gogles for the Stearman

Even though I always hated flying:

727

Dc-8

Dc-8 stretched version

dc-9

DC-10

L-1011

737

hot air baloon

C-130

C-141

C-5

C-47

H-43

UH-1

some cramped little twin turbo prop commuter thingy that skimmed over tree tops.

I have turned down rides on: T-33s/F-106s/F-15s 

I have flown in a UH-1D,bell 47,B-17G, CH-46,RH-53D,C-9,707,727,737 747,DC-8,DC-9,DC-10,Mooney,Piper Cherokee.

Fixed wing: Mooney M20 (actually got some closely supervised time behind the yoke), Cessna 150, Cessna 180, Beechcraft Bonanza.

Whirly Gigs: UH-1H, Bell 205, Bell 206, Bell 212, Allouette 3, Vertol 107

also a few commercial and commuter types.

Huey's and Blackhawks is about the only thing military I have flown in. A bunch of civilian stuff.

Civilian aircraft not included:

C-47

C-5A

C-141A1A

C-130

UH-1

HH-43

tellis

M MI-8 (Serbian AF)

Can I be curious and ask under which circumstances did you found yourself in the Mi-8?

Forgot to add - I flew in a DeHavilland Otter on floats that belongs to Kenmore Air in Seattle, WA (no stick time).  Took a little sight-seeing tour around Seattle. Really nice. There were us 5 passengers and the pilot. He took us on a 1.5G 360-degree bank around the Space Needle so we could get some really good pictures of it. What was really impressive was how smooth the take-off & landing was in the water. Silky smooth. I would've thought it would be rougher.

Impressiver list! P-51 ehh? Do tell.

Funny about helicopters, I feel the same way. Never had to ride in one as part of the job like most of you all.

Dad used to say they don't really fly, they just fake it.

Having worked in aviation as an A&P/AI for something like 45 years, I've managed to to get time in a few different A/C. (Ether as a pilot or as a passenger).

Piper J3/L4, Pa12, Pa18, Pawnee, Tri-Pacer/Colt, Apache, Comanche, Cherokee

Cessna 100 series (except 162), C206, C208, C210, C421, L19, Agwagon/Agtruck

Aero Commander Twins, Stinson L5, Ercoupe, Aeronca 7AC/11AC

B-17, B-23, B-24, A-26, Be 18/AT11, C-47, C-46, C-54, DC-7

PV-2, PB4Y-2, TBM, P-51

Didn't list any of the helicopters I've ridden in because I really don't care for them because they don't really fly, they beat the air into submission, plus they rattle, shake, drop parts on you and then fall on you.  And if you paint them Dull Green, they rattle, shake, drop parts on you, fall on you and people will shoot at you!

Double D,

Not sure of the nomenclature, but we had a few Sherpas making short personnel and log hops between remote outposts like Tal Afar and some of the more civilized towns like Taji..........The Sherpa was uglier than home made soap, but it could get off the ground pretty darn quick!

Now you jogged a memory. I flew in an Olympic Airways Skyvan back in 1988, from Mikonos to Athens.

Sherpa's are the C-23

Cool stuff, TAD. Were the Sherpas C-27s?

As an Army grunt, I got no stick time in anything.  I did get to ride in some decent aircraft though.

CH-53E as a ROTC cadet

C-130s and C-141- rode in some, jumped out of a few too.

UH-1H, CH-47, and UH-60s in Korea, Ft. Campbell, Panama, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq

C130s, C17, and small 'Sherpa' transports - in country movement throughout Kuwait and Iraq

Such fun memories!!!

TAD

Not counting airlines, pax on UH-1, C-130, KC-135A, C-9,

Crew on T-37B, T-43A, B-52G, B-52H

Devil Dawg

Huey54

E-4B (747-200) and currently UH-1N (Bell 212)

Also when I was a kid I got to fly on a B-25.

Cool, Huey54! If you flew E-4Bs, then you must be USAF, correct?

Yes sir.

Correct sir.

Military aircraft flown in- C-130, C-17, C-5, CH-47, UH-60, UH-72 (US), C-130 (Italian AF), C-160 (Luftwaffe), MI-8 (Serbian AF) and an introductory flight lesson in a T-6 Texan. not too bad for an old tank commander.

AME...Aircraft Maintenance Environmental. AKA seat mechs.  I got over to Riyadh Aug 92 working for Lockheed Martin Middle East. Folks there was pointing out to me where all the Scuds have hit in the city.  Would go to Bahrain on weekends which was a nice break from the Saudis, of course in Bahrain you could find them at the bars.

Awww, Man! Rotten luck! I actually got to go over there on the USS Saipan with a Harrier detachment from MALS-32. Spent 6 months floating around in the Gulf. Saw quite a few nice ports, like Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo, Hurgada, Jaifa, and Palma De Mallorca of the east coast of Spain. Never did get to go into Kuwait with any of the shore parties, though.

By the way, what's "AME"? I was DECM (Deceptive Electronic Countermeasures (6482).

Dawg "Cool rides, Shooter! What was your MOS in the Corps? I see you were stationed at Cherry Point if you were assigned to VMGR-252. When were you there? I was stationed there from 1984 to 1995, with H&MS-32/MALS-32, then MALS-14."

Hi Dawg! As a SSgt I lat moved into the AME field (6086) and got assigned to 252 in 1979. Then in 1984 I went to 352 and 2 years later did a PCS move to 152 for 3 three years. Came back and became a C-130 environmental instructor at the Navy/Marine school house at El Toro which was fun. 

A year later I made MSgt and some wiseass monitor at CMC thought instead of keeping me in the C-130 community that I would like fast movers and gave me a choice of F-18 outfits to choose from to be a maintenance chief. We settled on VMA-(AW)- 242 as they were going to go into a transitional period to the F-18D shortly and figured I would be in the same learning curve as everyone else. That was a month before the first Gulf War.

Well when the balloon went up, 242 took off with their A-6's like the Bats they were to Saudi. I figured I would join them the following month over there.  But the Squadron got as far as Cherry Point and was told to hand over their birds to the other Intruder squadrons and return to El Toro for the transition. There were a lot of unhappy faces including mine, that was upset about missing the party. I would watch CNN and see C-130 buddies of mine being interviewed as they were conducting refueling hops over Iraq . It was a couple of months before we received our first factory fresh Lawn Dart. After a few more months and a few more new birds on our flightline, we stated doing exercises to places I have never been to in a C-130, like CAX at 29 Palms, Red Flag at Nellis but getting stuck way out in the boondocks at Indian Springs. Then there was TAIL HOOK! But that is another story.

 All in all I had a great time and in hindsight, I should have asked my CO for a F-18 hop before I retired but I was just too busy with the squadron and baby sitting the SgtMaj.

Scott

Huey54

E-4B (747-200) and currently UH-1N (Bell 212)

Also when I was a kid I got to fly on a B-25.

Cool, Huey54! If you flew E-4Bs, then you must be USAF, correct?

Archangel Shooter

Since I was a little kid I always loved aircraft and that carried over to my time in the Corps.

On the military side of the house....

KC-130 F/R having been assigned to VMGR's 152, 252 and 352 as a 6086

Now during my off duty time and having a backseat license, over the years I was able to catch hops among various fixed and rotor units willing to give rides. One time I came Sooooo close to an F-4 hop but the decision was for squadron personnel only.

TC-4C NAVY @ NAS Oceana The working A-6 cockpit in the back was an amazing sight!

T-28 @ MCAS K-Bay w/stick time. After T/O the Col let me fly it from Oahu to the Big Island.

TA-4J w/ VMAT-203 @ MCAS Cherry Pt. w/stick time. 1st hop was an ACM, it was an E-ticket ride

TA-4J w/ VC-12 @ NAS Oceana w/stick time. I got in 1-2 hops per day the last 2 week I was there.

OV-10A caught a hop from Bogue Field into Cherry Pt.

P-3A @ NAS Memphis

CH-46D @ K-Bay

CH-53D @ K-Bay

UH-1 @ K-Bay

KC-135 SAC  got a hop from AFB Hickham to Offutt and back.

C-141's

KC-30 E/R and the CASA CN 235 with the RSAF as a contractor.

For the civilian birds I had to pay for a ride....

Cessna 150's w/stick time, B-707, 727, 737, 747, 757.767.  DC-8, 9, 10, L-1011, Corvair  340, 880, 890. YS-11 most of the Airbuses and ATR-72's.

