Comment "For me too, only further back in time" on Lincoln Park Airport, United States

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For me too, only further back in time

Remember riding my bike to LP Airport in 1946. Too young to drive, I had a wad of money earned during the week as an auto mechanic (yes I was doing engine overhauls at that age and being paid the magnificent sum of something like $20.00 a week during summer vacation ).

My thought was to take a ride. When I asked the pilot signing off someone's log book how old you had to be to take lessons I was rocked to my ACE Sneakers when he said "no age limit". "You mean I could take a lesson?" the answer yes, brought the next logical question, "How much?" Think it was something like $14.00 an hour, maybe a half hour, that's what I wound up buying anyway.

"Hold on though" says the FI, "you can't just hop in and start flying" "You have to know all about aeroplanes"

"Oh, I do!" (I spent my nights and weekends building balsa models)

"OK" he smiled "Go over to that yellow plane over there (a J-3) and I'll be over to see what you know"

I passed the test so my first ride in an airplane was my first lesson in piloting.

When we landed he told me I needed a logbook available from the front office. That was when I met Mr. Gorski a fine looking older man whose friendly smile never let you forget that flying was important and serious.

There was another young pilot back than a year or two older who also soloed on his 16th birthday. His name was Breeziano or something like that we all called him Breezy. We became kind of friends but kind of competitors too. He certainly built better models than me, but I think I had the edge on Stick and Rudder.

It would be wonderful if the Gorskis were still alive they were the best of an age before the `white knuckles' took over.

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