Definitely trickle down, in a lot of ways. Dad was always interested in
airplanes (boats, too, but airplanes really stuck with me). He took lessons
when I was a wee lad but I don't remember any of that. He never got his
ticket, but he imbued in me a serious interest in aviation. We used to ride
our bikes on a Saturday morning to go have breakfast at Minuteman Airfield
in Mass when I was a kid. I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot on the
August day, 1979, when he took me to the airshow at Hanscom Airfield to
watch the Thunderbirds fly. I was so incredibly hooked that day that the
desire to do that kind of flying dominated my high school and entire college
career. It took the commies giving up to quash that dream, but I was
already a lieutenant in the USAF by then.

When I started taking flying lessons, at the tender age of 14, I used the
plotter and whiz wheel he'd used during his training. And, funnily enough,
I started my training at the same place he'd taken his 15 years earlier,
Marlboro Airport. I didn't get my ticket there, but finished my training
after I was in the USAF at Scott AFB in Illinois. Still use the plotter
every time I plan a flight (gave up on whiz wheel stuff a long time ago).

So, yeah, Dad was into aviation. Not actively, but actively enough to make
it a lifelong passion for me. Flying more now than I ever have before. I
did get a chance to take him up for a ride once a few years ago. It was an
interesting about turn on the "first ride" story, but it was neat to be able
to do that for my old man.

Shawn
Pitts Special S-1D G-BKVP
400+ hours
"john smith" wrote in message
...
Just curious how much "trickle-down" aviation there is among us?

My father flew, that is how I got started. We never owned a plane of our
own, only rented. I got my first plane ride when I was three.
He was my first passenger upon passing my PPC checkride and J3 checkout.
I got to fly him to Oshkosh for his first trip there.