How a pilot is born!

I loved having kids come up a visit the flightdeck and unlike this pilot they always sat in the captain's seat, and they always got to wear the captain's hat for their picture. A couple of my favorite lines: Nervous child not wanting to take the seat: "We need a sacrificial adult to sit in the seat first" Nervous Mom within an earshot: "Just don't push the go button" Most memorable occasion: A quinceanera party flight with a picture of eight young ladies jammed in the flightdeck. Funniest occasion: Young boy was told to sit in the flightdeck jump seat while she completed her duties. He was obviously scared and said he didn't want to seat there. I said most kids would love to sit there for a flight, why don't you? He, with a panicked look on his face, said: Because when you crash you crash here first! Most surprised: Station supervisor asked if a young child could come to the flightdeck to say hi. They informed me she was on a flight that ran off the end of the runway just a few days before. This cute little girl steps into the flightdeck with a big, beautiful smile and says to me, with excitement in her eyes: "the last time I few WE CRASHED". I said: Sweetheart, you filled that square we are going to do that again.

"Do you like movies about gladiators?"

1959 for me when a TWA captain invited me into the iconic "Connie" - Lockheed, 4 engine, propeller-driven cigar shaped airliner's cockpit. He showed me these things too. I was a 10 year old star-struck kid who dedicated myself to an aviation career that started inside there to my first Cessna flight, the USAF and a career in commercial aviation flying out of SFO- everywhere! Flying is a passion and once bit by the aviation bug there is no elixer, Rx's, herbal tea, girl friends or Acupuncture that cures the anxiousness, enthusiasm or fun - to fly - anywhere. Symptoms include near starvation, driving beater cars, lack of social interaction for memorizing the FAA manual, learning the almost Morris-code like FAA weather abbreviations at altitudes, no dates with "Ms. Congeniality". Studying FAA rules is equal to a law school student facing the bar exam, and a lack-luster job.... Fly is equal to that effort and just as expensive. Ppl can't spot attorneys walking though the terminal, but they do a pilot who appears to 'swagger' with arrogance. Really it's in a awe of self achievement that only 0.17% of us have accomplished, not so much for lawyers but god love'em. Flying above clouds, westward in a head wind to Japan, the stars at night shining with an occasional wringing of one's hands and gnashing of teeth when the plane is all of a sudden about to spin, crash, and burn but that's when we are at our best. Aviation: it's what's happening!

J'ai assisté à l'atterrissage dans la cabine de pilotage d'un Boeing 727 Air Algérie dans les années 90, c'était incroyable. Je suis maintenant pilote de taxi parisien 🤣

This makes me so happy… Had the same experience many times when I was a little boy just like this little guy here.

Both my brother and I had similar experiences when we were about his age--in our adult years we both studied and trained to obtain our private pilots licenses. My brother went on to actual design, build and fly one of the first high performance all carbon composite GA aircraft.

Captain needs a haircut.

Wow !!!!

This is the way.

✨🇺🇸✈️

un futur recru👋👋

君の人生にはガストもウインドシアもたくさん待ち受けている うまく堕ちずに飛ぶんだ

この子が将来パイロットになって、この時のクルーと乗務するんですよね。わかってます😊

I know what that's like. I even got to turn a knob and change the plane's heading while in flight... Do not became a pilot though 😒

That kid’s going to be talking about this for weeks.

Last night on Airplane Disaster's a pilot let his kid have the controls and crashed the plane. I know this child is just visiting but that's show was wild.

The boy's fate is already sealed. Welcome, Commander !

If we instill a love of aviation in this child from a young age, he’s sure to become an outstanding pilot when he grows up.

Aeroflot 593