Cool rides, Shooter! What was your MOS in the Corps? I see you were stationed at Cherry Point if you were assigned to VMGR-252. When were you there? I was stationed there from 1984 to 1995, with H&MS-32/MALS-32, then MALS-14.

E-4B (747-200) and currently UH-1N (Bell 212)

Also when I was a kid I got to fly on a B-25.

Since I was a little kid I always loved aircraft and that carried over to my time in the Corps.

On the military side of the house....

KC-130 F/R having been assigned to VMGR's 152, 252 and 352 as a 6086

Now during my off duty time and having a backseat license, over the years I was able to catch hops among various fixed and rotor units willing to give rides. One time I came Sooooo close to an F-4 hop but the decision was for squadron personnel only.

TC-4C NAVY @ NAS Oceana The working A-6 cockpit in the back was an amazing sight!

T-28 @ MCAS K-Bay w/stick time. After T/O the Col let me fly it from Oahu to the Big Island.

TA-4J w/ VMAT-203 @ MCAS Cherry Pt. w/stick time. 1st hop was an ACM, it was an E-ticket ride

TA-4J w/ VC-12 @ NAS Oceana w/stick time. I got in 1-2 hops per day the last 2 week I was there.

OV-10A caught a hop from Bogue Field into Cherry Pt.

P-3A @ NAS Memphis

CH-46D @ K-Bay

CH-53D @ K-Bay

UH-1 @ K-Bay

KC-135 SAC  got a hop from AFB Hickham to Offutt and back.

C-141's

KC-30 E/R and the CASA CN 235 with the RSAF as a contractor.

For the civilian birds I had to pay for a ride....

Cessna 150's w/stick time, B-707, 727, 737, 747, 757.767.  DC-8, 9, 10, L-1011, Corvair  340, 880, 890. YS-11 most of the Airbuses and ATR-72's.

Sorry for the double post, blasted laptop!!!!

As a commercial pilot I had the opportunity to fly many aircraft, most of them outside of the career. On the job, 727, 707, (yup, that makes me an old guy,) 757, DC-10, 747 and 747-400. A real privilege, all of them. Off the job a whole bunch of airplanes, as a second career professional airport bum, just never could get enough.

Among the very favorites: Waco UPF-7, Piaggio Royal Gull twin engine pusher prop amphib, Cessna 310-R, Cessna 185 on amphib floats, Zlin Blanik sailplane. As a very young kid, my Dad's friend gave me a ride in his Ercoupe. I was about 8, thought it was as exotic as I now consider the Space Shuttle to be.

Now at 74 years I fly an LOD, (Large Oak Desk,) happy to drive a Ford pickup with a black lab named Ellie in the right seat, best darn First Officer I ever had.

Patrick    

well,compared to y'all,not too many......in order (if i remember correctly)

commonwealth sopwith pup

beechcraft bonanza

cessna(tiny one)

stearman 2 seater

twin otter

Huey

C-130

...and way back in the 70s I got to "fly" a trailered virtual B-52 cockpit....too cool,and also what started my flightsim issues (now retired from flightsims)

Now that's a cool list, mach71! I take it you fly for a living?

Lets see if I can remember them all.

piloted

Cessna 150, 152, 172

Grumman Cheeta

T-37. flew like a 150. Great acro airplane

T-38 A kick a$$ airplane. But 6-7 Gs hurts

C-23 Militarized Shorts 330

C-5 A GREAT aircraft. Did low level, airdrop, tactical (I know, crazy), AR, along with plenty of trash hauling.

Then into the civilian world

727s sideways

MD-80s Another great aircraft

737s, about 39 versions of them.

Thats where I am now. The left seat of a 737.

Oh. Does sitting in the cockpit of a Russian Mi-8 count while it was cargo on my C-5 count? We were crossing the Atlantic at the time. Same with Marine 1.

As a passenger.

All the Boeing's in passenger service in the 25 years

All the Douglas's the same

All the Airbus's except the 330, 340, 380

Been in the cockpit of most of them on the jumpseat

E-190

CRJ's

-8's

Uh-1. The only helicopter

Sat/been in

B-17 Shoo shoo baby while at Dover AFB

F-106

B-1, you wear it

CH-53

Hind

B-29

B-24

F-20

F-5

MiG 21

MiG 23

MiG 25

Not aircraft but still cool

ZSU-25

M1-A1 Abrams VERY VERY cool

I probably missed a few but that's got to be most of them

In all that time I've never flown a bad aircraft. Some have been better than others

but they have all had their good points.

Added a hot air balloon ride on the 4th.

I spent a lot of time in the air and away from base. The GR1 and the Hornet were so I could keep up my ejection seat qualification, and the MiG was a lucky stroke when my unit went TAD to Russia for a month.

Geez, Souda!! That's an impressive list. How much time in the air do you have? I'm especially impressed with the last three in the list.

CH-46 Sea Knight

CH-53 Sea Stallion

MH-53 Pave Low

MH-60 Pave Hawk

CH-47 Chinook

MH-47

SH-60F Sea Hawk

HH-60 Jay Hawk

OH-6 Cayuse

OH-58 Kiowa

C-130

MC-130 (Aircrew)

EC--130 (Aircrew)

KC-130

C-9

C-40

C-17

C-5

C-141

KC-135

RC-135W (Aircrew)

RC-135R (Aircrew)

EP-3 (Aircrew)

P-3

Lynx HMA.8

C-2

E-2

E-3

KC-10

S-3

ES-3 (Aircrew)

Tri Star

C-119 (Jumped out of)

727

737

747

757

767

UH-1

A320

A319

A340

F/A-18E

Tornado GR1

MiG 29KUB

The US Navy loved to send me everywhere.

Ford Trimotor

Waco biplane,  don't know the model of some of these

1910 Wright Flyer replica

AH1F Hueycobra

C7 Caribou

KC130F Hercules

C141 Starlifter

Boeing

707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767

Douglas

DC7, DC8, DC10, MD90 Embraer Hughes 500 Ecuriel Airbus A320 ATR42

I'll definitely have to look that one up. Sounds interesting.

Hey DD, it was made by the Funk Aircraft Company. They were around in the 30's and early 40's I believe. Small, single-engine planes reminiscent of a Piper. It was a fantastic aircraft. I was around 14 I think when one of the seniors in my Civil Air Patrol unit was offering rides. I was the only one who took him up on the offer. He actually let me take the controls for a bit, and had me do a couple basic maneuvers. When he took the controls back, he asked me if I wanted to do a stall, I said "sure". That was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced

Gotta ask - what is a '40 Funk??

'40 Funk, Cessna 172, UH-1(?), UH-60, C-130, C-17, MD-80, DC-10, 727, 737, 757, 777, A300

4 years Coast Guard active duty = an H-3 and a C-130 ride.

3 years USAFRes = lots of dreams but no flying.

Devil Dawg

Aaron Skinner

GMorrison

So in other words you got PAID to do it!

Every job has its perks!

So, uhhh, any openings there at Kalmbach? I would love to have a job where I can get paid to fly!!

Not to brag or anything...but, I was getting paid while riding along on a B-17 AND B-25, while everybody else on board had a $400 seat!

Aaron Skinner

GMorrison

So in other words you got PAID to do it!

Every job has its perks!

So, uhhh, any openings there at Kalmbach? I would love to have a job where I can get paid to fly!!

Negative...that's a GOOD landing.

A GREAT landing is when the aircraft is still airworthy!

True dat!

Richard. Any landing where you can run away from the fire is a great landing!

UH-60 Blackhawk and the EH-60 QuickFix electronic warfare variant and while I have the utmost respect for my brethren with the silver wings upon their chests (especially the ones with a gold star on them), all the aircraft I've ridden in were on  the ground when I got on them...and on the ground when I got off them!  They may have been missing a wing and on fire; but still on the ground!  LOL!  jk

The E-3 had a jumpseat. It was called 'Seat 5'. I sat there on several occasions during my crew dog tenure. I would typically fly with the same handful of flight deck crewman most of the time. They liked me, I think, because I always had a stack of unmentionable magazines in my flight bag that I would share on long missions.

