Getting Your Start: Mom or Dad in Av?

[Flyingtoohigh]

After reading the "Unrealistic Expectations" thread, I noticed that many pilots talked about their parents as pilots. I read at least four or five posts about fathers as airline pilots getting current-day pilots interested in flying.

Do your either of your parents fly?

 

[bobbysamd]

Non-pilot parents

But when I decided to change careers at age 36, my father, of blessed memory, who knew nothing about the industry, told me that I should have started ten years before.

 

[jointops]

Well I'll throw my hat into the "Dad was a pilot". However, he flew strictly military for 30 years. Two tours in Vietnam as well and while there, about 3000 combat hours.

He never talked much about it though. Not until I became a military pilot did we discover we had that much in common. Now he's the center of attention at family reunions. He's got some amazing history.

He was devastated when I told him I wanted to leave and not retire from the military. Although he is pretty fond of those non-rev travel privileges now.

Happy landings

 

[Citationkid]

Both of my parents are pro pilots.........

 

[Edward Summer]

My father was a career pilot and it was interesting growing up. He missed a lot of soccer games, holidays, and special chilhood events while I was growing up. So for that, I sort of despised his career. It was fun though when we got older and partied at his house while he was away on a 3-4 day trip!

As far as encouragement and helping me out... Very little to none! When I was 18 and was learning to fly he really did not care much. He told me of alll the BS in flying, blah, blah, blah. Even now he still tries to convince me that commercial flying really isn't what it used to be, and "always have something to fall back on etc."

Well, I honor his concern, but I told him that I'd find out for myself as to what I can get out of this career - and right now it aint goint to well!

Ed

 

[TurboS7]

Dad was a flight dispatcher for our mission organization. We had one DC-3, 3 Helio Couriers, and one twin engine Evangel. I still remember the stress on my Dad at breakfast when he would get a call from al pilot calling in sick. He would spend an hour on the phone trying to cover the trip and trying to get the flight out on time. Seeing all that makes is very hard for me to call in sick, conseguently sp I havn't called in sick in 7 years. Sooner or later my luck will run out.

 

[Mogus]

Both of my parents are pro pilots.........

My parents are anti pilots.

 

[Dieterly]

Seeing all that makes is very hard for me to call in sick, conseguently sp I havn't called in sick in 7 years

So you are one of the aholes that goes to work sick, or are you telling us you haven't been sick in 7 years (when you suppose to been flying).

 

[Goffer]

Neither.... went flying with my older brother when he started and that got me hooked.

 

[sydeseet]

My dad seemed set on raising an accountant or an insurance adjuster - anything that was predictable (more so than flying anyway), paid a decent wage, and allowed me to be home every weekend. I think the world of him but he was never one to take a chance following his heart which caused him to doubt my decision to focus on a flying career for a long time. My mom was neutral about the issue but wanted me to be happy so she was a typical supportive Mom as long as I finished my education and kept my options open. What I would have given to have a parent in the business!! I went to college with quite a few "airline brats" as we so affetionately called them who seemed to have a leg-up from the start. It works that way in any business though, too bad I never considered Agri-Business or nursing........

If my own child(ren) should decide to follow me in this career I'll be behind them 100%, but it will be THEIR decision; just like it was mine.

 

[TurboS7]

And Dieterly I suppose that you are one of the ##### that always call in sick at the last minute and cause guys like me to have to go fly. Touche....

 

[jball2]

Father is a private pilot. Got me hooked early in life and gave me the utmost support. I think he sometimes wishes he had my job!

 

[Joseph II]

No close or distant relatives fly.

My Dad gave me a spreadsheet showing me how I would not benefit by switching careers at age 22!

Now of course, he was partially right... But what the heck...

It's funny how things parents say can have some truth to them.

 

[TurboS7]

My grandfather who is still living in Severna Park, MD is 93. He had the first GA airplane at Friendship International Airport in 1959. He had to put his own tiedown stakes in on the middle of a field. He gave me my first ride in a C-172 over to the Eastern Shore. The second ride was to Reading, PA and I got sick and threw up all over the airplane. I never got to ride with him after that. He did give me $500.00 when I was in high school which paid for a bunch of flying time in the aeroclub Luscombe. The rate was $5.00 an hour wet. Pretty nice hugh. Charts back then were 25 cents. I made $1.40 an hour polishing the DC-3 at Waxhaw N.C., Townsend Field.Time changes things.

 

[dmspilot00]

No family members fly at all, but my parents used to take me to airports to watch planes... I guess that's how I got my interest. My mom wanted to be a flight attendant back in the 70s, but she was too short or something.

 

[chawbein]

Both my parents are "white knucklers". They can't understand why I want to fly an airplane....

 

[ShinerBocknabtl]

Grandad soloed at 16, has been a spray pilot since 18, did 2 tours in Vietnam FW/RW, was pretty high up in rotary wing standards Siagon, still does the spraying deal.

Dad soloed at 16, is a spray pilot, A&P/IA

I soloed at 16, wanted to build hotrods....Had the option of paying my own way through school or going to A&P school on their dime. I did that and worked some nasty jobs in the meantime while airliners flew over all night. Decided that might not be such a bad life so here I am and still don't know what I wanna do when I grow up. However it does involve hot chicks, plenty of land, and lotsa toys.

 

[ElecJet]

Dad flew for good old EAL. The hook was set early on in my life, flying in misc. singles since the time I could walk. Got to fly the jumpseat with him on a two day when I was 16, you get thrown in jail now for that kind of stuff. Spent lots of time in MIA getting tours of the facilities and had the opportunity to fly the 757 sim at 16 as well. Had been to more exotic places on vacations while growing up than most people see in a lifetime. Too bad the other side of the coin was a slow death of great airline at the end of a stellar carreer. Even with the pitfalls of the industry, I wouldn't do anything else.

 

[LR25]

I owe it all to my Dad.

Since I was little, we would go flying, go hang out at the airport.

I started flying when I was 15, A&P school after high school, and have been a working pilot since age19, and a working A&P since I was 20.

My dad left pro flying for the FAA and became a controller, I learned alot sitting at his side working the strips.

 

[jdru25]

Neither of my parents were pilots, however my grandfather was a pilot in WW II. He flew the B-24 out of Italy until the end of the war. After the war, he flew the C-47 out of the pacific theater and left the air force in 1947. After that he got into the Steel Industry (another crazy industry) and never planned to fly as a career. While I was growing up he had plenty of WWII memorabilia, several books about his squadron, and many great stories about combat.