I didn’t get around to the pursuit of aviation until I was 35. I took my first lesson at Shannon Airport with a fledgling instructor working his way through college. I switched to Warrenton and did all my Private training there. It was not managed well at the time, they randomly assigned instructors throughout my training so I had at least 7 instructors. That left me with overlaps and gaps in my training, which bit me a couple times. I went to Manassas after that to fly the variety of planes available there; 172RG, Arrow, multiple Diamonds. I also spent a year at Warrenton Air Park playing with ultralights. After my third Rotax failure with off-field landings I abandoned that hobby.
After a year of playing at Manassas, I realized I couldn’t go anywhere for the weekend and expect perfect weather at both ends on both days, so I got my instrument rating. I joined the American Flying club with two Cherokee 180s. Used my IFR to go to Chicago, Oshkosh, Sun & Fun, Nags Head and other places for the next 5 years. As my IFR flights got farther apart I found my proficiency fading and quit filing more than 15 years ago. I still practice hand flying under the hood and it has saved me more than once on some dark and hazy nights. I owned a Cherokee 140 / 160hp for 4 years but was only putting 50 hours a year on it. I sold it and now here I am in the FAA Flying Club.
I joined the ground crew at the Flying Circus near Bealeton about 25 years ago. I’m a techy and quickly migrated to the sound booth which I continue to maintain and operate ever since. I have access to a couple Cubs and an L4 and have gotten plenty of time in Stearmans with the owners, to include lots of takeoffs and landings. Someday I’ll solo one, I hope!. Due to my associations there, I’ve had some great opportunities. I got 1.5 hours PIC in the front seat of a T-28-A Trojan to include the takeoff and landing. I’ve got 45 minutes of non-PIC time in the left seat of a Grumman Albatross during one of Don Reynolds Oshkosh trips that he would share with a dozen people a year.