Your Flying History in Pictures

Ever notice, somehow D-bags get to sit with that one cute girl in a long flight.
When I was a gate agent, everyone once in a while some cute flirty girl would come up for something and I'd end up seeing where she was sitting. Sometimes afterwords I'd clear my standby list of nonrevs, and one of them would be super cool. I'd usually put the cool dude next to the cute chick if I could. A few weeks after one of these scenarios, I found out a co-workers friend who I put next to a cute chick on the way to BUR actually dated her for 2 weeks after meeting her on the plane. +1 Karma.

Anyway, this thread is super cool. I'll let pictures tell the story as much as I can. While many of these pics are just of planes and not myself, they are what I think of when someone asks "Why do you want to be a pilot?". I feel like my story is more a love story for the airlines more so than just the thrill of flying. Right now I'm just a PPL working on the IFR with 160 hours. But this is what lead up to me flying.

I wanted to be an airline pilot since I was about 4 years old. My family always advised against it, but I'm stubborn. No sob story intended, but although Daddy was a pilot, he was never around, left my mom and disappeared until I was around 11, before that I barely saw him. So that had zero influence on my love for airplanes. I was lucky enough to grow up in the hills of Millbrae with this view of SFO, and even OAK, as my back yard.
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I grew up a mega-airplane nerd, all I cared about were airplanes and dinosaurs. I refused to read any book in school that wasn't about airplanes, and they just let me get away with it because otherwise I did zero homework. I spent almost all my time playing outside just watching the airplanes day in and day out. By the time I was 5, I could identify most, if not all, of what I saw at SFO. Didn't think much at the time but I guess not a lot of 5 year olds can correctly identify a Jetstream 31 from a mile away. My mom's side of the family includes a lot of artists, so in school I was constantly drawing. While my kindergarten classmates were drawing stick figures and houses, I was drawing Rich International L-1011s, and TriStar Bac-146s(who even remembers those, right?). I inherited a large collection of scale 1:600 Schabak model airplanes my brother grew out of, mostly late 80s/early 90s airlines. This helped me explore planes and airlines I never saw.

Most of my memories of growing up in the 90s involve airliners. When I did see my Dad, I would always ask to be taken to the airplane viewing lot at SFO. In the later parts of the 90s, I started bringing a crappy camera with me everytime. Didn't know about A.net or the like, just wanted to take pictures of them.
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(This shot was taken on 9/10/01, the next day, this parking lot was closed forever).

Another big treat was seeing my grandparents off or meeting them after one of their many Reno trips they made after they retired. They would always fly Shuttle By United, and when I was in that Shuttle "thumb", I was always amazed of how fast the planes came in and out and how crowded it was. Little did I know, Skywest would take that terminal over, and I would be a gate agent standing at those very counters and driving those very jetways.
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Here, a Shuttle By United 737 is about to push back and take my grandparents to Reno. Now that Skywest uses the gate, it's been split into 78A/B, and I marshal planes into and push them back out of these gates all the time as a ramp agent. They are actually my favorite gates to work because I can just sit back right next to runway 28L and watch the heavies rotate in-front of me. Still makes me smile everytime. Never thought I'd be down there one day.

Being a single mom with 4 kids, my mom really didn't like dragging everyone to the airport just so I could watch planes up close. But every birthday, I'd insist on it. The most exciting of these terminal trips that I'll never forget was my 11th birthday. The International Terminal had just opened a few months before, and she let me spend an entire day just running around and taking pictures! I remember that night I saw a Cathay Pacific A340-200 roll in, I didn't even know they served SFO until then. Way past my bedtime haha.




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My brother, sister, and I in-front of an Asiana 747 that day. What a little fattie I used to be.

For a while my mom dated a guy in San Jose. He knew all he had to do to win me over was take me to the observation deck in the old terminal C haha. I remember being amazed at the fact there was only 1 jetway, and everyone else used air stairs. At the time, the place was over-run with Reno Air MD-80s. Terminal C has since been torn down, and no observation deck is available in Terminal A/B.