...But Anyway. I remember once in Seat 5, over the Caribbean during an AR. We used to do that in the low 20's. This time, it was at night and in the soup and choppy. They said "help us find the tanker  We take on XXXX pounds in the next 15 minutes or we abort and RTB. You'll see a white light. "That's the tail light, or was it from the boom? So, we all got the light about a mile away or less. The tanker loomed into sight much closer than than . The FO (a Captain) was doing the flying. It was quite harrowing. Bouncing all over the sky in a plane, while hand flying, is enough to wear you out. To match all that all up with a boom and KC-135 10 yards away was quite a show. Oh, but don't come on it too fast and smash the windshield, Up...careful...back! Ok..contact...drink...dang...out.. Fight it all over again. This went on for 45 minutes. We finally got what we needed and continued the mission. I remember the Captain was drenched in sweat when it was all over! .. I think I was too!

Yep, served 8 yrs USAF.  It was funny, the one where I sat in the jump seat, we were just coming off a TDY (that turned into a 4 day drinking binge, don't ask).  I heard the pilot say, Hey anyone wanna sit in the jump seat.  It was awesome because I got to hear them talking to all the control towers as we were taking off as well as when we were over the Atlantic. 

GMorrison

So in other words you got PAID to do it!

Every job has its perks!

So in other words you got PAID to do it!

Devil Dawg

Aaron, I just gotta ask - how did you manage to get rides in the Goodyear Blimp & The Golden Knights plane? That's pretty danged cool!!

Cool stuff, Peaches! Are you a veteran? Just wondering, as not many civilians get to fly in KC-135 jump seats.

C-130, KC-135 (I got to fly in the jump seat on one mission that I went on).

Aaron, I just gotta ask - how did you manage to get rides in the Goodyear Blimp & The Golden Knights plane? That's pretty danged cool!!

I once flew in a tiger moth biplane once, and I still remember it as though it were yesterday, I flew over the beautiful south Australia coast

Rides (airliners not included) — Cessna 150, Cessna 172, Beech 3NM (Canadian C-45). B-25, B-17, C-130, UH-1D, UH-60 Blackhawk, PT-19 Cornell, a biplane (New Standard?), Learjet 23, hot-air balloon, Golden Knight's FH-227 Friendship, and Goodyear Blimp.

fermis

MIflyer

fermis

MIflyer

Hope we run into each other again sometime!

Planning to take a trip to Nationals this summer (June 20 somethinth I think???), if ya wanna tag along...will be good times for sure!

Otherwise...if ya get a free evening, give me a shout, I'll throw some backstraps on the grill!!! I'm right off M-36 (basically), about 20 mins. from Willow Run.

Sounds good!

I probably won't make the Nats this year, as close as it will be. I'm scheduled to fly that week and trying to trade time off during the summer is next to impossible. I am planning to be at Indy in March and the Region IV show in Dayton in April, though.

INdy in March eh?!!!

I got a buddy down that way, have gone the last two years. Stay the night at his place  Fri night...(do you like rum???!!!)...show on Sat and head back. Will likely do it again this year. You can come along if ya like.

I actually do the same thing - I have a buddy in Fort Wayne that I crash with. Thanks for the invite though - hope to see you there!

MIflyer

fermis

MIflyer

Hope we run into each other again sometime!

Planning to take a trip to Nationals this summer (June 20 somethinth I think???), if ya wanna tag along...will be good times for sure!

Otherwise...if ya get a free evening, give me a shout, I'll throw some backstraps on the grill!!! I'm right off M-36 (basically), about 20 mins. from Willow Run.

Sounds good!

I probably won't make the Nats this year, as close as it will be. I'm scheduled to fly that week and trying to trade time off during the summer is next to impossible. I am planning to be at Indy in March and the Region IV show in Dayton in April, though.

INdy in March eh?!!!

I got a buddy down that way, have gone the last two years. Stay the night at his place  Fri night...(do you like rum???!!!)...show on Sat and head back. Will likely do it again this year. You can come along if ya like.

Amen!!

When you get to the show in Indy, tell they guys running the contest that Gary Mason says "Hi!". I used to belong to the IPMS/Roscoe Turner Chapter for many, many years when I lived there.

fermis

MIflyer

Hope we run into each other again sometime!

Planning to take a trip to Nationals this summer (June 20 somethinth I think???), if ya wanna tag along...will be good times for sure!

Otherwise...if ya get a free evening, give me a shout, I'll throw some backstraps on the grill!!! I'm right off M-36 (basically), about 20 mins. from Willow Run.

Sounds good!

I probably won't make the Nats this year, as close as it will be. I'm scheduled to fly that week and trying to trade time off during the summer is next to impossible. I am planning to be at Indy in March and the Region IV show in Dayton in April, though.

It's funny, I've really never thought about heights when flying. It doesn't bother me in the least, but put me twenty feet up on a ladder and I'm definitely nervous!

Greg

This thread continues to amaze yet mostly humble me.

Greentracker, I logged a fair amount of hours for a non-professional pilot, and I have always been scared to death of heights.

MIflyer

Hope we run into each other again sometime!

Planning to take a trip to Nationals this summer (June 20 somethinth I think???), if ya wanna tag along...will be good times for sure!

Otherwise...if ya get a free evening, give me a shout, I'll throw some backstraps on the grill!!! I'm right off M-36 (basically), about 20 mins. from Willow Run.

fermis

Man, It's been a while!!!

(Yup, K-zoo contest!)

Figured you got a flying gig and got busy! No joy for me, haven't even flown in 5 years (life kicks yer nuts then ya die)

I did my instrument ticket at Eagle Flight there at YIP. I work winters at OZW (Howell)...part time/on call for graveyard shift, keeping runway and taxiway clear of snow for UofM/Survival Flight....and some random days when stuff breaks...or when we get deer inside the wire!

A few years back, I worked there more, and happened to be working when the "Yankees" came out....dumb luck..."Hey, we got an extra seat"!!!....Not anymore!!!

Glad to see you're still around and kickin'. For about four years I was flying 80-100 hours a month... twelve-plus hours a day, seven days a week. Wasn't on here much and did absolutely zero building. I'm just now getting back into the hobby now that I have a job with - *gasp* - scheduled days off.

Sucks that you haven't been in the air, but I know how it goes... when you work in aviation, you usually can't afford to do it for fun. I thought about hanging out a shingle for CFI work around the area when I moved to YIP, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I love flying, but these days, I honestly don't have much desire to go near a plane when I'm not working.

Hope we run into each other again sometime!

MIflyer

fermis

I've got P.I.C. time in multiple Cessna-150s, 152s, 172s(including G-1000 glass cockpit), Piper- Arrows , Archer IIs, Twin Comanche....stick time in a Stearman and T-6(avatar). (about 550 hrs total)

Passenged in C-130, KC-135 "MAC flights"(to and from Hawaii when I was 8...with a couple minutes stick time in the 130!),  Huey, B-25 "Yankee Warrior" and B-17 "Yankee Lady"(both for free...I work the airport they came in to). Also a couple trips in a hot air balloon. 

You're at YIP? Me, too. I'm based down on the south ramp at KC.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think we met at the K-Zoo IPMS contest several years ago. I was flight instructing at LCC then.

Man, It's been a while!!!

(Yup, K-zoo contest!)

Figured you got a flying gig and got busy! No joy for me, haven't even flown in 5 years (life kicks yer nuts then ya die)

I did my instrument ticket at Eagle Flight there at YIP. I work winters at OZW (Howell)...part time/on call for graveyard shift, keeping runway and taxiway clear of snow for UofM/Survival Flight....and some random days when stuff breaks...or when we get deer inside the wire!

A few years back, I worked there more, and happened to be working when the "Yankees" came out....dumb luck..."Hey, we got an extra seat"!!!....Not anymore!!!

fermis

I've got P.I.C. time in multiple Cessna-150s, 152s, 172s(including G-1000 glass cockpit), Piper- Arrows , Archer IIs, Twin Comanche....stick time in a Stearman and T-6(avatar). (about 550 hrs total)

Passenged in C-130, KC-135 "MAC flights"(to and from Hawaii when I was 8...with a couple minutes stick time in the 130!),  Huey, B-25 "Yankee Warrior" and B-17 "Yankee Lady"(both for free...I work the airport they came in to). Also a couple trips in a hot air balloon. 

You're at YIP? Me, too. I'm based down on the south ramp at KC.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think we met at the K-Zoo IPMS contest several years ago. I was flight instructing at LCC then.

