Appreciate the thought, but I'm pushing 60. Several neighbors had light planes when I was growing up, and I did look into taking pilot lessons when I was in college (yeah, '75) but the expense of it was an issue and I do have many other interests.
And I'm really enjoying 'collecting' aircraft this way. If I had a pilots license, and bought a plane, well, that would be my plane. With organizations like the Ford Tri-Motor folks and the Commemorative Air Force, there will be scads of different aircraft for me to ride in. When I was in the Stearman, I was offered the stick, and I had not the slightest urge to fly the plane. And when we landed, I wanted to go up on a different one. If I encounter the Hell Diver again I'd be sorely tempted to go for a ride. As I noted before, the PBY Catalina would be a trip, I'll probably never encounter a Martin Mars or a Lockheed Electra, but you never know.
As for expanding an existing hobby, I could see bumping up my trails for my ATV rides with a skid steer loader.
The Tri Motor ride a couple weeks ago was a lark, had no idea it would be as much fun as it was. And it was a coincidence the CAF B-29 was going to be in the area so soon. The opportunity to ride in the cockpit of the B-29 was both extremely pricey, but overwhelmingly compelling too.
I could see a ride in a B-17, and if money is plentiful, I'd strongly consider the P-51 Mustang now, but at nearly double the cost of the B-29 ride, that one will have to wait. B-24 and B-25 are on the list. My new friend (heh, heh) mentioned an interest in an upcoming show elsewhere in the midwest, the timing isn't good for me, harvest season is rapidly approaching. And I'm on email lists now, next years schedule will out at some point this winter, and by then I'll have an idea how my farm operation did $$$ this year and I can plan/budget for next summer. The neat thing about shows here though, is flying over terrain I'm familiar with, I'd have to think about that in regards to going to Minneapolis or St' Louis for instance.
I'd like to have some of my old friends here for a show in the next few years and maybe going up with several at the same time in a larger aircraft. There are many ways I can indulge this new interest, and I really don't think a pilots license and owning Piper cub or some such would be any more fun, different, yes, but what I'm doing is a blast.
LOL, not much attraction to me to ride a helicopter again, I wouldn't rule out the one at the Clay County Fair, but not this year. And hot air balloons ??, Hell no.
And I'm really enjoying 'collecting' aircraft this way. If I had a pilots license, and bought a plane, well, that would be my plane. With organizations like the Ford Tri-Motor folks and the Commemorative Air Force, there will be scads of different aircraft for me to ride in. When I was in the Stearman, I was offered the stick, and I had not the slightest urge to fly the plane. And when we landed, I wanted to go up on a different one. If I encounter the Hell Diver again I'd be sorely tempted to go for a ride. As I noted before, the PBY Catalina would be a trip, I'll probably never encounter a Martin Mars or a Lockheed Electra, but you never know.
As for expanding an existing hobby, I could see bumping up my trails for my ATV rides with a skid steer loader.
The Tri Motor ride a couple weeks ago was a lark, had no idea it would be as much fun as it was. And it was a coincidence the CAF B-29 was going to be in the area so soon. The opportunity to ride in the cockpit of the B-29 was both extremely pricey, but overwhelmingly compelling too.
I could see a ride in a B-17, and if money is plentiful, I'd strongly consider the P-51 Mustang now, but at nearly double the cost of the B-29 ride, that one will have to wait. B-24 and B-25 are on the list. My new friend (heh, heh) mentioned an interest in an upcoming show elsewhere in the midwest, the timing isn't good for me, harvest season is rapidly approaching. And I'm on email lists now, next years schedule will out at some point this winter, and by then I'll have an idea how my farm operation did $$$ this year and I can plan/budget for next summer. The neat thing about shows here though, is flying over terrain I'm familiar with, I'd have to think about that in regards to going to Minneapolis or St' Louis for instance.
I'd like to have some of my old friends here for a show in the next few years and maybe going up with several at the same time in a larger aircraft. There are many ways I can indulge this new interest, and I really don't think a pilots license and owning Piper cub or some such would be any more fun, different, yes, but what I'm doing is a blast.
LOL, not much attraction to me to ride a helicopter again, I wouldn't rule out the one at the Clay County Fair, but not this year. And hot air balloons ??, Hell no.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