The best part of growing up an airplane nerd were the trips to Minnesota. My Dad's family lived there, and working for United we flew free. Every summer he would take us out there, drop us off, then pick us up sometime before school started. Dad never took us anywhere on his benefits except MSP, so even the connections in DEN and ORD were a huge treat! But over anything, I just loved flying on an airplane.

I especially loved the 727s and 737-200s. The way the reversers deployed on the 737-200, just so cool and loud. Every flight was like magic. I would tune into channel 9 listening to ATC and glue my eyes to the window the whole time. I loved it. This is what I wanted to do. It was just so damn cool. I could only imagine what was going on up front. One time, SFO was full, and I got a special treat of flying out of San Jose! I remember being super excited to board the 737 with air stairs. It was my first time walking across the ramp. It was surreal. I just wanted to run up and touch the plane, but my dad was freaking out enough that I was taking pictures, so I didn't want to chance it.
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My grandparents lived right under the departures path for 30L. The planes would take off and turn straight toward their house, the gear barely stowed as they came over. I loved it. Every second of it. If you ever did that departure on a summer afternoon, I was probably down there jumping up and down and waiving at you!
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My grandfather would take me over to MSP and we'd park on Post Road and watch the planes as long as I wanted. Northwest DC-9 after Northwest DC-9. So loud, so smokey, shaking everything as they pushed back with reverse thrust. Man, those were the days. At the time, we parked in a dirt lot right by the fence. Now its a paved lot, with a couple extra fences between you and the planes. Still really cool. I loved Northwest, and old pictures of those red tails often bring up emotions since my grandpa passed away.
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The closest thing I ever had to spending a summer at the lake was my grandpa's other spot to watch planes, Mother's Lake. It was right in-front of 12R and had a small dock. Sometimes when he would want to take us fishing and I wouldn't want to go, he'd bribe me by saying we were going to Mothers Lake. It was a crappy little lake fishing wise, and no one would ever catch anything they could keep. And he knew that. He just knew watching those airplanes come in and land made me happy, and it made him happy.
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Sometimes when I'm back in MSP, if I have a car, I drive to Mothers Lake. I don't usually even take my camera. I just go quietly sit at the dock, watch the planes come over, and just think about him. Maybe cry a little. When everyone was pushing me away from aviation, he was the only one who offered me any form of encouragement growing up. Never got to thank him for it, since I didn't really realize it until after he passed.
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In 2003, my Dad moved back in and started doing a lot for me to try to win me over, mostly aviation related. He took me to a Young Eagles event in San Carlos where I got my first GA airplane ride in a V-tail Bonanza. It was the coolest thing, it was everything I expected. I was allowed to sit up front and the pilot let me do a few turns and try to keep it straight and level. I knew this is what I wanted to do, and it wasn't just a dream. I wish I had photos of it, all I have is a video on a cassette. The flight was short, only about 15 minutes, but I remember every minute of it. As a parting gift since I told him I wanted to be an airline pilot, the pilot, named Howard I remember, gave me an expired set of approach charts for Northern CA. I quickly went online and learned how to read them.

