Who are you and how did you get into aviation

[mirrodie]

well, just a thought, why dont we all introduce ourselves, no?

My name is Mario and I've been fascinated with planes for as long as I can remember. Basically I grew up near one of the JFK approaches in South Ozone Park and watched planes landing just about every other day. I also like the old LIRR diesel era, which I grew up with and had access to since mom worked by the diesel engine shops. And my dad fostered the love for aviation as he took me out on the weekends to see Concorde stake off and we also went to a lot of airshows in the 70s and early 80s.

Also, AA has a soft spot in my heart. My mother even has my first flight written down in my baby book, on AA of course. I've 3 aunts who work for AA, one cousin at BA and so i'm fortunate to fly non-rev at times, even Concorde once in a while. ;)

I'm an optometrist in Lindenhurst so I'm never too far from an airport. :)
I like a good glass of red wine for my heart and love all kinds of food. I love to eat. What can I tell you?! Love to travel, take photos and write.
animals are great. right now we are looking to start a family...with a cat. I figure if we don't screw up the cat, we can start talking about kids :lol:

who are you? Why do you like planes? What's your deal?

[FlyingColors]

This is where it all happened for me, back in the day when I was 7!!!!!!!

How does it go now..............., let me see....

My uncle George brought me and my cousin to the "new airport" to look around, EWR as we sort of know it today, was just re-opened in 1973 with the current Terminal A (which was and still is United's) and B. C was just a skeleton structure, not completed for many years. We took a look around. I recall seeing an anti collision light on a United 727s tail, going back and forth..........

Full of wonder, I asked my dad to go back, next weekend. And my sister got me a 110 camera!

We did. It was great parking under the terminal, kind of cool to a little kid ( and made good use of during all the return visits in bad weather)

We started going down the first satellite jet walkway in Terminal A. To my left I saw a United DC-10-10. And next to her was a DC-8-61. The 10 was in the very new at the time orange red and blue colors while the 8 was sporting the smashing "stars n bars"

Then as a sunbeam broke out across the terminal I noticed this very bright green and orange airplanes. You could not make out what it was due to my line of vision was obscured from the middle satellite walkway...

"Come on dad!" I wailed, yanking on his arm. Away we went to the last satellite. And what was it????!!! It was 2 of Braniff International's "Flying Colors" 727-200s. It was stunning! No other airplanes had the same look or different current colors, together.

So we made our way out to the out side deck that overlooked TWA and across was Terminal B, with Allegheny and Eastern. And the twin towers.

I'll never forget those early days.

I was hooked from that day.............forever!

I dived into the diecast and plastic glue together models, as well as books too.

Yearned to be a pilot, however my home life was a bit stormy and its impression on me left me feeling turned off to being away from home.

But I also loved working with my mind and hands, so looked into being a A &P jetliner mechanic. But to my surprise no one was being hired for work.

So I did a side step and was interested in the other type of compression engine, the diesel.

And that's where I am today with my own business.
Now ask me if I like it. That's a whole another story!

Mike

[PhilDernerJr]

I always liked planes, having grown up across Flushing bay in a third floor apartment overlooking part of La Guardia Airport.

I remember taking books out of the library teaching me how to identify planes, and then sitting at my window with binoculars, writing down al the planes I saw pass. These were the days of DC-10s and L-1011s at LGA, and I wish I cherished it a little bit more.

I recall seeing the sky light up the night of USAir flight 405 as I lay in my bed. I recall watching the CO MD-80 sitting off the end of rwy 13 in 1993. all these memories before I really realized that there was a hobby to be practiced.

When I was 18 and I started working at an office in Manhattan, I took an interest in the subway. I joined a website for NYC subway enthusiasts and a member on there, who happens to be "USAF Pilot 07" here, asked me if I liked planes, and linked me to Airliners.net.

Looking at LGA photos with College Point in the background, I instantly became intrigued again, and forgot that this was something I enjoyed a lot growing up. Participation on their message boards, annoying people on there, filming aircraft with a digital video camera, eventually meeting people like Mario and Tom Turner, and it just grew.

