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 Post subject: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 07 Aug 2010, 17:15 
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Joined: 02/14/09
Posts: 6071
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Company: tomdrew.lawyer
Location: Des Moines, IA (KDSM)
Aircraft: 1973 Baron E55
I have been on BT a long time and it has reaffirmed my passion for aviation. I still remember watching my dad solo as a youngster. His flight instructor was standing next to me and my brother and said, "He nailed it, nice job." That was his first touch and go. What an impression it made on a young son to have another adult compliment his father. Flying an airplane no less. Growing up, I would stare at Flying magazine for hours on end. The pictures fascinated me. We lived in a small town. Small enough that people would run outside and look up when an aircraft flew over low.

My dad would go out to the airport on the weekends and I would wait, like a puppy dog at the door, to see if he would nod that I could come along. On those trips I remember many men sitting around in the airport building. A big guy named George would say words I never heard before between puffs on his cigarette. Most of these words had four letters except the one where he mentioned his mother and that she was a trucker or something of the sort. George loved his mother and spoke of her often. My dad told me I had to sit in the corner and be quiet. It was easy to follow his command so I could listen to the tales told by these men of trips to far away places. At 10 years old I knew most of what these men said wasn't true, but it didn't matter. If the tale involved airplanes I was all in, fact or fiction.

I was copilot on various flights with my dad over the years. None to far away. He was cautious and not interested in long trips or contending with weather. A Sunday trip around the patch was the common fare. I loved the noise the engine made, the gauges bouncing about and the knobs. Most of all I loved the smell of 100LL.

Time went by and the urge to fly grew stronger. Even with the emotional support of my dad it was important to him that I conquer it myself. This resulted in me selling my car my senior year of college and obtaining my PPL. It is true, it means more when you do it yourself. Freshly licensed and 22 years old with a wife. What to do. The reality of flying checked in at an early age. It cost the one thing I didn't have, money. A job with a little money followed. A tiny piece of that money rented a beat up Cherokee 180. My wife and I flew it home from Chicago to show off to my dad and in laws. They were impressed, even with the flat tire. This was back in the days when you could get lost in an airplane, which I did on the way back to Chicago. As luck would have it, the controller at Du Page vectored me on down wind and base because I couldn't see the airport. Why? Because I was on top of it!

Then came the kids and back to school for me. That was pretty much it for flying. Almost every Sunday evening during those years we would go to the airport in the "blue light" area. You could park and watch airplanes. It always ended the same, with the kids and my wife crying to take them home. My fate had been sealed. I would be on the other side of that fence again someday.

Time went by some more money showed up. An epiphany, why not become a flight instructor and make money doing what I love? Several thousand dollars later I was a CFII. While instructing I met some great people, met some scary people, and met some scary people who scared me. But, I was making money, by my calculations about $2 dollars an hour. Had another epiphany, maybe I should focus more on being a lawyer.

Worked harder and my flying appetite started to be fed. My first airplane was a Cherokee 140. If you screwed the nose trim all the way out to the left and then another half turn it would almost fly straight. No Cherokee 140 ever had less bugs on it than mine. This is where I learned what pride of ownership meant. Many airplanes followed Pipers, Cessnas that I either owned outright or a share.

I don't remember how I got onto Beechcraft. It was either divine intervention or a random event. Still thinking that over. One thing for sure, I never flew anything like my F33. Sold, hook line and sinker. First time an airplane felt like an extension of my body. From any altitude you could point where to land, with or without power, and I could do it. That builds confidence. Flew her for over 600hrs.

Another Epiphany. If a Bonanza with one engine was bliss that means two must be more bliss? A new challenge, a real airplane. Heavy metal. Bought my E55 Baron in November 2008. My F33C shares the same hanger and is owned by my good friend. Most days I think how lucky I am when I open the hanger door. Other days I think how lucky he is. Twin flying cannot be explained. You either like it or you don't. It creates options and obstacles. One thing that is beyond dispute, a Baron is as much fun to fly as anything that will take to the air. It is the first airplane I have owned where strangers say, "Wow, that is a big airplane I would like to ride in that."

Here are some pictures of my Bird.


Please login or Register for a free account via the link in the red bar above to download files.

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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 07 Aug 2010, 17:33 
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Joined: 05/23/08
Posts: 36
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Location: (KFAR) Fargo, ND
Aircraft: BONANZA B36TC
A great introduction, Tom. Doe's your Dad still fly?


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 07 Aug 2010, 17:53 
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Joined: 07/05/09
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Company: Waypoint Lighting
Location: Austin, TX (KGTU)
Aircraft: '65 Deb C33
A very nice introduction. Thanks for sharing your journey to the left seat. Although my dad was never able to learn to fly, he has always had a love for aviation and has shown a true interest in my progress as a pilot. I fondly remember him parking at the end of the runway at Adam's Field on family trips to Little Rock. I know we enjoyed it a lot more than my Mother or my brothers, but that's what we did for cheap entertainment.

