It was the same when I was a kid. My Dad took my brother and I everywhere around LAX.....the control tower, ops, the hangars, the crew lounge, to lunch with him and his fellow Captains. Just watching them and listening to their stories was wonderful. We used to get to sit in the cockpits of the hangared planes and he'd explain the instruments and controls to me and when we flew on some of his trips, we would take turns sitting upfront with him, part of the way and he have us reading charts and checking the fuel gauges and little things. I used to love that part so much. I remember when he would let me listen in on some radio transmissions and how amazing and magical that all just seemed.
I always wondered how many little kids were inspired to become pilots after visiting a cockpit while in flight, because I have heard so many, many pilots tell of their first airplane ride and visiting up front and how it impacted them. I always got such a kick out of that when I had kids on flights make the visit. I always hoped that some of them might go on to fly. When my Dad would come to school in his uniform on one of those Dad career type days, man, I was so proud. It felt better than being a member of the First Family or something.
He started teaching me about the stars and wx and flying before I started the first grade. We spent countless hours building aircraft models together. He'd bring home old instruments and various little parts that were being scrapped and give them to my brother who loved taking them apart and putting them back together again. That was a huge treat for us. We had all sorts of little parts and crap all over our bedroom and the family room.
And he would bring myself, my brother and my sister little souvenirs from most of the trips that he took. I still have a lot of them and so do they. They were our little treasures. I dreamed about being able to fly all over the place and see and experience what he did. Really the best of times. I was able to do much of the same with my eldest son thankfully, as my Dad had done for me and that just is still so special between the two of us. We reminisce often about it as I did with my Dad.
Similar story here, I think the moment I really first caught the bug when I was about four, and we went to meet my Dad at LAX. For some reason we needed to go between concourses so we went down some stairs to flight operations (I think, a little fuzzy there) and walked out to the ramp. I remember this part vividly however, he grabbed my hand very firmly and took me out onto the ramp and across from I think the 70's to the 60's. It was a beautiful bright day and there were two National Sun Kings, a DC-10 and 727 I am sure, glistening in the sun out at the end of the terminal, a row of tulip adorned 727s ahead. From that point on I wanted all the stuff, airplane toys, hats, manuals, editions of Air Line Pilot. Didn't matter, pilots and airplanes? Give it to me.
Sometimes on a Friday night I would be tucked into bed and he would stick his head in my door, hat and jacket on, "Hey, you want to go to work with me?" Somehow the 30 minutes it took for me to get up for school would be reduced to about five, bag in hand and dressed perfectly for pass riding dress code....
I would walk on air next to the crew, SKY GODS! such pride, I know what you are saying, I felt like the first family would stand aside. Nothing like sitting in first class, being pampered by the FAs, and getting to hear your Dad on channel 9!!!! He would always set up trips for my Boy Scout troop, we would go to LAX tower, approach, go to a parked airplane and talk on the PA and play with all the switches. So many memories, standing in the tower watching a Qantas SP take off over the Pacific or the logs at the end of the runway at MCAS El Toro, F-4s in burner taking off into the sunset right next to you.....yeah....
Oh, and the stuff from around the world, always something kind of cool and unique, a Niagara Falls thingy from Buffalo, a Buddha from Bangkok. Sometimes it would be some cool autographed something, photo, hat, poster, whatever from celebrities who would come up to visit the cockpit.
Camaraderie, feeling a part of the greater family, later on, traveling around on passes while in college, sometimes things would get a little dicey....without asking it seemed a crew member from any airline, didn't matter, Northwest, Ecuatoriana, Thai, British, they would see you sitting and know "ugh, this one is super full, that kid is staying the night...." and sometimes come over and at least offer condolences, "good luck" or "call this hotel, tell them xyz, you will get the best rate near the airport." I always knew if I really had to, I could find a crew and at least get good advice. Fortunately I never had to. I always figured it was a feeling of being in it together, sometime their kids would be traveling through the USA and they hoped some friendly UA, AA or other pilot would be looking around the lounge area and notice if their kid was going to be trapped and lend some advice. Lots of pilots in my neighborhood, great bbqs, checking out cars, talking about flying, layovers, vacation houses, hanging out on their boats, roasting at the beach....
I remember '85. Those guys pretty much shut that airline down. My parents friend from AirCal said he thought they could never do that at AirCal, they didn't have the feeling of something bigger than themselves. I dont know about that, I do know those guys of that generation were a real special breed. Hanging around them, hearing the stories, dedication, I really believe military or civilian you all have a profession worth fighting for, worth trying to fill the big shoes left for you, hopefully me as well soon. I know, I am accepting the reality the paycheck I see today will likely be the largest I see, for a long looooong time....