Eventually, I got my own camera. I started an aviation newsletter (Aireola Aviation) and then this site.

I work during the day with my brother and sister as a salesman at a granite company in Westchester, and I do all my aviation-related things in my free time.

[T-Bird76]

I've loved planes ever since I was very young, in fact I still can recall my father bringing me home a Fisher Price Airport and plane.

It really was my father who got me into aviation and those memories of him are the ones that stick out the most. like myself my father was a big aviation enthusiast and in-fact had his PPL and his own Cessna. Going flying with him was the greatest thrill as a young child.

I remember sitting next to the plane as he would perform various maintenance on it while Jets took off from ISP. After he passed away when I was 10 I started to read all his aviation books, my favorite which I still have today is "The lore of flight". The book is so old that it doesn't even have the 727 or DC-9 mentioned as passenger aircraft.

My mother also helped feed my love for aviation by taking me to ISP all the time. I remember being able to go right up to the gates and watch all these wonderful planes come in and out. Back then ISP saw EAL 727s, UAL 737s, AA 727s, MD-80s, Piedmont 737s, US DC-9s, and New York Air DC-9s.

One thing I found a few months back was this note pad I use to use to jot down all the planes that passed over my house during the Transatlantic arrivals slot at JFK. I use to sit on the top of my shed with my binoculars watching them pass by. Even today they still pass right over my house at about 10,000 feet. I was amazed at what I found in this note pad, PanAm 747s, TWA L1011s, Concorde, even 707s. Times really have changed.

As I got older I faded away a bit as other things entered my life as a teen. Sports took a big chunk of my time as a teen in Jr. and Sr. HS. Then as I got into my mid 20s I realized that I truly love aviation.

People ask me what is so special about watching planes. The only way I can explain it to them is that when I see a plane race down runway and lift off the ground its in its own element. On the ground a plane is slow, clumsy, and needs the help of other things to move it along. Watching a plane race down the runway and then in that special moment in time lift off the ground into the air you know its free. In that split second this machine that can't do much on the ground is free, graceful, and in its own element. In someways it reminds me of life and why its important to understand what we want out of life so we can be free, graceful and happy in our own element.

[cancidas]

i don't know what it is exactly... i have a few ideas though.

1. have a picture of myself sitting on the beach in the rockaways pointing at concorde taking off. this was sometime in the middle 1980's.

2. found a children's bowl with an airplane in the shed house when cleaning up.

3. my parents brought me over to this country from poland onboard a Swissair IL-62.

such is my evidence...

[FlyingColors]

Swissair IL-62, really???????????????????????????????

Thats new to me.

Full colors or a season charter???

[mirrodie]

wow, Phil and Mike, sems like you guys started as proper British 'planespotters'

ditto mike, where are the pics? thatd be cool :)

cheers

mario

[FlyingColors]

I have prints.

Perhaps I could get a HQ scan, someday.

[BDLGUY]

When I was about 10 or 11 years old and flew on Alleghany Airlines DC-9 with my mother and young brother from ROC to BDL in the 1970's. Our plane stopped at LGA or JFK (I can't remember which ones but I do remember our plane landed over the water). So, I was sitting on the aisle seat and stared at the cockpit. A beautiful flight attendant saw me and invited me and my brother to the cockpit. A captain explained about the instrustments and flight plans that time I was very quite and shy. When the tour was finished and returned to my seat. I told my mother that when I grow up and wanted to be an airline pilot. But my mother said to me, "John, I'm very sorry you can't". So, I asked her "Why?" She said, " Because you can't hear on the radio while flying an airplane." (Right now, I'm hearing impaired) So, I was very sad that I can't flying on airplane. Oh well....What a bummer!!! LOL!!!