In 2004, I went to my first airshow at Moffet Field. The Navy and NASA used to put together a huge, free government sponsored show. I never got to see it, but I hear it was great. They transitioned into a public show when the Navy left Moffet, and in 2004 they secured the Thunderbirds. I remember loving every second of that airshow, and having a keen interest in aerobatics ever since. It really made me want to fly a pitts and, if I ever seen an opportunity, try to preform. That show is still the only time I ever saw the Thunderbirds. I'd love to see them again sometime this year.
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On 7/31/05, my 15th birthday, my Dad got me an introductory flight lesson in a 172. We left San Carlos and did a Bay Tour up the coast and back down. Lasted about .6, but I didn't have a log book. What is funny is that it was such a thrill, it is just one big blur to me. I have many photos laying around, and remember bits and pieces, but what I remember most is talking on the radio to SFO and manipulating the controls and watching the plane move around. It was surreal. Again, I knew 100% this is what I wanted in life.
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When I was 16, I started regularly scheduled flight lessons at Diamond Aviation in San Carlos. I also enrolled in their Private Ground School. My mom took me down there and we met with a man name John who became my CFI for the next few years. I got set up with a Gleim, Private PTS, Logbook, and some charts. I didn't have the money to fly often, usually once a month or once every other month. Because of that, it took me a few years to solo. I tried to make the best of it and was addicted to flight simulator in Highschool. I also took an ROP class which lead to an internship at Air New Zealand when I was 17. The job was so much fun, working around airplanes and in the airport, I really wanted to get paid to do it. Had a great time and learned a lot.
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John never let me land until one day he took me over to LVK and let me fly in the pattern and try one. Wasn't too pretty, but we didn't die. Next time we did nothing but landings in HAF. He told me I was doing shockingly well, I told him he told me to keep an airspeed, so all I cared about was keeping that airspeed, and the airplane kind of just sets itself down as you ease back. 2 weeks later, we went to Byron, I did 4 landings, and he asked if I got my medical yet. I said no. He was about to let me solo with 8 hours my 3rd time ever flying the pattern! Couldn't believe I got it down that fast when my flights were so spread out. I quickly got my medical, but we were hit with some storms and when I did fly, the weather wasn't good enough for me to try and solo. Finally, on 9/25/08, I brought my girlfriend along, did some landings at TCY, and they hopped out of the airplane and let me go!
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I just remember being pumped up the next few days. It was a feeling I never had before. I could land an airplane without breaking it or myself! How many people can say that in life? We flew back to SQL and I struck a Captain Morgan pose for my Polaroid which they did in lieu of shirt tails.
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Less than a month later, I was hired at Skywest as a gate agent. My first job! I got my foot in the door and started working around airplanes with the freedom to travel the world, what more can you ask for?
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I kept flying when I could. But even with this job, I could barely afford the crazy rates out here. $135/hr for the cheapest plane, and $55/hr for the CFI. And the longer between flights, the longer it took me to get everything down. When I could, I'd fly out to SDF and hang out with JordanD, go flying with him, and at least get to be in an airplane and getting some sort of experience when I couldn't afford to fly myself.
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Admittedly, I got a little distracted with the travel, and didn't fly much at all for a few months. But then I got back into it, and started flying once a week. It started to seem like every flight lesson was just practicing S-turns. I didn't really understand why I kept having to do them again, and again, and again. I pass my private written, and asked my CFI when I'd be ready for the checkride. He asked if I thought I was ready, I just passed the written, so I figured I was. Took it and absolutely bombed the oral in March 2010. The story is actually on a somewhat long running thread here on JC. I'll leave the drama out of this, but I went to JC member KiloAlpha, a mutual friend between Jordan and I, for help. He had just gotten hired at a new 135 carrier as a Metro Captain, and needed to move at the end of the month. But he told me if I came out there on all my days off that month, he'd finish me off if I'd just buy him dinner. Ok, that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean. Jordan talked to his flight school owner about my situation, I got in contact and bought some block time in a 172(ironically it was practically the sister ship off the assembly line of the plane I flew back home, 3504J instead of 3504P even!), and other than the 3 days a week I was at work, I was in Kentucky flying and being drilled on the oral. Giggity.
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Finally, with zero time to spare, I was ready to go. Keith was moving at the end of that week, and I had to be at work in SFO the day after my check-ride in Seymoure, Indiana. Got up at the ass crack of dawn on 5/26/10, and flew to Columbia, Indiana. This is because all our charts had expired, and since the new batch was about to come out, every single FBO in the Louisville area was out of them! Luckily, Larry the DPE was more than understanding and said I could do the flightplan in front of him(great). KiloAlpha jumped out of the 172 as I parked, grabbed me a chart, then full speed ahead to Seymoure! Now if the concept of taking a checkride with a man you know nothing about in a region you can't even point out on a map sounds nerve-wrecking, that's because it totally is. The oral was very long, but mostly because we were chatting between questions, and I passed it no problem. Yes! Next step was the flight.
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I was very nervous never having flown in the area before, but it worked out. He knew if I was doing something right, I wasn't getting lucky, I had to be on course since I had no idea where I was and knew no landmarks. After 1.1 in the air, I was a private pilot! In Seymoure Indiana! I never saw it coming, but it happened! All because of this very website! I can't stress enough the importance of networking, its already helped me so much. You're a fool if you don't take advantage of what Doug has set up for us!