I've got P.I.C. time in multiple Cessna-150s, 152s, 172s(including G-1000 glass cockpit), Piper- Arrows , Archer IIs, Twin Comanche....stick time in a Stearman and T-6(avatar). (about 550 hrs total)

Passenged in C-130, KC-135 "MAC flights"(to and from Hawaii when I was 8...with a couple minutes stick time in the 130!),  Huey, B-25 "Yankee Warrior" and B-17 "Yankee Lady"(both for free...I work the airport they came in to). Also a couple trips in a hot air balloon. 

Ooops!  Forgot a Twin Otter on floats...that was fun too!

Rides (not counting airliners) – Cessna 172, 182, 320; Citabria (on a glider tow); Beech Musketeer; Piper Cherokee (forget which – fixed gear); Beech Staggerwing; Stearman; P-51D (unbelievably awesome); Ford Trimotor; Bell 47

Stick Time – Luscombe; Cessna 172

Cessna  150 and 172 .had some stick time in a helo but forget the type

Mixed bag for me, considering that I have done both Navy & Army time.

Navy: CH-53E, SH-3D/G/H, P-3B 

Army: C-130, KC-135, CH-47

Cheers,

Dave

This thread continues to amaze yet mostly humble me.

Greentracker, I logged a fair amount of hours for a non-professional pilot, and I have always been scared to death of heights.

Well ;

The name " Old Shaky " was supplied by yours truly .I don't think she had a name when she flew missions . Just her old numbers .As a flying , Non-Association warbird she had experimental registration .

     After all this time I have  forgotten what they were .

Sold the bird to a fine looking English chap and have been assured she flies at Farnsborough each year . I will say this though .If you don't have a lot of green nowadays , don't even consider a retired Warbird .

      Shoot before I sold the Taylorcraft my hangar space rent went to 200.00 a month . Then like boats , aircraft fuel is higher priced too . I gave as many rides as I could till my insurance agent told me that People were not covered if I made a bad landing.

      I must remind you though , At today's prices a model of each plane I flew is as close as I'll ever get again  .I am going to be 72 soon and I don't think I can pull the expenses of a plane out of my budget

You do you (or did you) fly with, lenny320?

Let's see. I've  got stick time: A320 about 8500 hrs, C-130,  C-12, P-3C, T-44, T-34C, Cessna 150, 152,182. Passenger in more than I can count!

I tried finding information/history on Old Shaky via google and had no luck. Do you have any pics of Old Shaky? Who owns Old Shaky now? I wished I had known you back then with a prospect of getting a ride in her. LOL!

Cessna 150

Cessna 172

DeHavilland Beaver

DeHavilland Twin Otter

Twin Huey

Avro Lancaster

You Know ;

    Even after a complete overhaul on both engines , she still did her shaky thing . Never could figure it out . Sometimes she would look like she was going to fall to pieces any minute and others only little things would do the dervish thing .

   Who , knows ? Maybe she had a case of Hee Bee Jee Bees . She did do nine missions over there . I will say this though , when gripping the yoke .best hand massage I ever got .

She also had a mysterious squeek when taxiing that never was found  , Source wise that is . Port engine did develop " Hiccups " quite often , another mystery !

Sounds like she had hiccups in her engines, no? LOL!

Yes !

I have the Large Revell Version well under way . have built a lot of 1/72 and 1/144 to give as gifts . Just plain loved that old Bird ! Just for information - she lived up to her name too . Shakiest thing I ever flew .

tankbuilder - have you considered building a B-25 called "Old Shaky!" to keep the memory of you owning one at one time alive?

Hi ;

       After reading all this I guess I'll have to chime in . Got my wings in 1958 .Got to fly mostly civilian birds .A Beech super eighteen , Cessna  180 float plane,oh and can you say Old , very old warbird .My pride and joy A B-25 called " Old Shaky ! She was mine , all mine . Didn't fly her at air shows .Bought her halfway through a V.I.P. conversion .( the other guy ran out of money and got behind on storage and hangar fees .)

     I  Pushed her back to pre - conversion days . Flew her for four years and found myself in the same situation .So sold her before I got in financial trouble . Flew Falcon 20s and 10s from ORLY to JFK for conversion companies . My last was an old Taylorcraft and I loved that old bird too .

    Civil passenger aircraft were the Caravell , Vickers Viscount ( Capitol Airlines ) and DC 7 , and  7c ( American and United ) and 727 , 707 and lastly a 747 that didn't survive her last landing although 67 of us passengers did .

Can't stand even going to airports where those beasts are now . Second Last flight an Ag-Cat for a friend  and did finally get some stick time in the greatest of all ,  a PT 17 Biplane !  Whatta fun ride that was . I got to do all the things you see them do . Greatest last flight a guy could have .

I did get sit time in a Bell helo ( the old Korean war type ) and a Bell jet Ranger and as far as jet warplanes , sat in a Harrier and a P-51 . Too old now , but remember them all fondly Except the 747 !

Cessna 182, several USCG C-130's.  USCG C-20B Gulfstream, and my most memorable ride in a USCG HH-65 - from the flight deck of USCGC VIGOROUS (WMEC 627)  At the time of the HH-65 ride, I was the Damage Controlman 1st Class aboard VIGOROUS.

Gordon D. King

As a news reporter I got to fly a lot. I have flown in a lot of commercial airliners, a UH-1 helicopter, numerous private airplanes like Piper Cubs, some seaplanes, a Gloster Meteor, PT-17, KC-135 and C-130. The greatest flight was in a F-106B. I got to do a training mission after taking a pre-flight course. The training mission involved locating and "shooting down" a jet fighter trying to sneak into Massachusetts while flying under the radar. Our flight was over the ocean because I was a civilian.  Our target was flying at an altitude of just 100 feet. We did catch it and "shoot it down."  We flew over 1,000 mph and broke the sound barrier. The best part was as we prepared to land. The pilot asked if there anything special i want to do. As someone who grew up in World War II I mentioned the flights I saw in movies when a fighter peels off towards its target. The pilot put the landing gear down and we just barely touched the wheels and flew straight up pulling 9 Gs.  He flew all the maneuvers that you could ever imagine. The entire flight lasted about 3 hours. It is an experience I will never forget. A few weeks later I made a model of the F-106 and presented to to the commander at the Cape Cod air base as a thank you gift.

Cool stuff! I bet that 106 ride is something that you'll never forget. 

I just gotta ask - how did you wrangle a ride in a Meteor?

LOL @ CodyJ.

I flew IL-2 Airacobras, F4U-1a Corsairs, Zeroes, P-38 Lightnings, Spitfires, P-51s, etc.... Yep -  PC flight sim games mostly.

Nearly every WWII fighter aircraft....   Flight simulator anyone? 

Never flown actually.

Man besides commercial airliners, C-141, C-5, C-17, C-130,C-9,KC-10, KC-135,an air tour in a B-29 Incentive ride in a B-1B, UH-1, MH-53, Stick time in 172, and 150.

As a news reporter I got to fly a lot. I have flown in a lot of commercial airliners, a UH-1 helicopter, numerous private airplanes like Piper Cubs, some seaplanes, a Gloster Meteor, PT-17, KC-135 and C-130. The greatest flight was in a F-106B. I got to do a training mission after taking a pre-flight course. The training mission involved locating and "shooting down" a jet fighter trying to sneak into Massachusetts while flying under the radar. Our flight was over the ocean because I was a civilian.  Our target was flying at an altitude of just 100 feet. We did catch it and "shoot it down."  We flew over 1,000 mph and broke the sound barrier. The best part was as we prepared to land. The pilot asked if there anything special i want to do. As someone who grew up in World War II I mentioned the flights I saw in movies when a fighter peels off towards its target. The pilot put the landing gear down and we just barely touched the wheels and flew straight up pulling 9 Gs.  He flew all the maneuvers that you could ever imagine. The entire flight lasted about 3 hours. It is an experience I will never forget. A few weeks later I made a model of the F-106 and presented to to the commander at the Cape Cod air base as a thank you gift.

Holly molly, am I the only one who hasn't even come close to a military plane, except in an museum?

Maybe if I instal machineguns on that paraglide

Here is my list:

Piper Cherokee as a pilot
Para-glider as a passenger
Boeing 747
Boeing 727
Boeing 737
Boeing 777
DC 9
DC 10
Airbus 340
Airbus 320
Tupolev 154
Convair of some type

Nice thread.

