A young man's first airplane ride

[Recluse]

The adopted grandson decided he was ready for his first airplane ride. After all, he explained to me, I took MY first airplane ride when I was five and a half years old, so he was already behind.

So Dylan, Mom, Dad and little brother Landyn and myself head out to Cabela's/Fort Worth for a field trip and lunch (none of them had been to the big Cabela's in FW--only the small one in Allen). Breanne (Mom) was feeling pretty horrid so Ricky (Dad) took her and little brother back home. Dylan insisted on staying with Grampa so we could go flying.

Out to the airport we go and up into the Cessna he went. Ready to go.

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Of course, these things don't fly themselves and while the boy is plenty confident, he told me he couldn't fly this airplane by himself because his legs were "too short to reach the foot pedals." So I went ahead and volunteered to take PIC (pilot-in-command) duties.

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We'd decided on the way to Cabela's earlier in the day to fly over the Texas Motor Speedway. To do that, we would have to transition Fort Worth Alliance Airport's airspace. No problem except for a bunch of Air Force student pilots from Columbus, Mississippi were all arriving on their first long cross-country trip. Thank God for IPs (Instructor Pilots).

So we deviated our route further to the north to avoid the baby jet-jockeys, who we later met at the KAFW fbo and who were all outstanding young men and who took Dylan out to see their jets and Texans. Here's the young man during climb out--the typical big grin and wonderment on the face as the main landing gear leaves the runway and you slip the surly bonds and begin climbing.

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And here is Texas Motor Speedway as seen from 2500' msl by a young man on his first flying adventure.

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On the way back to our airport, I once again talked to the controllers at KAFW, who upon learning that this was the young man's first ever airplane ride invited us to land and come take a tour of the ATC tower. Here are the controllers and Dylan. The woman in the middle is named Crystal and her and I have had many a radio conversation over the past three years since she was assigned to that tower. I absolutely love her to death and she is a great one to have "in the radio with you" after a long day of hard flying and all you want to do is get back home.

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After we got through visiting with the tower folks, we met some of the Air Force pilots who all told Dylan he would make a fine United States Air Force airplane driver. We loaded back up, taxied, took off and turned back to the home airport. I asked the young man if he was having fun.

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It had been determined a long time ago, back in the early/mid-90's that if the wife and I were going to have a family, God was going to have to provide it. Well, He did it a few years after I retired from the advertising agency world. We know now that He waited until we had time for what's truly important in life--and that is the unabated joy of taking in a young lady, watching her grow and raise a family and seeing the unfettered, unconditional love on faces belonging to the people you cherish and love right back.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome day.

:coffee:

[WILCO]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing.

[ph4570]

Nice story and photos.

[square butte]

Very Nice. Thanks for sharing the story with us.

[DLCTEX]

We need a like button!

[bikerbeans]

Great! A good friend of mine took my son "up" in his TriPacer for the kid's first flight. Fast forward almost 20 years and my son now pilots an F-16 for a living. This could be the start of something big for your grandson.

BB

[portlybowlofpigfat]

the first and only time i have been on a airplane was on a fly in fishing trip my girlfriend bought me for my birthday 9 years ago .

i had a choice of the two pilots who was flying our group in ... one had never crashed , the other had admitted to two crashes when asked .... i chose to fly with the guy who had experience with crashing and walking away from them .
even with a slight case of nerves flying on a rickety looking 65 year old plane i did enjoy it

[Echo]

JD, you're a Lucky Dickins!

[firefly1957]

Thank you for sharing.

[mikeym1a]

Really neat!!!! I was 13 when I went up the 1st time. I fell in love with it, and remain so, 50 years later. Good job.

[Bzcraig]

JD you have defined living! No matter what happens in the future you and he shared a day that will never be forgotten and often talked about!

[Dean D.]

JD, you never cease to amaze me. What an outstanding first ride for the youngster. Not just a little hop but a wonderful bunch of stops to meet some other great up and coming aviators and ATC's. A trip of a lifetime...and his first! I tip my hat to you sir. Well done!

[historicfirearms]

Great write up and pictures! Its good to see the young ones in the air.

I'm a pilot too and have two young kids. My daughter was 5 months old when she went for her first ride in our Luscombe 8A. She was asleep before the wheels left the ground and didn't wake up until after we landed.
My boy was a little older, I think around a year and a half, before he got to ride in my work Cessna 182. He got to fly through the clouds a little that day.

When I was working as a flight instructor I often got to take kids for their first airplane rides. To this day, it is the most enjoyable thing I have ever done in an airplane. The best one I can remember was when I got to take my 14 year old nephew for a ride in the Super Cub on floats. Thats been over 12 years ago and he still brings it up every time I see him.

Keep em flying.

[fecmech]

My Mom paid $5.00 for my first ride in a Piper Cub at a little airfield in Pennsylvania and I was about 5yrs old at the time. Between that and Col. Robert L. Scott's book "God is My Co-pilot" I've spent the rest of my life as an A&P working on commercial aircraft. Our family went to the Geneseo Air show a couple weeks ago and my daughter expressed a desire to fly in a biplane. I've seen a Stearman flying in our area a lot and contacted the pilot to see about a ride for her. So sometime in the next couple of weeks my daughter, her spouse and my wife will all get a ride in an old Stearman open cockpit. I took a ride in a P-51 last year so I'll sit this one out. BTW I spent a couple weeks in 04 at Alliance going to Air Bus school at the Fed Ex facility there. I knew Texas Motor speedway looked big from the ground but it's even more impressive in your photo.

[sparky45]

Nothing special there JD, that is unless you accept that God, family and Christian Living have rewarded you with the essence of Life. What a beautiful picture "story", you are truly Blessed.

[Don Purcell]

That's one handsome little guy you have there. That is a special moment that he will remember for the rest of his life and you got to give it to him. Clear skies.

[snuffy]

[QUOTE]the typical big grin and wonderment on the face as the main landing gear leaves the runway and you slip the surly bonds and begin climbing.[/QUTE]

There's nothing like that feeling when the wheels leave the ground and you begin flying. I can imagine the thrill Dylan was feeling, just about everything is a wonderment at his age.

While I was working towards my instrument flight instructor rating, I first had to get my commercial ticket. It required a LOT of cross-country flying. Since uncle Sam was paying the way, (GI bill), I could take people with me and could fly any airplane the airport had at the time. The Cessna 182 was my favorite, but usually I was in a 172. That meant there was 3 empty seats I could fill up. Many trips all around Wisconsin with family members, including some nieces and nephews at 12 YO.

Good on you JD, that will be a precious memory for Dylan, it's surprising how the little things stick in kids heads when they're that age.

[Pb Burner]

Way to go Grandpa! I'd say he's a fortunate young man. Makes me remember my first ride in a small plane... Thanks for sharing!
Burner

[popper]

My daughter got her first ride about 4yrs old, someplace between Grapevine & Ft. Worth. Relative was a commercial pilot with a strip behind his house. Really had to talk her into going, she sat in my lap in the Cessna 182. She took 3 trips, last 1 in the right seat. Had to drag her out for dinner. Once hooked, they don't want to quit. You still looking for 45 brass? Got ~ a qt baggie for you.

[searcher4851]

Nice story and pictures. I'm 62 and I still remember my first small plane ride. It just sticks with you.