How did you catch “The Bug”?

[JDean3204]

All of us are here because we love aviation. This is a job that people don’t stick with if they truly don’t love it. The views out of the window, the challenges and the benefits we see at times can be trumped by the low pay, stressful commute or the debt some are staring at. During my low times or the times I would feel like this job may not be worth it. I would take a drive to NE Portland and just sit at the Approach end of 28R. When I would do that, it would bring me back to that young child staring up at the sky. My aviation geekiness would spool up and I’d head back home with a sense of motivation to get back on the horse. The reason is when I was a child, my grandparents lived just off the approach end of 29 in MSO. I would ride my bike to the fence line and watch Northwest, Delta, United and Horizon Air come in to land all day. It was like being in Disneyland for me, in fact when my parents took me to Disneyland I was more excited to fly on a plane than to go on space mountain lol.

Anyway, just thought I’d start this thread so you could share when your passion to be a pilot was sparked. Whether it was plane spotting, a family member who was a pilot, a plane ride as a child or the corny but popular movie Top Gun. Sometimes reaching back to those memories will help you get through some of the speed bumps in your climb up the career ladder and can help others as well by sharing why you love this job.

 

[poser765]

I don't know if there was ever really one thing. As far back as I can remember, I've always been into airplanes. I'd read books about them, and built tons of models. My dad also traveled a lot and taking him to the airport we'd walk him to the gate (pre 9/11). At that time I learned I just love airports... How they look, how the feel, all the people coming and going... I just lived it.

Anyway, the dream of actually flying ways seemed so unattainable so I never pursued it. Then one day my boss at my high-school job offered to take me for a plane ride. We went and I've been all in ever since. That was 18 years ago.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Cool post!

Two distinct things for me.

When my family was stationed out in Japan in the late 80s my mom would take me to Narita or Haneda when my dad would go TDY somewhere.

Second was when we moved back home in 1989. From NRT-HNL I got to go visit the cockpit of a United 747 in flight.

Needless to say, getting to land a 747 in NRT during IOE at my current job kind of brought it full circle. Best landing of my life too.

 

[Dexter]

Grew up on an Air Force base/around planes and I was too dumb to stick to my biology/pre-med degree after the first year. School I went to had an aviation program. Figured I’d give it a shot

 

[ppragman]

I think I’ve talked about this before, but when I was 2 I rode out to a lodge with my folks in a 207. It was all airplanes all the time after that.

19 years later I got to fly that same 207 for money.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Dating myself, I was enthralled with Sky King when I was a little kid, but never did anything about it. Years later ("midlifeflyer" is descriptive), tired of hearing how I always wanted to fly, my wife bought me 3 lessons for my birthday.

We knew I was hooked on my second lesson. It was a windy, gusty day. We took off in the Tomahawk, hit a "bump" about 75 AGL, hit our heads on the cockpit ceiling, and generally got tossed around like feathers in a storm. It was a very short lesson.

After we landed, Jim turned to me and said, "I'm so sorry. I should never have taken you up on a day like this so soon."
My response: "That was great!!!!"

As my wife puts it, she hasn't seen me since.

 

[jtrain609]

Dating myself, I was enthralled with Sky King when I was a little kid, but never did anything about it. Years later ("midlifeflyer" is descriptive), tired of hearing how I always wanted to fly, my wife bought me 3 lessons for my birthday.

We knew I was hooked on my second lesson. It was a windy, gusty day. We took off in the Tomahawk, hit a "bump" about 75 AGL, hit our heads on the cockpit ceiling, and generally got tossed around like feathers in a storm. It was a very short lesson.

After we landed, Jim turned to me and said, "I'm so sorry. I should never have taken you up on a day like this so soon."
My response: "That was great!!!!"

As my wife puts it, she hasn't seen me since.

Are you going to retire and spend a few years at an airline?

 

[A300Capt]

Dating myself, I was enthralled with Sky King

Gawd, you’re an old fart!

Back in the late 60’s we were returning to the US from London after living there for 3 yrs with my dad’s job. We were flying on a PanAm 707. I was 6-7 yrs old.

We made either a fuel stop or diverted to Gander. I had been sleeping and had a whole row of seats to myself since the flight wasn’t full. I awoke and saw we were on the ground, didn’t know where my mother was and I began crying (yep, I’m the sensitive type...so there). My mother was in the seats ahead of me.

During my “emotional outburst” the Capt came by and asked if I wanted to see the front office (probably to get me to stop crying or tell me Gladiator stories...). I remember walking into the cockpit and being utterly amazed at cluster and number of clocks! That did it for me and I knew being an airline pilot was what I wanted to do.

