Another Nostalgia Attack

[-pops-]

Whilst andsome is have an attack of nostalgia in another thread, I am having one of my own.

My younger son visited yesterday and announced that he was now a qualified pilot. I knew he's been taking flying lessons for some time but earlier in the week he completed whatever it is they have to complete and is now able to take a plane up on his own.

This started me thinking back to 1964 when my elder son was born and me changing his nappies, wiping up his puke etc., etc. Similarly in 1970 with the other son. Then watching them both grow up, school, university, qualify and so on. Difficult to explain how I feel about all of this except it makes me feel very proud of them - but also very old!

We are now a two pilot family, Eric's partner, Doug, is also a pilot - on a slightly different scale - long haul (usually) to the Far East.

[andsome]

BRILLIANT. As I have just posted in my own thread, it's so nice to both have and also see others have nice well brought up families. Unfortunately there are far to many of the other kind about. My congrats to your son.

PS. Tell him that I hope he soon learns to land a plane now that he has learnt to take one up. :D :D

[artist]

BRILLIANT. As I have just posted in my own thread, it's so nice to both have and also see others have nice well brought up families. Unfortunately there are far to many of the other kind about. My congrats to your son.

PS. Tell him that I hope he soon learns to land a plane now that he has learnt to take one up. :D :D

I think there are probably many, many more 'nice' families about - It never does to be too complacent - you can only do your best and in some cases that isn't good enough.

[scuzzman]

Congratulations to your son from across the pond pops :D

[deuces wild]

Congratulations to your son pops!

Artist.....I agree with your sentiments.

[nellie2]

Congratulations -pops- and thanks for sharing this with us

[Thos]

Great news, pops.

The one thing I would like to have done is to learn how to fly. It was my passion when I was younger and I used to take every opportunity when I was in the Air Training Corps to fly in simulators and go gliding. I was accepted for flying training with the Fleet Air Arm in 1944, but I developed scarlet fever and was never able to take it up. There were not the opportunities for private lessons in those days.

So congrats to your family, pops and also to you.

Thos. :flowers:

[-pops-]

Thanks for all the good wishes - I have passed the messages on.

Eric comes on here occasionally but posts under my name (he does identify himself, though). He's more often found "at another place".

He's doing his first international trip this afternoon - flying to Le Touquet - I think I'd rather go via the tunnel.

[bvw]

Well done! Good luck this afternoon :)

[mark2]

The one thing I would like to have done is to learn how to fly. It was my passion when I was younger and I used to take every opportunity when I was in the Air Training Corps to fly in simulators and go gliding. Thos.

I too spent many an hour on cold windswept airfields as an RAF cadet, in the hope of getting 30 minutes in the back of a Chipmunk

I was able to solo in gliders in 1971, but the most memorable flight I had was 10 hrs in the nose position, at night, in a shackleton ( history ) on exercise, flying from Malta.

sadly as a youngster lack of readies prevented me being able to continue to learn to fly, lessons approx £50 an hour then (1972 ish)

-pops-

I think I'd rather go via the tunnel.

Lack of confidence or comfort ? :D

But congrats to your son on his soloing too.

[AlanHo]

Just to add to the nostalgia. My son who was an RAF pilot for a few years and moved into commercial flying 3 years ago flying Air Buses with British Mediterranean Airways to such exotic places as Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Khazekstan, Jordan etc. Last week he was promoted to Captain and can at last now afford to spoil me a little.

[andsome]

During my national service in Germany, as a photographer. On two occasions when an officer wanted passport or driving licence photo's in a hurry I was given a trip in the back seat of a meteor, as a little reward. On both occasions at 30,000 feet I was told to fly it airman. It was a great thrill.

[Watchful]

Congratulations Eric and -pops- :good:

[-pops-]

Thanks again!

Just had a call from Le Touquet. He's staying overnight and going to Paris for the evening. It's cheaper to park the aircraft overnight than put his car in the multistorey in Brighton.

[D4\/!d]

...when I was younger and I used to take every opportunity when I was in the Air Training Corps to fly in simulators and go gliding. Thos.

I too spent many an hour on cold windswept airfields as an RAF cadet, in the hope of getting 30 minutes in the back of a Chipmunk

I was able to solo in gliders in 1971...

It seems that many of us have had a go at gliding and flying chipmunks in our youth. Yeah, I was in the ATC in the mid sixties. I used to go to Manston and Stansted a lot.

[Thos]

It seems that many of us have had a go at gliding and flying chipmunks in our youth. Yeah, I was in the ATC in the mid sixties. I used to go to Manston and Stansted a lot.

My time was in the early 40's and we used to get flights in Avro Ansons. Our gliders were single seaters anyway and we started with ground tows ( staying on the field with spoilers on the leading edges, then low hops ( taking off and landing in front of the tow vehicle), then high hops (taking off before the tow and landing after it) and finally circuits.

Thos.