About two years later, I was very hooked in aviation and found the different ways to enjoy my new hobby. So, I asked my father to take me to Bradley International Airport to take some photos of the planes. So far, I have about 10,000 photos since I started my new hobby in the 1970's. Also, I have almost 100 photos on airliners.net!!!

Believe it or not, I'm now 41 years old and am still an aviation photographer & spotter!!! 8)

Cheers!
John A. Perrotta

[Ari707]

I grew up under the runway 13-31 of LGA in queens and remember watching planes as long as far back as EA Electra's and some very noisy 727-100's and DC9's I rember going to Flushing Airport to watch planes with my father and even going to JFK when they had and observation deck we always used to get a cup of lemonaid at the stand that was there. I started taking pics in the late 80's and I have many slides fron the top of the Jetport when it was still Pan-Am I remember sitting there for hours at a time shooting through the opening in the fence. I just have always like anything to do with planes.

[Art at ISP]

I have been fascinated with airplanes since toddlerhood--when I was 4 my dad took us to JFK and LGA observation decks, and I was hooked. We lived near the approach path to 22L at JFK so when they were doing visuals we had planes about 1000 feet overhead (near Garden City).

My high school graduation gift from my dear Grandma was my pilot's license, which I initially completed between 1973 and 1974 at Zahns airport (now an industrial park). I took lessons from a retired cop named Joe Kuriga and a real old timer named Bernie Sherman (was old in the 70's!). I flew on and off for a few years and wound up at Flightways of Long Island's club (Farmingdale Flyers) from the late 70's to their demise. We had many fly ins and social events involving groups of airplanes. I got my complex endorsement in 1979 and flew Arrows (turbo and non), and the lone Skylane RG (never quite got the hang of a high wing landing).

I am now a regional sales manager for a digital imaging company (we make commercial grade dye sub printers), and travel approx 150K miles a year usually sitting between rows 1 and 6 of airliners. I still go out to FRG on occasion, and one of these days will get my medical back and start again.

Come to think of it I was flying before I learned how to drive--go figure!

Happy New Year to all...

[Alex T]

Dont know how mine got started...


My mom recalls, I was deaf when I was really young. I could not hear much or anything except really loud noises. Planes would create loud noises and I would be able to hear it without my hearing aids, before I got them.

I went to the hospital in STL. I got new hearing aids, and I went outside and the first thing I heard was a TWA 747 coming over, screaming at me as it attempted to land at STL. It was ironic the first noise I hear outside is a jet plane. That must have been when the moment clicked for me. I lost interest as a child and in grade school. But after TWA 800 happened I became interested again and would start reading books, collecting plane models. It really strengthened when I found out my Great Uncle was Neil Armstrong the Astronuat, first man who stepped on the moon. So I would study NASA stuff, and yes I have met him twice. great guy, but very very private and keeps to himself. Then my cousin decided to go into the airforce and get his pilot license, so this of course peaked my interest. By High school i was FIXED and it was a given, I delcared myself an Aviaiton Nut.

Sadly due to my hearing impairment I cannot get a commercial license at the moment. So all I can do is enjoy it as a hobby with great people like you all, and maybe get a career in the aviation industry.

Alex

[MarkLawrence]

Having a father that flew commercially in England for a now defunct company called Hunting Clan (that eventually through a whole lot of name changes and buyouts became British Caledonian) and a grandfather that flew in WWII, aircraft have been a part of my life from a very young age. Growing up in South Africa, my dad made a lot of friends with people in South African Airways, so was very close to that and have spent a great number of landings and take off's over the years in different cockpits. Spotting I've done whereever I have lived - South Africa, then Heathrow and Gatwick in the UK, back to SA, and finally here in the US - starting at STL, then CAE and lately at PBI.

I do want to get my license at some point - my boss did it at 55, so no reason why I can't still. In the meantime, I revel in FS2004 and the PMDG payware add-ons of which I have all of them to date. I want to get to NYC at some point (and hopefully get a tower tour with Dave Schoen from over at jfktower.com) and to do some spotting in the NY area as well as visit the Concorde at USS Intrepid. Daytime job is a software developer - working on motor dealership software - the rest of the time, apart from the time spent with my wife and 21 month old grandson that we are raising (and I'm educating into airplanes as he calls them) is spent on a lot of web sites and FS2004.

