My son is now a future aviator

[David LaPell]

It's been a heck of a week. My 9 year old son finished a week long college course (no credits though) that is for Young Aviators. It was held by the Empire State Aerospace Museum and taught the kids, starting at age 8, about aviation, and not only about airplanes but about aviation in general. The kids had to work together, plan out missions which involved navigation, plotting fuel usage, waypoints, etc. They also took a field trip to the local Air National Guard Base, were given presentations by several of the aircrew and got to go inside an LC-130, which are only stationed here locally and are used to missions to the Antarctic.
All of the kids also got to take a flight provided by several of the volunteer pilots. My son got to fly in a Mooney M20J.
The kids all did well, received their FAA logbooks, even got certificates of merit from a NY State Senator.

Today, as part of the program, another airport was also holding flights so my son attended and got his second flight in an airplane, a 1946 Aircoupe. So now he has 1 1/2 hours of flying time in a small plane, and was able to take some great photos and even a bit of video, and since he was up front beside the pilots, in both cases he was allowed to take the controls for a bit and get the sensation of flight. He is now hooked and is already interested in going again next year and is looking forward to being able to join the Civil Air Patrol in a couple of years when he becomes eligible. He's definitely been bitten by the flying bug.

Getting ready for his flight in the Mooney M20J, his first time in an airplane in the air.

Taxiing out to one of the far runways.

A photo from the Mooney.

Sitting up front in the LC-130

Waiting by the Aircoupe.

The Aircoupe and my son in the air.

A pic my son took from the Aircoupe.

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is wonderful, looks like he was having a great time!

 

[nekvermont]

Wow, that's quite an accomplishment for him to achieve. Congrats to the proud dad too.

 

[exavid]

Good for him! The Money is a great airplane I had a Mk20C and a Mk21F Exec they are great cross country airplanes, long enough legs to make one wise not to drink anything for a couple hours prior to takeoff.

I had a couple flights in an Urpcup (Ercoupe) a couple times. The first one had the rudderless control system. A real mind bender. The second one had been converted to normal stick and rudder which was a lot better.

I wish I could have had an introduction like your son, I was a rabid aircraft fan from the age of five or less. Keep him interested and away from video games.

 

[exavid]

Good for him! The Mooney is a great airplane I had a Mk20C and a Mk21F Exec they are great cross country airplanes, long enough legs to make one wise not to drink anything for a couple hours prior to takeoff.

I had a couple flights in an Urpcup (Ercoupe). The first one had the rudderless control system. A real mind bender. The second one had been converted to normal stick and rudder which was a lot better.

I wish I could have had an introduction like your son, I was a rabid aircraft fan from the age of five or less. Keep him interested and away from video games.

 

[Del J]

Well done by the young man. Great post thanks.

 

[Snake45]

Very cool! Tell your son that mine got his start the same way, and today he is flying C-17s for USAF. :wink:

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The "no rudder pedals" Ercoups were fun things. I have a friend who had one and we spent quite a few hours just cruising around checking out the local whatevers. Given warm weather, we usually flew with the canopies down which was a neat sensation. He would occasionally line up on a freight train below and do a little "strafing run" on it with "takkatakkatakka" sound effects followed by a sharp pullout and a wingover finish. Fun.

He let me "fly" it a few times and his instructions were always "Try not to hit any other aircraft!"

:wink:

 

[contender]

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

As a person who loves to fly,, but no longer gets to (due to the costs,) I fully understand it. Keep him involved & you'll never regret it!

 

[exavid]

Tell your son, "Go North young man, go North". Flying small aircraft in Alaska is what it feels like to have freedom and a magic carpet. GPS has made it a lot easier and safer now but the bush is still the bush and it's a big country up there. Military flying is great too but lacking in the freedom of air taxi operation in the far corners of the north country.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Great to see your son interested in flying.

I recently saw a video on the Ercoupe and it's development and changes. Interesting story. A friend of mine had one and always wanted to take me up. I would not go because he was a real nut and you never knew what he was going to do. I rode in a car with him a few times and that was enough. Warning the video is 47 min long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxsh6fnSoU

 

[Big Old Boy]

He will enjoy CAP I did as a young man.

 

[BDM1]

Great pics, thanks for sharing them with us!

 

[tinman]

Way cool.....your a good Dad.

 

[tracker 6]

Great day !!

 

[Rook]

My youngest son started flying when he was 12. Here he is when he was 13 in the news paper clipping.

 

[exavid]

Outstanding!

 

[protoolman]

I grew up living on the field at Glacier Park International in Montana in the 1970s and early 80s. I flew with my dad and all the other pilots who would take me with them. Best way to grow up ever! Your pics of your son bring back the memories. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bull Barrel]

First ride and it was in a hot rod. Sweet!
Then in a classic!
GA is becoming less and less popular due to costs. Gotta get new blood.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

First ride and it was in a hot rod. Sweet!
Then in a classic!
GA is becoming less and less popular due to costs. Gotta get new blood.

GA or any kind of Aviation has always been expensive.
When I started taking lesions in 1965 the rate was $14.00 per hour which is $115 in todays $$$$$. I had to get a second job to be able to afford to take lessons. I worked 10 hours to be able to fly one hour and a one hour drive each way.

I will post later about my feelings of this Great Young Man getting the "Fire in the Belly". Don't let it burn out. I know what it is like to have it after having it lit 70+ years ago by riding in the back seat of a Cub while my Dad flew.
I tried to put the fire out during a flight today. Didn't work still there :wink:
No it is not getting less popular if the Oshkosh Fly-In is any indication. One week attendance 700,000 people and 10,000 airplanes on site for the week.

 

[exavid]

I wanted fly from before I started first grade. The urge never left me, I built gas models both control line and radio control into my early teen years. When I got to Kotzebue, AK as an electronic tech trainee I ate caribou and moose and saved almost all of my $500 per month pay. I was able to buy my first airplane in the winter of 1963, a Piper Pacer PA20, the tail dragging predecessor of the Tripacer. I was taught to fly in that by Warren Thompson who is in the Alaska Aviator's Hall of Fame for his rescue work in Arctic Alaska. To this day I give thanks that he was my instructor, I learned all the tricks and methods of bush flying from him. I credit him that I accumulated about 5000 hours most of it in Arctic Alaska in the days before GPS. I've owned taildraggers flown them on wheels and skis, an amphibian and a float plane and even a few trikes. Age and the difficulty and expense has caused me to give up my medical and flying. Besides it's not the same here in the south 48.

But do encourage that young man in his desire to fly, it was the fullfilment of my bucket list. Every bit as good as I'd dreamed as a pre-teen. Motorcycling, sailing and flying I got to do them all to my hearts content. I really believe a person can follow their dream.