Quote

My daddy was a World War I pilot, and I just wanted to be able to fly like he did.

Flying is the only active profession I would ever continue with enthusiasm after the War.

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 grew up thinking that I would become a fighter pilot and was fascinated by aircrafts as I had grown up around that. But my father encouraged me to not become an Air Force person, given the varied interests I had, be it books, movies, sports or fighter flying.

I did a little bit of flying in high school, but I've just always been inspired and excited about airplanes.

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.

I have said many times I don't want to be considered one who once flew fighters. That's not who I am. I devoted the subsequent 50 years - more - to writing.

I loved flying as much as I thought I would and continue to fly aircraft.

My father's an early aviator, and my first flight was with him at age two. Now, despite the fact that I got sick on the flight, I still enjoyed it, I believe.

When I started flying, I realized how enjoyable it was, and flying became my main focus while engineering went on the back burner.