I like your paint scheme. Our plane currently has green and 'gold' trim of all the colors of the rainbow. We've talked about changing the gold to blue. Now that I see your plane I like the idea even more :thumbup:

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Leave it better than you found it.

http://www.WaypointLighting.com


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 07 Aug 2010, 19:16 
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Joined: 10/01/09
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Location: KRHV San Jose, Ca
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Great story Tom. Things dads do :clap:


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 08 Aug 2010, 10:53 
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Joined: 02/14/09
Posts: 6071
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Company: tomdrew.lawyer
Location: Des Moines, IA (KDSM)
Aircraft: 1973 Baron E55
Username Protected wrote:
A great introduction, Tom. Doe's your Dad still fly?


He flew up to a couple of years ago. He has owned part of a C182 with my brother and a friend for many years. Recent health challenges cost him his medical. But, if I could sign up to fly until I was 78, like he did, I would do it in a minute.

It was a lot of fun to take him for his first ride in the Baron.

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Currency 12 M: IPC/BFR, CFII Renewal


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 08 Aug 2010, 11:17 
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Joined: 11/26/07
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Tom, wow, what an excellent introduction. :bow:

It was a pleasure meeting you at Osh this year, hope to do it again soon. Until then, keep on "truckin" :)

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CE-510 type, ATP Helicopter, BE90 recurrent, CE500 SPE, Baron 58 IPC, R22/R44 flight reviews


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 08 Aug 2010, 12:57 
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Joined: 12/12/07
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Company: MBG Properties
Location: Knoxville, TN (KDKX)
Aircraft: 1972 Bonanza V35B
Drew,

Thanks for sharing some of your flying biography. I enjoyed reading it. I am sure your father is proud of your accomplishments.

For those of us fortunate to have/had great fathers we should be very grateful that we are/were blessed to have them as our heroes and role models.

Little did my father suspect that taking me along on a ride in his friend's little Piper would cause me to have a dream that would never go away...a dream to be a pilot. Thanks, Dad (deceased, 1972). Thanks Drew, for reminding me of that again.

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My photos: https://photos.google.com/albums


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 17 Aug 2010, 22:46 
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Joined: 03/15/08
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Location: KUES Waukesha, WI
Aircraft: Pieces of N121VP
Was that you at RFD last Sunday?

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"Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground......"


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 17 Aug 2010, 22:54 
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Joined: 02/14/09
Posts: 6071
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Company: tomdrew.lawyer
Location: Des Moines, IA (KDSM)
Aircraft: 1973 Baron E55
Username Protected wrote:
Was that you at RFD last Sunday?


My mechanic with my airplane. TCM people said I was burning my engine up flying LOP. :bang:

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Currency 12 M: IPC/BFR, CFII Renewal


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 18 Aug 2010, 16:34 
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Location: KUES Waukesha, WI
Aircraft: Pieces of N121VP
After they checked my engine and said everything looked perfect, he asked if I flew LOP, and when I told him "yes," he just shook his head.....

And he said to NEVER use ANY additives, like Camguard, or I'll trash the engine....then I just shook my head and walked away........

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"Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground......"


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 19 Aug 2010, 09:22 
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Joined: 06/04/09
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Company: Usually good
Location: Chicago - Milwaukee, IL (KUGN)
Aircraft: 1968 Bonanza V35A
Great looking plane in real life, I saw it also at RFD>

No mention of additives about my engine - I did mention using Camguard, but now since flying very week to 10 days, ( Lucky me ) I think I'll skip it and just keep changing the oil.


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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 19 Aug 2010, 09:29 
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Joined: 12/09/07
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Location: Cascade, ID (U70)
Aircraft: C182
Username Protected wrote:
After they checked my engine and said everything looked perfect, he asked if I flew LOP, and when I told him "yes," he just shook his head.....

And he said to NEVER use ANY additives, like Camguard, or I'll trash the engine....then I just shook my head and walked away........


Sure would have been fun to do it a different way.

After he said the engine was perfect, and asked you if you flew LOP, you could have said, "Oh, I'd never do that!"

When he agreed with you, and said that running ROP is why the engine was perfect, then you drop the bomb on him.

Or, just say, "You just said the engine is perfect. How do you think I run it?"

Might as well have fun with them. ;)

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 Post subject: Re: I guess I never introduced myself
PostPosted: 19 Aug 2010, 11:37 
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Joined: 03/15/08
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Location: KUES Waukesha, WI
Aircraft: Pieces of N121VP
It was 8:30 AM Sunday morning.
I wasn't thinking that quickly.
Plus, he still had the engine opened up..didn't want to pi@@ him off....... :bud:


And, thanks, Bo!

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