For me: Stick time in C-150, C-152 (first solo and check ride) C-172 Skyhawk, C-172 XP, C-182, C-337 Skymaster; Citabria (for tailwheel endorsement) and restored N2S Sterman and SNJ trainer.

Have flown photo hops in: C-150, C-152, C-172, C-206, Bell 206 Jet Ranger; Bell 407; CH-42E; MH- 53D; Robinson R-22 and an Aérospatiale Panther.

I have been a passenger for seven catapult launches and five arrested landings aboard a C-2A Greyhound.  I've been on the flight decks and taking photos from the box of all USN inventory A/C from 1985 -2006.  That includes being inside the wingspan of a F-14 Tomcats for zone 5 ab cat shots.

I've had the privilege of sitting in the cockpits and chatted with the pilots of a FM2 Wildcat; SB2C-5E Helldiver; E-2C Hawkeye; C-130; C-2A Greyhound,  F-15C Eagle and my favorite an F-14A Tomcat.  Some of these occurred aboard Nimitz-class carriers at sea and others during air shows when I was in the former Confederate Air Force.

I suppose I've built models of most of the common types of the above mentioned birds with the exception of C-130, C-2 and the commercial helps beyond the Jet Ranger.

Devil dawg, grab a hat as a true forum gentleman. Nice to sit down and respond to people. Well done!

United bought 48 Caravelles for mid range US flights when the Lockheed Electra went south. Dad was on the procurement team and I spent several summers in Toulouse FR as a guest of the consortium.

She's a beautiful little bird, unfortunately only kitted currently by Mach 2.

Devil Dawg

. Didn't realize there was so much political stuff behind the scenes concerning them. By the way, what does "FBO" mean?

Fixed base operator.  These are the businesses that supply fuel, flight training, and some of the hanger and tie-down spaces.  Nowadays, when most airports are municipality owned, they lease facilities from city, but are private businesses.  But the cities keep raising lease rates and the FBOs must raise their rates to pay the lease bill.

Flown in a UH-1H Huey, a Bell Jet Ranger, a Bell 47, a Robinson R-22, a seaplane of some sort, and 2 or 3 different airliners, not sure which anymore.

Devil Dawg

Holy Cow!! Some AWESOME pictures are being posted here! You guys should've posted these pictures a long time ago!

The pictures beg the next question - have you built a model (or two, or three) of the real stuff that you own?

Agree! Great shots, guys. Nathan, your Citabria looks seriously great! One of these days I really, really need to get my tailwheel rating. And learn some acro.

To answer the question - I have about 5 Hasegawa Learjets in my stash, one started. I'd need to get some custom decals made, and I will eventually, but just haven't gone down that road yet. There's two or three jets that I'd love to build for sentimental reasons, but two of the three will take some modifications, in addition to decals. Hasegawa's 30-series Learjet is a great kit, but Learjets, more than most business jets, have lots of visible variations that you have to pay attention to, and given that I'd be building a very personal subject, my AMS would be in full swing. Of the 10 or so jets that I fly, I think two can be built without kit surgery.

Devil Dawg

MIflyer

LOL guys, yeah... I suppose between the T-34B and an F11F that would have made me a VERY old Navy pilot!

I was a Marine, but pounded the ground as an 03... hence the passenger time in C-130s and CH-53s. The closest I got to military flying was as a civilian contractor instructing in the IFS program for the Navy for about three years. I soloed about 90 of my own students and stage checked another 150 or so. My oldest students have just hit the fleet within the last year, mostly in helos but at least two that I've kept up with are in Hornets. Super proud of them!

And proud you should be! That's a great story, Devil Dog! How long were you in the Corps?

Six years, 2001-2007. Tried for, and got, a flight slot and was going to stay in and go the commisioned route, but got injured and medical'd out. Once out spent my GI Bill at the airport, so I got what I wanted outta the Corps after all. :)  These days the Learjet is my daily mount for work. Here's one of 'em:

Scott:Looks like you've got quite the aviation history as well! 

Nathan:It was the best seat in the house! 

Devil Dawg:I was in the 6th Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Tx from 88-92, the 501st Avn. Reg. at Seoul Airbase , Korea from 92-93 and at the 36th Medical Detachment at Ft. Polk. La from 93 - late December 95. And I do have my fair share of stories to tell ...heh heh heh! 

mustang1989

There's some great stuff being shared here! Man I'll tell you (not counting commercial airliners) I haven't flown in forever. This year will mark 20 years since my last flight. I flew for 8-1/2 years and had 900+ flight hours in the Army. I'll just let the pics do the talking as it seems I made my way into the Stars and Stripes:

Archangel Shooter

I was in the Corps from 1972 to 1992 and for an enlisted guy I would try and talk my way into catching a hop whenever possible, I flown in Cessna 150's (bases had flying clubs) and got hops in a  Marine Reserve OV-10, Marine and Navy TA-4 Skyhawks with some outstanding stick time. A T-28 ( A painting of the bird I was in is on the boxtop of the Roden kit).  Lots of time in Huey's, CH-46's and CH-53's. KC-130's with  VMGR's 152, 252 and 352.  Navy TC-4C's which was used as a trainer for A-6 crews. In the back of the bird is a fully operating A-6 cockpit, I would stand behind the 2 crew members as they worked nav points to various targets. It was like being on top of an A-6 looking in. Rode on C-141's C-9's, SAC KC-135's And over the years, most of the various civilian airliners jets and props. The one bird I almost got a ride in but to my regret only squadron personnel was allowed was the F-4 Phantom.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to fly like I did and to meet some great pilots and crew members over the years.

Cool stuff, Archangel! I had to look up TC-4C, as I wasn't familiar with that one. A Gulfstream...... didn't realize the military used those. The OV-10, the Skyhawk, and the Phantom II are two more that I would love to catch a ride in. All of them being two-seaters, STICK TIME!! 

Shaun34

Hi guys,

I've never flown in a military aircraft, but I've been a denizen of many airshows and i've been able to sit in the cockpit of a UH-1 Huey, and Ive also had the privlege  of seeing the inside of a B-17,C-130, and a walk through the cargo bay of a C-5 Galaxy. I've flown on a 737 and commuter planes. All good experiences, and i'm still alive to tell about it. :)

---Shaun

And that's the most important thing, Shaun - you're still alive to tell about it!! 

mustang1989

There's some great stuff being shared here! Man I'll tell you (not counting commercial airliners) I haven't flown in forever. This year will mark 20 years since my last flight. I flew for 8-1/2 years and had 900+ flight hours in the Army. I'll just let the pics do the talking as it seems I made my way into the Stars and Stripes:

I was in the Corps from 1972 to 1992 and for an enlisted guy I would try and talk my way into catching a hop whenever possible, I flown in Cessna 150's (bases had flying clubs) and got hops in a  Marine Reserve OV-10, Marine and Navy TA-4 Skyhawks with some outstanding stick time. A T-28 ( A painting of the bird I was in is on the boxtop of the Roden kit).  Lots of time in Huey's, CH-46's and CH-53's. KC-130's with  VMGR's 152, 252 and 352.  Navy TC-4C's which was used as a trainer for A-6 crews. In the back of the bird is a fully operating A-6 cockpit, I would stand behind the 2 crew members as they worked nav points to various targets. It was like being on top of an A-6 looking in. Rode on C-141's C-9's, SAC KC-135's And over the years, most of the various civilian airliners jets and props. The one bird I almost got a ride in but to my regret only squadron personnel was allowed was the F-4 Phantom.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to fly like I did and to meet some great pilots and crew members over the years.

There's some great stuff being shared here! Man I'll tell you (not counting commercial airliners) I haven't flown in forever. This year will mark 20 years since my last flight. I flew for 8-1/2 years and had 900+ flight hours in the Army. I'll just let the pics do the talking as it seems I made my way into the Stars and Stripes:

Hi guys,

I've never flown in a military aircraft, but I've been a denizen of many airshows and i've been able to sit in the cockpit of a UH-1 Huey, and Ive also had the privlege  of seeing the inside of a B-17,C-130, and a walk through the cargo bay of a C-5 Galaxy. I've flown on a 737 and commuter planes. All good experiences, and i'm still alive to tell about it. :)

---Shaun

Holy Cow!! Some AWESOME pictures are being posted here! You guys should've posted these pictures a long time ago!

The pictures beg the next question - have you built a model (or two, or three) of the real stuff that you own?

