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The Very First Aircraft I Ever Flew

F

FAC257

SOH-CM-2025
I opened up a box of stuff the other day and found this photo inside. I was quite shocked as I didn't realize a photo of this L-16 was actually in existance.

This was the very first aircraft that I was "PIC". I mean that very casually as I was a pee wee and couldn't reach the peddles. My father was in the back and he let me have the stick after we were airborne. But as far as I was concerned back then, I was actually flying an airplane.

My next aircraft piloting adventure was even goofier. He let me take control of a Cessna 195 flying out of Merritt Island Airport. Not only could I not reach the peddles but I couldn't see over the dash panel either, but I was still flying. :)

FAC
 
FAC257 said:
I opened up a box of stuff the other day and found this photo inside. I was quite shocked as I didn't realize a photo of this L-16 was actually in existance.

This was the very first aircraft that I was "PIC". I mean that very casually as I was a pee wee and couldn't reach the peddles. My father was in the back and he let me have the stick after we were airborne. But as far as I was concerned back then, I was actually flying an airplane.

My next aircraft piloting adventure was even goofier. He let me take control of a Cessna 195 flying out of Merritt Island Airport. Not only could I not reach the peddles but I couldn't see over the dash panel either, but I was still flying. :)

FAC
Click to expand...

those are life shaping events. my father used to take me to see a buddy of his who was a pilot. hanging out at the airport i got to fly in a bunch of planes, i got to work some of the controls, like you did. of course, like you, i was hooked right away, forever. those are the fondest memories i have of my dad. i wish i had a picture too. good for you man :applause:
 
I was born on an Air Force base and grew up on airbases and hanging out at airports. All of my favorite childhood memories are about being anywhere near runways, ramps and aircraft.

I had an odd realization a few years ago about what smell reminds me of being "home". In the vein of someone who was maybe born in the mountains, on a farm or in city and associating those types of smells as a reminder of home, mine's a little different. Home to me smells like tarmac and aviation fuel. That's the first thing I think of everytime I go to an air show on a military base. Even odder is that the Air Base where I was born was on the ocean and the smell of an airbase still smells more like home to me than being near the ocean. :)
 
Now that's a neat find FAC!
I still know where the 182 that one of my uncles used to own that I got my "first blood" in many years ago. He sold it to a doctor in SD in the early 90s, but after the new owner was killed in a flying accident (not in the Skylane) it was sold to a business in the same town. I still see it tied down at the airport whenever I'm down that way and that always brings back good memories.
 
The very first airplane that I flew was an Aeronca defender, similar to this one, in 1965...I had around 6 or 7 hours in it, almost ready to solo, the owner /instructor skipped town...:ernae:
 
Like you, my first ride in an airplane was a CAP Taylorcraft L-2 flying out of Plum Island while I was a CAP cadet in 1942. We were looking for submarines. I never got to see one.
All I got to see was wreckage after they had done their deed which suprisingly covered a lot of territory. A Coast Guard Cutter and a Navy PC picked up the survivors.
Unfortuately I don't have a picture of it but this is a good replica.
 
The first aircraft I got to take the controls of is the one in my avatar. As a spotty 13 year old it was an experience of a lifetime, even more so when the pilot said "Do you want to do some aerobatics?"....no need to guess my answer! :woot:

I had lots of flights in 'Chippies' after that and many more in gliders.
 
