On Nov 29, 9:25*pm, Alex Potter wrote:
When did people become "air minded", and why?

--
Alex

As far back as I can remember I would watch the gliders flying
overhead
our back yard (airport was about a mile away over a hill). Big
brother
went off to air force flight school when I was 5 (he washed out for a
vision
defect and wound up as a tower controller) but he did take me out to
the airport to watch pattern ops, setting the hook a little deeper.
Built numerous plastic models as a kid, and one "real" glider in which
I catapulted my
friend down the backyard hill in 3rd grade. Despite his admonitions
to
"stick to go-carts" I continued dreaming of flying until I had my
first
real job after finishing grad school. Office mate was a real pilot
who flew tow and glider rides at the local airport and finally invited
me
down to meet the operation. Soloed in 1986 (day after GL at same
place)
but got married later that year, so finally got private glider
licence at Harris Hill (Elmira) in 1992 (signed off for checkride by
GL!).
Crewed one day for P3 not long after that and vowed I'd fly contests
someday. Finally made it a few years ago thanks to great club
aircraft, and now actually own my own plane.

-- Matt