What have you actually flown in?

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.

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.

As for the Viscount, United got a bunch when they bought Capitol. Used them on mid-Atlantic routes. Big airplane with round windows and doors. Flew on on Jacksonville-Norfolk probably around 1965 or so. Dad (didn't) buy Concorde. Saw plenty of the prototypes but never got to ride on one. The Liberator was the Collings Foundation one. That was a good one. It was the first flight of the day out of Moffett Fed Airfield. The crew chief asked the passengers for a volunteer. Arm goes up. He had me turn through the props on 3 and 4. Big sons of guns. Midway through 4(9 pulls each) the captain turned on the electricals and the pumps started whining. scared the crap out of me. But the pay off was I got to sit in the RO seat right behind her and her husband co pilot for take off. Once we got airborne I signaled to the chief who was across from me that I wanted to go forward. He gave me thumbs up and I got down and crawled under the flight deck. The nose wheel was still spinning pretty fast. Went around that and got in the turret. Like sitting in a lawn chair in the wind under a cheap tent. I have absolutely no idea how that worked for 8 hours at 30,000 feet. My favorite ride ever.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Never flown actually.

LOL @ CodyJ.

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

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?

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.

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 !

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

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 .

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

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 !

Cessna 150

Cessna 172

DeHavilland Beaver

DeHavilland Twin Otter

Twin Huey

Avro Lancaster

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!

Hmmmmm, I almost hesitate to write this. as the highest I've ever been off the ground is about 50 feet when I was patching a roof. I do admit to having a fear of heights, but I do not think not flying is from this. I contribute this to a lack of $$$$$$$ And I didn't make it into the military. All I had to do was sign the papers and I'd have been in the USAF

Not a pilot but as a engineer working on flight testing aircraft I've ridden in quite a few aircraft. Jet aircraft: T-38C, F-15B, F-16D, C-17A, modified 747SP SOFIA.
Propeller aircraft: Queen Air 65, Super King Air 200, RU-38A, T-3A, Cessna 150, 172, 182, and the high point for props P-51D (Gunfighter 44-73264). The mustang ride was a contest win for a $50 entry. But if you have $1200 to burn you can buy a ride.

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!

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

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

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.

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

 

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

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

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

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. 

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.

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!!!