In 1969, my Dad got orders to Berlin Germany, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We all went over together, My Dad, Mom, older brother, and myself. I was six years old, and my brother was nine. We flew to JFK on a 737, and then boarded the biggest plane I'd ever seen in my short life, a Lufthansa 707. After a few hours in the air, a stewardess, a very beautiful woman with a heavy German accent, came to the row where my brother and I were busy fighting over the window seat.. She leaned over us, and in a very serious tone of voice, said, "The Captain would like to see you two." We were mortified. We just knew that our typical "brotherly love" had landed us in hot water with a Captain. We did not know much about adult life then, but growing up Army brats, we knew that if the Captain wanted to see you, your goose was most probably already cooked. We swallowed hard and followed her to what we believed to be our impending doom. The cockpit door squeaked open, and the Captain gestured for us to come in. "This is it, brother. Glad to know ya.", I thought to myself as a took a last look at my brother, who, of course, had managed to ensure I would be the first to enter. The Captain had evidently allowed his copilot to take a break, as the right seat, as well as the observer's seat behind the left seat, were vacant. Expecting the worst, I inched closer. The next thing I knew, I was "flying" right seat in this huge plane, and my brother, who pushed me in first, was relegated to the seat directly behind the pilot. The Captain allowed me to hold the yoke as he did, and pointed out various flight instruments and explained their purpose. All I knew was that "I" was flying this huge plane, and my brother was not. HA! Well, after a while (I think it took a pretty good size crowbar to pry my hands from the yoke...), my brother and I exchanged seats, and to my surprise, the higher viewpoint from this seat allowed me to see much better than the right seat. The stewardess ushered us back to our seats, where Mom and Dad were grinning from ear to ear, as they had seen the terror in our eyes when we walked forward from our seats. I think my Dad arranged this experience, but he would never admit to it. It is a memory that warms my heart quite often. This is probably not the jet we flew on, but it is a reasonable facsimile...
 
Some very cool stories guys.. Very cool...

For me, 1st grade, very young. Dad on Sunday mornings put 3 phone books on the co-pilot seat of the Stinson 10-A, and would fasten me down with the belt on top of this stack. This allowed me to see over the door sill at the ground below, but not over the panel.

Dad would get over the beach at proper altitude, and then say 'ok Boo, you got the controls. Keep us at this altitude, and head that way.' lolol.. I wanted to see out the windows, not fly. I wish I knew better back then now.. . arrghh..

I wasnt that good at flying in 1st grade. I did try. 'Boo, climb up! You dropped down 200 feet. Turn a little left. Keep it at that number.'


:d
 
Similar here, less greenhouse, flew my first flight on a Champ.

But that was so easy a repaint FAC257, the Easter bunny whipped out his crayons and knocked it out in a jiffy. You have a PM incoming.

Caz

l16_cap_3.jpg
 
That's too cool! :applause:

I still have the original flight suit that my father wore while flying that aircraft. It's in darn near mint condition and fits me perfectly these days.

FAC
 
a little less traditional...but

My first aircraft ride was in the Goodyear Blimp. My dad works at the Goodyear plant here in town, and has been with the company since Goodyear Atomic was around. He won an award and along with the plaque he got a blimp ride for his family. The blimp flies like a STOL plane, it gets a little forward momentum the shoots up at an extreme angle. It's really fun, and a once in a lifetime experience. My first actual airplane ride was in a high-wing single engine for the aviation merit badge (this was before I was a real airplane nut so I don't remember the make.). It was in this plane I came to know the word turbulence. It was a fairly windy day and you would feel the plane float up slightly then woop! you'd drop like 4 feet. My first jet ride was in 737 to and from Orlando. That's the extent of my flight experiences.:icon30:

View attachment 83120
 
Helldiver said:
Hey Cazzie, any way you could cobble up a Taylorcardt L-2 out of a J-3 Cub?
Click to expand...

Doubt it HD, might could do a look-alike, but the .mdl file would probably be a stopper. The greenhouse is so totally different on the Taylorcraft L-2. Now an Aeronca L-3, that could kind of look-alike would be easier.

Caz
 
This thread has been a pure joy to read for me, and which to contribute, even if in a small way. It makes my heart sing to know that the love of aviation still unites all, and transcends all other "real" world events. Thanks to all who have posted here!
 
First time I ever flew was around 1980 in a Bell 47. Back in those days my hometown had some really good 4th of July celebrations in the park and one of those attractions involved helicopter rides. My dad set it up and he rode center and I was in the right seat with only a lap belt keeping me from falling to my doom. Main thing I got out of it at the time was that everyone in town seemed to have a swimming pool.
I didn't get to actually touch any controls until almost two years ago; went on a charter flight to Wausau WI from Grand Rapids MI in a King Air C90. I got the best seat in the house other from being the pilot: right front seat. Not only did I get to do co-pilot stuff like calibrating the altimeter and figuring out how a real GPS works (after that flight I could figure out the one in FS2004) but on final approach I got to handle the yoke just before touchdown and helped taxi to the tarmac (handles like a bus but I didn't care). I didn't tell my co-workers about it for several months...some of them already had issues about flying in something that small. Tell you what though...once you fly charter you never want to fly commercial again that's for sure.
 
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