[Tom_Turner]

Great topic Mario.

It's interesting to note, like many others here, my father was key to my developing an interest in aviation.

It was about 1967 or possibly 1968. I was about six years old and money was frequently tight in those years - not sure, but it might have been my mom that suggested my father take me out to the airport or maybe it was his idea - but anyway, I guess the notion being it might be cheap entertainment for me on one weekend day. We were Manhattanites, so it was going to be a trek on public transportation - the bus from the Port Authority to EWR.

My father had likely flown through there at some point and remembered the sole terminal (later to be known as the "North Terminal" in the People Express days) upstairs was no more than a walkway the length of the terminal with benches and an uninterrupted row of windows at least 11 feet high if not more. It looked out to the center of the ramp with two piers on either end - both of which also had outdoor observation decks.

[People often recall with fondness as do I, the loud roars of the old jets...but I can tell you it was a painful experience to be on those decks and listen to many of those jets just having their engines run. These were not roars at all, like you might still hear during an airshow with fighter jets...these were high pitched whines and screams. No one could last out side very long without ear plugs with one of these jets at a nearby gate. ]

Eastern had a large operation with the outer side of the Eastern pier - DC-9s, The then NEW stretch DC-8, 727-100s, and Constellations and Electras as daily staples.

A mix of American (with 727-100s, and 707-100s), National pre-sun king design (727s), Delta (727s, Convair jets), Northwest Orient (727s) had the inside of the Eastern Pier with Allegheny a busy tenant as well with many Convair props and the occasional Fokker prop. Their feeder lines included Beech Taildraggers and other odd small types. Braniff International operated a 720 (generally a Blue one with Black glare marks above the nose - clearly the star of the airport - to Dallas I believe.

The outside of the Western Pier was dominated by United and it actually wrapped to the far end of the inner part as well. Most interesting types were probably a fleet of DC-6s and the Caravelle. TWA operated a couple of 707s from the outside as well.. with I seem to remember a flight to or including New Mexico. Mohawk (with BAC 1-11s, Fokker and Convair props shared a small bit of the inside finger Northeast "Yellow Bird" which flew Convair jets but mostly Fokker props) .

Flying Tiger CL-44 Swingtails littered a cargo ramp somewhere in the area we now see Signature.

The CAB controlled all the airlines' route structure very tightly and it was not like today where you might expect a surprise or two on any given day. Those were few and far between. For a brief time a West Coast outfit going by the name of "Pacific" something or other operated a 727 and Pan Am flirted with a daily 707 or two for a couple of years but were soon gone again. New York airways operated Boeing Vertols.
Once in a while a military "Box Car" would park in a remote area. An FAA DC-3 was an occasional visiter as well.

But that was about it for EWR. One restaurant in the terminal, one newstand, lots of soft jazz on the PA not unlike Terminal C last time I checked. It could be a slow airport at times despite a relatively large stable of airlines/operators. Not unusual to see no movements for 10 or almost 15 minutes at a time. At 2pm, there was a big push of departures resulting in a line of about 8 or 9 aircraft and then things would settle down again.

Once half the airlines relocated to the comparatively poor viewing areas of the new Terminal A, my time at EWR was done and it was over to JFK, but I have prattled on here enough I think.

One last memory though..something else you wont see today... loud jet aircraft departing to the WEST. :)

[Midnight Mike]

Mike, here from Long Beach, California, presently, I work for Alteon/Boeing, in charge of scheduling on the 717, MD88, 737-200, & the MD11.

Background, have always been into airplanes, though I am not a spotter.

I was a mechanic in the Navy working on the P3 Orion & the A3 Skywarrior.

Have worked at NCA (Nippon Cargo Airlines) & Polar Air Cargo, before landing my present job.