I learned to fly an airplane, and had my own airplane during the 1960s.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I fly my own airplane, and I have since 1960. I rarely fly anywhere other than my own airplane.
I started flying because I had a fear of it early on. I figured if I learned to fly, I would understand better what was happening and started taking lessons in the late 1950's, once I had made some money on tour.
From a very early age, I wanted to fly aeroplanes.
Growing up in the '60s and early '70s, with the space flight and the Apollo program, I always loved planes. I always loved rockets and I always loved space travel.
I always liked airplanes, and I decided I was going to go to school to study them.
I read, studied, and learned everything I could find about aviation. It was my greatest desire to become a pilot. I could already picture myself in the cockpit of an airliner or in a military fighter plane. I felt deep in my heart this was my thing!
I remember the first time that I flew on an airplane overseas, it was about when I was seven; it was 1969.
I did a little bit of flying in high school, but I've just always been inspired and excited about airplanes.
Growing up, I was fascinated with Buck Rogers' airplanes. As I began to mature in World War II, it became jets and rocket planes. But it was always in the air.
I was hooked on aviation, made model airplanes, and never thought I would be able to fly myself. It cost too much. But then World War II came along and changed all that.