Nathan, thanks for posing those pics, very cool. That's a fine-looking Citabria.

I always thought crop dusters had to be a little bit nuts. Now I know one! (I'm razzing you, I love watching spraying ops, just fun to watch)

This thread just keeps getting better. I had no idea there were so many aviators here, and talk about some cool experience and stories!

I haven't missed flying in a long time, this thread is making some twangs start.

Awesome Tom! I can't compete with those pics at altitude.

Don Stauffer

<snip>  Then bought an Ercoupe.  Loved that plane,, many hours in it.

Me,too, Don Many hours in 1946 Ercoupe N87030!

Can't afford to fly any more.  <snip>

<snip>  So I don't own an airplane anymore

Me, too, Don.

<snip>

After the Ercoupe I bought a 1967 Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and years later a Beech Bonanza and when that became too expensive per hour, bought a 1975 172 Skyhawk. Enjoyed all of them . Have stick time in a twin Bonanza, Piper Navaho, King Air 200, Aero Commander and others. I did get my instrument rating in the Bonanza. And for 7 years my job required international travel so won't list all the commercial planes I've flown in except to mention I flew in a BOAC Comet and in the Concorde several times.

Devil Dawg

pyrman64

Cessna 172, Cessna O-2a Skymaster, Lockheed C-130, T-38 Talon, UH-1 Huey, Aerospatiale Dauphin, MBB BK-117

I'm impressed, pyrman! How did you get to ride in a T-38?

A college classmate was an AF reserve A-10 driver. When I told him I'd love to ride in the Warthog, he said they only had one seat but offered a ride in the Talon....which I accepted, of course! 

Awesome, Nathan! Great pics!

Here's some interesting clouds over Illinois...

And the Rockies...

Okay, now that looks like it would be some serious fun.

We see quite a few cropdusters on the segment from Memhis to Texarkana in Arkansas, we drive right by their little "airstrip/refueling stations",,,,I always get the urge to pull off the Interstate and go check them out up close,,,,,but, we never do, we just watch the stunt pilot type of flying that they do.

panzerpilot

Devil Dawg

What do you fly now?

737. It's a great plane!

Nathan. I didn't know you had a Citabria! Smelling the grass and doing your own thing is the way to fly! Maybe the occasional loop? lol

Grass is boring. Snow is fun!

Ready to taxi. We don't need no stinkin airport:

Out in front of the house:

250ft. takeoff roll:

Devil Dawg

Nathan T

Lots of cool rides being listed here. Making a young Pilot like me pretty jealous. I've flown about every single engine Cessna 100 series bird, along with Piper cubs, Warriors, Arrows, etc. Ag planes such as Air Tractors, Turbine Thrush, Piper Pawnee, AgCat. Cessna 206 and 207, Antonov AN-2, and of course my personal money pit, a 160 hp Citabria, with skis and bushwheels.

Is that your avatar picture - you and the wife in the Citabria? Based on the above, sounds as though you've done some crop-dusting in your time.

My Wife and I, yes. On the ground though. She has logged a few hours as passenger in it though.

Ag flying is my current profession:

Hello!

Devil Dawg

Pawel, how do the Russian airliners compare to the Boeings? Also, what's it like to ride in a Colt? Even as ugly a plane as it is, I find that aircraft very fascinating.

Devil Dawg, those russian airliners were like a generation older than those Boeings, so they were louder, and the Tu-154 is quite fast. They also offered more space between the seats and that was nice. Those Aeroflot pilots were at times flying military missions, too, and that could be felt at times when they maneouvred pretty hard.

As for the An-2 many people love this aircraft, I heard that it is very forgiving for the pilot and supposedly has excellent low speed flying capabilities. Did you know that it's related to the DC-3? The engine that powers it is a copy of the Wright R-1820.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

Devil Dawg

What do you fly now?

Cool stuff, Rex! Yeah, you'd be shot with no trial if you even touch some aircraft nowadays. At a recent airshow at the small airport in Monroe, NC, last year (about 3 miles from my house), they had the world's only flying SBD-5 Dauntless there (I think it's based in Peachtree City, GA, with the CAF), with "DO NOT TOUCH!!" signs all around it. I still got lots of good pictures of the dive flap mechanisms and the centerline bomb sway brace, though. I wanted some good cockpit pictures, but I ain't that tall......

There was actually an "Air Line" that operated Catalinas from Long Beach to Catalina Island back then.

We used to drive past the aircraft awaiting refurbishing at or near the Douglas plant at Long Beach Airport. One day, dad got tired of me bugging him, so he paid for his 13 year old to go on the tour.

The whole aircraft and air show culture was so different back then,,,,,,,you could sit on the wings of just about anything at a show and dangle your legs over the edge while you were talking. I was taught the "proper" way to climb up onto a Skyhawk wing before I had a driver's license, at an open house in El Torro.

Rex

Nathan T

Lots of cool rides being listed here. Making a young Pilot like me pretty jealous. I've flown about every single engine Cessna 100 series bird, along with Piper cubs, Warriors, Arrows, etc. Ag planes such as Air Tractors, Turbine Thrush, Piper Pawnee, AgCat. Cessna 206 and 207, Antonov AN-2, and of course my personal money pit, a 160 hp Citabria, with skis and bushwheels.

Is that your avatar picture - you and the wife in the Citabria? Based on the above, sounds as though you've done some crop-dusting in your time.

MIflyer

LOL guys, yeah... I suppose between the T-34B and an F11F that would have made me a VERY old Navy pilot!

I was a Marine, but pounded the ground as an 03... hence the passenger time in C-130s and CH-53s. The closest I got to military flying was as a civilian contractor instructing in the IFS program for the Navy for about three years. I soloed about 90 of my own students and stage checked another 150 or so. My oldest students have just hit the fleet within the last year, mostly in helos but at least two that I've kept up with are in Hornets. Super proud of them!

And proud you should be! That's a great story, Devil Dog! How long were you in the Corps?

panzerpilot

Devil Dawg

Wow, Tom! That's quite a list. Based on the AWACS, I'm assuming you were a crew member?

Yessir! I was a crew dog in the back. When I got out, I started taking flying lessons and fly for an airline now.. People ask me all the time "Did you fly in the military before"?. Yes, I mean No...

What do you fly now?

TarnShip

No, at an air show in Chino California. I was standing around "talking stupid" with a bunch of other prior service guys, and said I had never rode in any aircraft powered by the Merlin. One of the guys grabbed me and dragged me over to a Mustang owner.

Insults were exchanged, and money changed hands, (weren't Mustangs with back seats all called "Cavaliers"?),,,,,and I was up in the air for about 20 minutes. He tried to make me throw up, I didn't tell him that I was a "Blacksheep ramp roach with back seat time" until we landed.

Oh, and I forgot one,,,,,,,,,a PBY Catalina, based out of Long Beach. I forget how much those tours were, but, they seemed pretty cheap back then.

Rex

Dude!! A Catalina?? THAT is COOL!! The Only Catalina I've seen up close is the one with the sheet metal torn away on display at The Museum Of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. With so many of those being built, you'd think more would've survived.

Lots of cool rides being listed here. Making a young Pilot like me pretty jealous. I've flown about every single engine Cessna 100 series bird, along with Piper cubs, Warriors, Arrows, etc. Ag planes such as Air Tractors, Turbine Thrush, Piper Pawnee, AgCat. Cessna 206 and 207, Antonov AN-2, and of course my personal money pit, a 160 hp Citabria, with skis and bushwheels.

LOL guys, yeah... I suppose between the T-34B and an F11F that would have made me a VERY old Navy pilot!

I was a Marine, but pounded the ground as an 03... hence the passenger time in C-130s and CH-53s. The closest I got to military flying was as a civilian contractor instructing in the IFS program for the Navy for about three years. I soloed about 90 of my own students and stage checked another 150 or so. My oldest students have just hit the fleet within the last year, mostly in helos but at least two that I've kept up with are in Hornets. Super proud of them!

Devil Dawg

Wow, Tom! That's quite a list. Based on the AWACS, I'm assuming you were a crew member?

No, at an air show in Chino California. I was standing around "talking stupid" with a bunch of other prior service guys, and said I had never rode in any aircraft powered by the Merlin. One of the guys grabbed me and dragged me over to a Mustang owner.

