This might be fun:
I think first rides may fall in two categories. Commercial and Private rides maybe. I'll start.

First ever: Lockheed Electra, 1958 San Francisco to San Diego with a stop in LA. 8 years old.

Second ever: Aeronca Champ A65 local from Scotts Valley Airport near Santa Cruz, CA. Around the patch, steep turns, dutch rolls back seat. I was 13 probably, I spent all my time hanging out either at the airport or at the harbor in Santa Cruz dreaming of boats and airplanes. I used to watch for people heading out to the ramp then I'd bite them on the ankle until they let me come along. That's how I got that first ride. I saved my money from that day forward until I had $125 dollars and was 15 1/2 years old and I started instruction. I still have that old yellow "Student Pilot" license. It took me years to complete my private but that was the fateful beginning. The guy's name was Mr. Pullen.

first real airplane ride was in a cessna 170 with an old family friend aka:shortfielder......sedona to payson for breakfast, fell in love with flying and began pp training a year or so later, been flying for a short 7 years now, about 650 hours and on my second plane a 73 C182....shortfielder still my flying hero and good friend.....

Mine was sitting in my Mom's lap in the back seat of a Bellanca Scout. I was probably 4 or 5. The plane belonged to the ranch that my Dad was a foreman on and the "Boss Man" was the pilot. The ranch used the plane when we rounded up and to check windmill waters, etc.

At the camp where we lived, the caliche road going to the house was the strip for that end of the ranch and that pasture was appropriately named "the airport". One day Boss Man dropped in and offerd a ride...I couldn't get in quick enough! We flew from the airport in front of the house and made a circle around the country that my Dad took care of. Ever since, I have been addicted to airplanes (especially STOL airplanes), landing on dirt, and looking out the window from 200' agl

First ride was a Boeing 247, was at Oshkosh around age 10. Now I fly the 747. Second ride was a Maule M5 about age 12, now I own a Maule. Darn good thing I took the rides in that order or else I would have a Boeing in the hangar!

I started a thread with a similar title once but couldn't locate it with a search. This photo was taken in 1958 and might have been my first plane ride. Here I am by the door with my brother next to me. I was in the first grade, my brother in the second, and this was how we got home from our one room country school after a snow storm. The caption under the photo should say "I got to get me one of these." Cuz I did.

My first was in 1951 or 52. Western Airlines DC 3. I was 6 or 7 and we flew from Lockeed Air Terminal (Burbank, CA) to Lethbridge, Alberta with many stops. Could not stop looking out the window. Favorite airline was Pacific Southwest Airlines when in the service mid to late 60's. Could not stop looking at the stews.


Just loved the boots

Tim

Ford Tri-Motor when I was about 10. Honest. Out to Sandusky Point, where the big amusment park is. Thank you Uncle Milton!

courierguy wrote:Ford Tri-Motor when I was about 10. Honest. Out to Sandusky Point, where the big amusment park is. Thank you Uncle Milton!

Wow! That's awesome.

My first plane ride was in a C.172. A friend of mine , his Dad was a pilot for American Airlines. They owned the 172, I was 14 at the time in 1970. In 1976 he was flying a DC-10 for A.A. Lines and lost a engine on take off from O'hare in Chicago. The plane went invertid and all where killed. I was in the Service at the time. The news of his death hit me hard. I stopped flying for quite some time. He was a great man and I have a lot of respect for him. My he rest in piece.

Ken Stinson flyer

12. I was obsessed with flying by then, and the 7th grade science teacher offered a ride in his 172 for all the A's in the class. I managed a 101%. I felt like Sky King, and flying has driven me nuts for the rest of my life. I bummed rides occasionally when my shyness couldn't stand in front of the need to fly after that.

I think I have hundreds of hours of imaginary flight time stemming from that 1/2 hour flight over the Clearwater river.

I used to give some of the kids rides at an airport when I lived in western Colorado when I was college aged- just around the pattern and perhaps let them do everything short of put the wheels on the pavement. I had to stop when a parent found out and went ballistic (you can insert a lot of words there...let's just say that 'ballistic' is an understatement). They were fine with him riding around his motorcycle with no license or helmet, but a plane ride was too much. Things change fast.

13th birthday, right seat of the B-25 bomber owned by Tallmantz Aviation at Orange County Airport (now John Wayne). Movie stunt pilot Frank Tallman, left seat. Birthday present from the folks, who were tired of me whining and complaining and fussing about every airplane I ever saw.

50 feet off the water around the back side of Catalina Island, then up to 2000 feet on the way back, where I got five minutes of stick time in a B-25, and the great Frank Tallman lied right to my face with a smile by saying "well what do you know, this kid's a natural born pilot !"... and then gloriously repeated that wonderful impossible lie to Mom after we had landed.

Stick a fork in him, he's done. Like a hopeless crack addict, everytihng in my life from that day has been about airplanes.

And I have done my duty and told that lie many times flying Young Eagles when my time came

Frist ride was in a V-tailed Bonanza..outage for an eighth grade science class. Second ride was at fence post altitude in a Champ while working on a on a combine crew on a ranch near Prarie City South Dakota when I was 16.

Back seat of Maroon Stinson Station wagon when I was maybe 3-4 years old (1950 ?)at 7 Bar Flying service -Alameda airport ,Coors road -Albuquerque ,NM . I was hooked and set the hook. When i was in second grade my Dad bought a Cessna 170 in a partnership -tied down at Cutter Flying Service in ABQ. until we moved to ALW (Walla Walla,Wash.)

My first airplane ride was in a Champ, sometime in the mid 70's, I was 5 or 6 years old. It occurred at an airport open house and fly-in. I remember the plane was a yellow plane with a red belly (the classic Champ scheme). The guy that owned the plane and took me for a ride also had a Model T at the event and I remember I was far more interested in that than the airplane.

Stupid kid...

qmdv wrote: Favorite airline was Pacific Southwest Airlines when in the service mid to late 60's. Could not stop looking at the stews.


Just loved the boots

Tim

The grinning birds. I remember that. They had an owl that sat on the tail in the black and white television ads. He'd take a puff on his cigar and say. "The Ohhhhhhhhnly way to fly". Then a disgruntled employee blew up a flight on the shuttle and they folded. SFO to LAX $19.95. The Midnight flyer it was called. I think Jet A was $.08 in those days.

My first ride was in dad's Republic Seabee in the early 1950s. Dad took the wheels off it because there were no landing strips in this area back then. Lots of lakes though. Dad always had a plane of some kind and I flew lots with him from an early age.

Emory Bored wrote:

qmdv wrote: Favorite airline was Pacific Southwest Airlines when in the service mid to late 60's. Could not stop looking at the stews.

Just loved the boots

Tim

The grinning birds. I remember that. They had an owl that sat on the tail in the black and white television ads. He'd take a puff on his cigar and say. "The Ohhhhhhhhnly way to fly". Then a disgruntled employee blew up a flight on the shuttle and they folded. SFO to LAX $19.95. The Midnight flyer it was called. I think Jet A was $.08 in those days.

It was Western Airlines.



Tim

Ooops. Thanks.

Piper Comanche. I believe Skydive206 knows the one. It was white with green, orange and yellow

-DP

With Bill Stead in an AT6, greenhouse slid back but I could hardly see over the side. The desert was a blur and I could smell the sagebrush. Probably too fast and too low but Bill could make things happen. I'm glad he didn't see what happened to his beloved National Champioship Air Races last Sepetember.
Hey could I borrow that Frank Tallman memory!