 

[trafficinsight]

There are only two things in my life I've always wanted.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[av8tr1]

Father was a commercial pilot. He owned a FBO/Flight school at Charlie Brown airport in Atlanta. Mom was a stewardess for Pan Am. Growing up my house was covered in Pan Am crap. I guess I had the bug from before I was born. Dad lost his medical and went full to work full time for God and I guess it was left to me to keep the family biz going? After I got out of the Army I couldn't hold a medical either but some great people helped me work with the FAA to get back into the cockpit. And there but for the grace of God go I.

 

[Ian_J]

I always had the bug from when I was little for no apparent reason. Except for my grandfather who was a B-29 waist gunner, no one in my family and no one I knew had any interest or affiliation with aviation.

Recognizing my interests, my parents took me to an air show when i was about 10 and bought me a ten minute barn storming ride on a bi-plane. I waited all day for my turn to go up. They were running behind and eventually my parents said if my number wasn’t called next we had to go. The plane landed, dropped off its passenger, and they called the next number. I ran up to the plane and got the ride of my life. I was hooked.

It wasn’t my number they called.

 

[CUTigerPilot]

I grew up watching my dad fly Hugheys, C-141's, and C-5's. I've always wanted to fly since I was a little kid. Due to having asthma as a kid the military told me to bugger off (even though I had two awesome flight docs at Shaw AFB who did their damnedest to help me get a waiver). Alas it wasn't meant to be. Not knowing anything about GA I ended up getting my degree is business and went to work at ATL to get experience towards airport management. I worked with Landside Ops and also go to work as a ramp controller in C/E tower. It was there that I met a few Delta and ASA pilots who told me you didn't have to be a retired military pilot to fly and that I should go find a Cessna and learn how to fly. 3 years later I'm now sitting in the right seat of a jet. I'm glad I stuck with it and found a way to get here, even if it wasn't originally how I thought I would.

 

[Jordan93]

Dad is a CA for Delta. When I was a junior in HS my parents asked what I was thinking of doing for a career. I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “I guess I’ll try flying.” Took my first lesson at FRG and was hooked on it ever since. I didn’t do the Embry Riddle or aeronautical science degree route. I ended up getting a BA in Economics at a really cheap state school and flew on the side. I was hired at my regional at 22 and just became a freshly minted captain at 24. My dad has 10 more years until retirement. I’d love to fly with him before he goes.

 

[GypsyPilot]

When I was a kid, my parents would take my brother and I to the Stapleton airport to watch the planes land. It’s still a fond memory that I remember well!

 

[lostplanetairman]

I had a friend who was taking flying lessons with a wonderful woman pioneer in aviation back in 1980. He booked a lesson for his wife who apparently had no interest and feigned a headache. He called me to see if I was interested in taking the already paid for lesson-his treat. I did and immediately wondered how I could make this my vocation. I chipped away at it, gaining time and ratings. A few years later, I walked into the local airport intending to inquire about flight instructing when the owner offered me a job running the flight school. I worked at that and one of my students was an Allegheny CA who wanted his CFI to teach his dad. He and I bonded and he walked my resume in--I was 37 at the time I was woefully unprepared even with 2,500 hours when faced with the Shorts., pilots who were out to get you and a training dept that didn't focus on success. I overcame it, but it was a near miss! I ended my career as a CA on the 319-320-321. I'm now retired from 121 flying and am working at Flight Safety sharing the stories and making sure that my training delivery is aimed at success.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Are you going to retire and spend a few years at an airline?

As what?

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Never happened for me, I guess. I remember getting some plastic wings from an Eastern Airlines Captain when I was not very old (5 or 6 maybe?). I only ended up flying planes when some friends who were also getting college paid for by Uncle Sam kept dragging me to the local airport in my AFROTC days. Flying was cheap enough back then, $32/hour wet in a 152, that I figured I might as well learn how to do it.

After that, I just barely flew to keep current for a decade or so. Flew a glider on whim, and have been doing that for 10 years. I like sailplanes, and have ended up doing way more flying than I ever thought I would since then. But to be honest, I've never had any passion to do it for a living. More than anything else, I'm pretty sure I would get burned out with it all. I've already been everywhere.

 

[ClarkGriswold]

My roommate in college caught a bug from a questionable girl he took home from the bar. Does that count?

 

[Adler]

My roommate in college caught a bug from a questionable girl he took home from the bar. Does that count?

I was waiting for a @ChasenSFO story

 

[ASpilot2be]

My uncle got me hooked on flying. He was a pilot for an air taxi. Eventually he got burnt out, and got out of aviation. But after seeing my career he realizes he misses it, and is getting back in.