Insults were exchanged, and money changed hands, (weren't Mustangs with back seats all called "Cavaliers"?),,,,,and I was up in the air for about 20 minutes. He tried to make me throw up, I didn't tell him that I was a "Blacksheep ramp roach with back seat time" until we landed.

Oh, and I forgot one,,,,,,,,,a PBY Catalina, based out of Long Beach. I forget how much those tours were, but, they seemed pretty cheap back then.

Rex

TarnShip

Kevin, I am glad you posted again.

For just a minute there, I had you figured to be a "Really old Navy Pilot", lol.

I wasn't going to list at first, figuring that my list would bore people, but, I see some pretty cool lists in here.

All in the back seat or as cargo or passenger.

Phantom, Skyhawk (once Jato'd in a two seater), Hercs, C-141, C-1, US-2, C-39, well, okay, a fairly long list of the passenger and cargo planes used by the military,,,,,,,nothing "antique and cool" though, except a C-117 one time.

707, 27, 37, 47, DC-8, 9, 10,,, L-1011, etc,,,,,,,and some of the light civil planes, Cessnas, a Comanchee

that covers the Aircraft,,,,,,,,then I had a reason to ride in some things that "didn't belong in the air",,,,,the Huey, H-3, H-2, CH-46 (I only get in Helos if I absolutely have to, and I haven't had to since my discharge, rofl) We walked into the Chinook on display at Huntsville Space,,,,,,,and I spent the whole time inside there walking back and forth making rude comments about people that enjoyed looking back at that open ramp, waiting for the green light

I used to spend the money on rides at airshows in Cavalier Mustangs, and T-6s and stuff,,,,,,,but, I quit that after a few rides and now only fly on Airliners or Military cargo hops when Anne and I go somewhere we don't want to drive to (or if we don't have time to drive it)

Rex

Dang, Rex! That's a heckuva list there! I would LOVE to ride in a Cavalier Mustang! You were in Kissimee, FL, when you got to ride in one?

Greg, that's awesome that you got some front-seat time in a Hornet!! Never got to sit in one of those. When I was in the Corps, I worked on the Harriers' DECM equipment, so I got to sit in the cockpit of those quite a bit testing the DECM systems. Unfortunately, even though we had the only US Harrier training squadron (using the two-seat TAV-8B) at Cherry Point, I never got any flight time in the back seat of a TAV-8B. Lots of newspaper types and celebrities did, though.... And that's all I have to say about that.

Thanks for the FBO explanation. That explains a lot.

I forgot about a flight in a DeHavilland Otter on floats in Seattle a few years ago. No stick time in it, but did get to do a relatively hard 360 degree bank around the Space Needle to get some awesome pictures, and got to fly over Bill Gates' house. Well, at least the tour pilot said it was Bill's house........

Kevin, I am glad you posted again.

For just a minute there, I had you figured to be a "Really old Navy Pilot", lol.

I wasn't going to list at first, figuring that my list would bore people, but, I see some pretty cool lists in here.

All in the back seat or as cargo or passenger.

Phantom, Skyhawk (once Jato'd in a two seater), Hercs, C-141, C-1, US-2, C-39, well, okay, a fairly long list of the passenger and cargo planes used by the military,,,,,,,nothing "antique and cool" though, except a C-117 one time.

707, 27, 37, 47, DC-8, 9, 10,,, L-1011, etc,,,,,,,and some of the light civil planes, Cessnas, a Comanchee

that covers the Aircraft,,,,,,,,then I had a reason to ride in some things that "didn't belong in the air",,,,,the Huey, H-3, H-2, CH-46 (I only get in Helos if I absolutely have to, and I haven't had to since my discharge, rofl) We walked into the Chinook on display at Huntsville Space,,,,,,,and I spent the whole time inside there walking back and forth making rude comments about people that enjoyed looking back at that open ramp, waiting for the green light

I used to spend the money on rides at airshows in Cavalier Mustangs, and T-6s and stuff,,,,,,,but, I quit that after a few rides and now only fly on Airliners or Military cargo hops when Anne and I go somewhere we don't want to drive to (or if we don't have time to drive it)

Rex

MIflyer

Devil Dawg

MIflyer

Besides airliners...

Passenger on C-130 and CH-53E.

Aircraft with stick time is a much longer list -

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 210, and Citation CJ1.

Piper PA-28-161, -180, -201RT, Seminole, Twin Comanche, and Meridian.

Grumman Tiger

Beech T-34B and Duchess.

Pilatus PC-12

Learjet 25, 35, and 36.

There might be a smattering of other types where I have an hour or two, but those are the major ones. Adding the King Air 200 to the list sometime in the next month or two.

Cool list! I just gotta know - the Grumman Tiger....... An F11F by chance?

LOL no chance! That would be the Grumman American AA-5B.

Shoot, what a let-down......  Heeheeheehee!  Still an impressive list. Way to go!

Dawg, FBO is fixed base operator, the operations that handle non-airline aircraft at airports, or the only 'terminal' at small airports not served by the airlines.

For me, PIC time in a lots of varied single engine civilian stuff, plus a lot of Piper Seneca time, and a tiny bit of right seat time in a King Air, but perhaps the most notable is I got to sit in the front seat of an F-!8 at an airshow I was working security at many years back. Sounds lame but was an awesome feeling just sitting there.

Got to watch a live fueling op in  the back of a KC-135 next to the fueler once, that was a hoot. With all the military experience here, probably lots of you have seen that. Big deal to me, though.

Most aggravating (and perhaps funny) one though is towards the end of flying days, took 4 or 5 hours of dual in a Piper Cub, and my buddy/instructor never did turn me loose. (Hey, it was 20 knots plus every time we went up, in my defense). I always say since I never truly figured out a taildragger, despite my 30+ years of flying, I wasn't ever really a pilot.

Interesting thread, this.

Mostly airline flights for me.  However, I did work for a private ambulance company for awhile and we did patient flights around the country.  King Air 90 and 200, PC-12.  

Observation flight in EC-135.  As a kid did a few flights in aircraft owned by friends and family, Beechcraft Bonanza V-35, Cessna 310.

Others I have been in: Cessna 208 Caravan, 717, 727, 737, 757, 767, 777.   A318, A319, A320.  DC-9, MD-80, DC-10.

Devil Dawg

MIflyer

Besides airliners...

Passenger on C-130 and CH-53E.

Aircraft with stick time is a much longer list -

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 210, and Citation CJ1.

Piper PA-28-161, -180, -201RT, Seminole, Twin Comanche, and Meridian.

Grumman Tiger

Beech T-34B and Duchess.

Pilatus PC-12

Learjet 25, 35, and 36.

There might be a smattering of other types where I have an hour or two, but those are the major ones. Adding the King Air 200 to the list sometime in the next month or two.

Cool list! I just gotta know - the Grumman Tiger....... An F11F by chance?

LOL no chance! That would be the Grumman American AA-5B.

I've been in a few Piper Cherokee's and probably a couple Cessna's although I wouldn't remember... I've sat in Bill Reeseman's Red Bull MiG-15. He was a great guy. Unfortunately he had died a year or two after that. I also sat in a P-51D of The Horseman flight demo team. Big plane.

Rob Gronovius

I've jumped out of perfectly good C-130s and C-141s. I was cargo in a C-5 Galaxy. I have flown in a few Army helicopters, Blackhawk, UH-1 and CH-47 Chinook. Non-military non-airliner, I know I've flown in a couple of single engine sightseeing planes, but couldn't tell you what they were.

Gotta say, Rob, you're a braver man than I for jumping out of planes or helicopters! I've got a very good friend back in Georgia who used to be an Army jump instructor (he's retired now - retired as a MSgt), and just loves it. You couldn't pay me enough to do it even once!

I would definitely love to fly in a Blackhawk once, though..............

MIflyer

Besides airliners...

Passenger on C-130 and CH-53E.

Aircraft with stick time is a much longer list -

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 210, and Citation CJ1.

Piper PA-28-161, -180, -201RT, Seminole, Twin Comanche, and Meridian.

Grumman Tiger

Beech T-34B and Duchess.

Pilatus PC-12

Learjet 25, 35, and 36.

There might be a smattering of other types where I have an hour or two, but those are the major ones. Adding the King Air 200 to the list sometime in the next month or two.

Cool list! I just gotta know - the Grumman Tiger....... An F11F by chance?

