On Nov 29, 7:25*pm, Alex Potter wrote:
When did people become "air minded", and why?

I don't remember if it started with reading Biggles (really!) or when,
as a teenager, I would cycle out to RAF Locking and watch the air
cadets flying winch launches and the Auster giving rides over my home
town. I remember being fascinated that I could hear the glider
instructor talking to the student as they flew final over the airport
fence. First time in the air was in a helicopter to the Channel
Islands but all I remember of that was it was noisy. As a student at
Bangor I joined a small group for a trip to the Mynd hoping to get a
flight. No one checked the weather though and the field was closed
with snow. Then an intro ride in a Super Falke at Lasham followed by
several years not doing anything about flying except thinking I
couldn't afford it. Then I was given an intro ride in an L13 at
Thruxton by a friend of my future ex. That gave me the bug and I went
on a holiday course at Challock. I still didn't understand the sport
though as I insisted that I wasn't interested when one of the other
holiday students told me they found a thermal on their flight. All I
wanted to do was learn to land solo. A day or so later I was able to
climb Kermit in a thermal and finally understood where the magic was
to be found. A few months later I ran off to US where I have been
flying for most of the last 30 years. Tempus fugit.

Andy