I learned to fly almost 20 years ago, in my "yoot" as they say. But I've never had a formal flight lesson in my life. I learned in a restored 1938 Cub owned by a high school friend of mine who bought the plane when he was only 18, and flew it for about two years before he bothered getting his own pilots license. He kept it hangered at a small private grass airstrip where nobody was apt to ask questions.
I've often thought of going for my own private ticket, but always wanted to learn in my own plane if I did. So far I haven't came across the right plane at the right price. If I ever do, it will probably be a Cub or a Golden Era Biplane or some sort, or at least a homebuilt reproduction.
As I write this, I sit and look at the paintings and blueprints of a Pitts S2 aerobatic biplane that hang above my desk. It, along with the Imperial Knight Twister, is my all time favorite aircraft design.
Here's young Dixon with the big boy's plane; that's 150 horses spinning those two blades! Wow! I felt like a fighter pilot!...'cept the gear don't come up!
I'll never forget the first time I got checked out in a Grumman American Tiger, compared to the "worn" C-150 I usually went up in, it was like being in an F-15.
I talked to the Palm Springs Air Museum about who does their flying. I figured I'd let some of the guys in my unit know, in case they were interested in doing some volunteer flying for the museum. Turns out that they have a handful of professional pilots that do all the flying! The museum picks up the bill for the ratings, too. Seems that they used to have volunteer pilots, but the ratings were too expensive. How about that for a dream job?! "You're a pilot? What do you fly?" "Oh, this week I flew a B-17, last weekend it was the P-51, next weekend it will be the Tigercat..." Thump!*
I soloed back in '81, and passed my FAA written, but the money ran out before I could get my ticket.
I doubt I'd fit into that 152 any more, it was a squeeze back then. If I did it again, I'd probably have to rent a 172. Back then, I got some brochures for the Bellanca Decathlon, and I really wanted one until I read the specs and realized I'd be over gross weight with just myself and a full tank of gas. lol
I got my private ticket last february '06. The cost figures on that website are only half accurate. Double them. I learned in a C-152, bumped up to a C-172, and flew aerobatics all summer in a Decathalon. I'd rather be flying than doing anything else. If flying is something you are passionate about go for it. Take the time to do it. Don't worry about the money. Money is replaceable, time isn't.
Matt, if you really want to fly just do it. Learning in you own plane is nice but putting it off until you can get your own is just wasting valuable flying time. No excuses.
Speaking of flying, here's my crack at aviation art from a few years ago. I decided to combine my love of flying and my love of art and see what happened. Both paintings are acrylic on canvas. -MC
Flying isn't too difficult, but it's not for everyone. I soloed my junior year of high school, got my private license my senior year. That was about four years ago. Unfortunately I haven't flown for a while, just not enough time or money.
Billy
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