GMorrison

Some older airliners like DC-2,3,4,6,7 and 8. Everything Douglas or Boeing since then, except 787. Looking forward to that.

Older Boeings like 707, 720, 727.

Vickers Viscount, DH Beaver, Duck, Otter.

Sud Caravelle

Cessna Golden Eagle. Various other Cessnas.

B-24.

Those Sikorskies that ran from LAX to the roof of the Disneyland Hotel.

No stick time in anything.

Cool! A Viscount and a Caravelle! I've only seen pictures of those. 

Was the B-24 "Diamond Lil"?

panzerpilot

E-3 AWACS. C-130. C-5.

I 'Almost' got to ride with the fine folks with the RCAF, in a canadian F-18, until the officers got wind of our deal. Grrrr.

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 402, Caravan (great plane)

Taylorcraft, Piper Cub, Baron, Apache, Grumman Lynx, Cheetah, Mooney, Citabria, Seminole, Duchess...

ATR, Saab340, EMB 135/140/145, 737...

Wow, Tom! That's quite a list. Based on the AWACS, I'm assuming you were a crew member?

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

I've always wanted to fly in a helicopter, C-130 (JATO takeoff),  hot air balloon, glider, open cockpit bi-plane, and a 2 seater fighter jet. Heck, I'd love to go up with the Black Diamonds aerobatic team jet. LOL!

Man, I would LOVE to do a JATO take-off in a C-130!! I got to see one done at an airshow at Cherry Point many years ago, with Fat Albert doing the honors. That is one loud demonstration - almost as loud as a hovering Harrier!

Don Stauffer

15 hours in T-37 as student pilot, got to handle stick a few times in T-33s.

Lots of hours on a 150 when I tried civilian pilot training to convince myself I wasn't as bad as Air Force said.  Then switched to Grumman AA-1a.  Maybe twenty hours or so.  Then bought an Ercoupe.  Loved that plane,, many hours in it.

Can't afford to fly any more.  Cost of hanger/tiedown to high.  Served on an airport commission for awhile, then the company I worked for got into airport surface business.  Learned about politics of airports.

Used to be, a town or city looked at an airport as an important infrastructure asset.  Then, taxpayers complained about taxes too high.  So in an attempt to lower residential property taxes, the cities began to tax airports at higher rate (they had cut them a low rate before).  Drove private airports out of business.  Cities bought some of the airports.  Began to see airports as a taxable asset.  Keep raising rates.  FBOs have to charge higher rates in order to pay taxes, hanger and tiedown rates go up as city milks these as assets!  So I don't own an airplane anymore

Oh, besides airlines, in the early nineties I got to ride in that neat NASA bird, the re=engined DC  8 with those big new turbo fans, from a 757 or something like that, at Moffet.  That was fun.  But our equipment didn't work, so got left behind when crew and contractors with working equipment got deployed to east coast to test gear in a hurricane :-(

Impressive story, Don. That's quite an unusual background in aviation you have. Lot of stuff that I didn't know about small airports. I still see quite a lot of them around the areas that I've lived, though. I have one about three miles from where I live now, and when I lived in small-town Georgia, there was one there as well. Didn't realize there was so much political stuff behind the scenes concerning them. By the way, what does "FBO" mean?

Pawel

Well, ain't that nice - all of those military aircraft! I've been a cargo in some airliners 747, 737, a small Embraer, Airbus A340 and some Soviets - Tu-134 and Tu-154. Also a Cessna Skyhawk, some two seat gliders (Bocian, Blanik) and three times I jumped off an An-2 (Colt). Sure do hope there are more to come!

Have a nice day!

Paweł

Pawel, how do the Russian airliners compare to the Boeings? Also, what's it like to ride in a Colt? Even as ugly a plane as it is, I find that aircraft very fascinating.

pyrman64

Cessna 172, Cessna O-2a Skymaster, Lockheed C-130, T-38 Talon, UH-1 Huey, Aerospatiale Dauphin, MBB BK-117

I'm impressed, pyrman! How did you get to ride in a T-38?

I've jumped out of perfectly good C-130s and C-141s. I was cargo in a C-5 Galaxy. I have flown in a few Army helicopters, Blackhawk, UH-1 and CH-47 Chinook. Non-military non-airliner, I know I've flown in a couple of single engine sightseeing planes, but couldn't tell you what they were.

Besides airliners...

Passenger on C-130 and CH-53E.

Aircraft with stick time is a much longer list -

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 210, and Citation CJ1.

Piper PA-28-161, -180, -201RT, Seminole, Twin Comanche, and Meridian.

Grumman Tiger

Beech T-34B and Duchess.

Pilatus PC-12

Learjet 25, 35, and 36.

There might be a smattering of other types where I have an hour or two, but those are the major ones. Adding the King Air 200 to the list sometime in the next month or two.

Some older airliners like DC-2,3,4,6,7 and 8. Everything Douglas or Boeing since then, except 787. Looking forward to that.

Older Boeings like 707, 720, 727.

Vickers Viscount, DH Beaver, Duck, Otter.

Sud Caravelle

Cessna Golden Eagle. Various other Cessnas.

B-24.

Those Sikorskies that ran from LAX to the roof of the Disneyland Hotel.

No stick time in anything.

E-3 AWACS. C-130. C-5.

I 'Almost' got to ride with the fine folks with the RCAF, in a canadian F-18, until the officers got wind of our deal. Grrrr.

Cessna 150, 152, 172, 172RG, 182, 402, Caravan (great plane)

Taylorcraft, Piper Cub, Baron, Apache, Grumman Lynx, Cheetah, Mooney, Citabria, Seminole, Duchess...

ATR, Saab340, EMB 135/140/145, 737...

I've always wanted to fly in a helicopter, C-130 (JATO takeoff),  hot air balloon, glider, open cockpit bi-plane, and a 2 seater fighter jet. Heck, I'd love to go up with the Black Diamonds aerobatic team jet. LOL!

15 hours in T-37 as student pilot, got to handle stick a few times in T-33s.

Lots of hours on a 150 when I tried civilian pilot training to convince myself I wasn't as bad as Air Force said.  Then switched to Grumman AA-1a.  Maybe twenty hours or so.  Then bought an Ercoupe.  Loved that plane,, many hours in it.

Can't afford to fly any more.  Cost of hanger/tiedown to high.  Served on an airport commission for awhile, then the company I worked for got into airport surface business.  Learned about politics of airports.

Used to be, a town or city looked at an airport as an important infrastructure asset.  Then, taxpayers complained about taxes too high.  So in an attempt to lower residential property taxes, the cities began to tax airports at higher rate (they had cut them a low rate before).  Drove private airports out of business.  Cities bought some of the airports.  Began to see airports as a taxable asset.  Keep raising rates.  FBOs have to charge higher rates in order to pay taxes, hanger and tiedown rates go up as city milks these as assets!  So I don't own an airplane anymore

Oh, besides airlines, in the early nineties I got to ride in that neat NASA bird, the re=engined DC  8 with those big new turbo fans, from a 757 or something like that, at Moffet.  That was fun.  But our equipment didn't work, so got left behind when crew and contractors with working equipment got deployed to east coast to test gear in a hurricane :-(

When taking lessons in a high school aviation class-Cessna 150, 210,337 and a Piper Navaho, with control time in all.  The FBO owned the Cessnas and my doctor owned the Piper but was not instrument rated so the FBO went with them when the weather went south, and then could use the bird when the doc was not.

Military limited to C130 (noisest thing I have ever crawled into either on the ground or air) and C141 (from Clark to Udorn and back to Clark a year later).

Airliner- Stretched DC8, 707,727,737.  Showing my age now.....

Well, ain't that nice - all of those military aircraft! I've been a cargo in some airliners 747, 737, a small Embraer, Airbus A340 and some Soviets - Tu-134 and Tu-154. Also a Cessna Skyhawk, some two seat gliders (Bocian, Blanik) and three times I jumped off an An-2 (Colt). Sure do hope there are more to come!

Have a nice day!

Paweł

Cessna 172, Cessna O-2a Skymaster, Lockheed C-130, T-38 Talon, UH-1 Huey, Aerospatiale Dauphin, MBB BK-117

Interesting thread. My list is all military types. C-130, C-17, VC-10 and Tri-Star. Also a few helo's. Chinook, Lynx, Wessex, Sea King, Puma and Merlin. I almost got to fly in a ML-26, but a couple of other lads got that trip.