It was time to rush back to LOU, with a fuel stop in JVY, to catch my flight at SDF! In 2 hours! Ahh!
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Get to LOU with JordanD sitting in his car next to the hangar with my suitcase ready to rush me to SDF. We take off and I realize I left my certificate in the airplane. D'oh! Its ok, my flight to DEN canceled anyway. Great. As fate would have it the next morning, I made it onto SDF-ORD no problem, and got buisness class on a 777 ORD-SFO! Even got there with time for a 3 hour nap before I had to go to work.

Since then, I've been mostly time building and taking friends with me everywhere I go. I carry passengers on literally every flight. Why wouldn't I? Someone always wants to go.
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I still go out to SDF as often as I can to split time with JordanD. But most of my flying is out here these days. Trying to earn my IFR soon and CFI by next year. At work, I am now on the ramp, and love being around the airplanes and chatting with pilots all day.

It's been amazing so far, can't wait to see what happens next!
 
I would have became an Instructor for her. Ever notice, somehow D-bags get to sit with that one cute girl in a long flight while we (or me, most of my clients pay for economy seating) have to share the middle seat with a human that can barely fit in their seats.
The one, ONE time I got sandwiched into a middle seat next to a cute girl was on LAX-CLT a while back. We got to talking about work and she slips in "My partner worked for ExpressJet."

Shot. Down.
 
I wish I had some pictures chronicling my flying history but everyone in my family went to law school and this aviation thing was assumed to have been a "phase" I was going through.

The day I solo'd, my ppl checkride, and even my cfi ride went by quietly with nothing more than a congrats and maybe my parents taking me to dinner.

In hindsight, I would have liked pictures but I think that it's kind of cool to have been able to get out from under the law school thing and do something on my own...even if no one in my family really understood what I was doing.

I did have my 6th birthday party at the local airport, I'm sure I have pictures from that somewhere. The only part I really remember(aside from my friends asking why it was such a boring place to have the party) was the regional pilots that gave us a tour of their plane. I was like a kid in a candy store when they brought me into the cockpit, and they thought it was cool that a 1st grader had his birthday party at a tiny regional airport.
 
Awesome thread.

Sometimes, after dealing with all the nuances of this industry - I forget why I am doing this. This thread makes me remember the thrill it once was going to the airport for a trip - and the smell of stale air found on the classic jets. Unfortunately - I do not have any 'historical' photos of me flying as a kid on my computer, but have some at my parents house that where actually developed!


This was taken right after I soloed for the first time - that feeling was unique, and will be very hard to top in my flying career!
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One of my training flights, for my CPL, flying over the then yet to be opened 'Mid Field Terminal' @ IND.
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The last student I soloed before graduation - like soloing yourself, there is nothing more satisfying than a students initial solo.
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One of the most unique aircraft I have ever flown - a likeness to a flying sedan - the TB-10, taken of my on short final at YPPF (Parafield - Adelaide, S. Australia)
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Emirates A380 simulator on my study abroad trip to the UAE, with the Arabian Gulf Business Forum.
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Defiantly a perk! HKG - YVR - JFK
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Graduation Day - Maybe someday I will get to fly an aircraft with the same nomenclature!
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EMB-145 cruising over Long Island Sound!
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Thanks again for brining up this thread - I had a blast making this, and remembering all of the 'ups and downs' (pun intended) of getting to this point!

Cheers!
 
Awesome thread.
One of the most unique aircraft I have ever flown - a likeness to a flying sedan - the TB-10, taken of my on short final at YPPF (Parafield - Adelaide, S. Australia)
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What were you doing down in Adelaide (apart from the obvious at FTA)? I trained at AFTC but only managed to get as far as them tiny Grobs.
 
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