About Me and This Website
Note: I’m not a flight instructor (CFI) and this information is for educational purposes only. Consult with your CFI for specifics about the particular airplane you are flying.
Hi! My name is Mike and I’m from the New England area of the United States.
My flying journey began when I was 7 years old. I was playing in the front yard when I heard a DC-7 pass overhead. I remember stopping and looking up to watch it, and knew at that moment I was going to be a pilot.
Fast forward a bit, I was headed for the US Air Force as a Pilot candidate if I could get through the elimination program in ROTC. I soloed an old Cessna straight tail 150 on my 21st birthday! Later that year I completed the program and was set for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).
Life threw me a twist, though. It was 1976 and with the end of the Vietnam War, the Air Force didn’t need pilots. I was dropped from UPT consideration.
After three years of active duty, I applied again and was accepted! The next stop was the (now former) Williams AFB in Arizona.
I arrived in January and began an amazing adventure with both high points and low points. The lowest being chronic ear congestion from repeated trips to 25,000 feet and back in an unpressurized T-37 Tweet. I began to fall behind while medically grounded a few days every week or two, flying only the simulator and doing book work. In the end, that problem and occasional aero-induced airsickness forced me out of the program.
On the bright side, I did make it past T-37 solo! I was able to stay with the Air Force a full 23 years, and through the Aero Club system was able to earn my SEL, MEL, COMM, and INST tickets.
I now have over 500 hours and love aviation like I was 7 again!
I’m glad you’re here to share my thoughts and excursions and would love to have you subscribe so I can keep in touch as it grows.
P.S. Click here for a link menu to all my aviation-related platforms. Sincere thanks for visiting!