There are countless stories detailing how pilots get their own particular start in aviation. From the earliest days of flight to current day. Ask any aviator his or her own aviation story and you may discover many similarities. Once you are bitten with the flying bug it is hard to be cured from it.
My aviation endeavor began with my first flight at age twelve. The place was Pennridge Airport in Perksie PA, (N70). What a wonderful airport and fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Pennridge airport was a favorite meeting place for pilots and friends on the weekends. After discovering Pennridge airport I looked forward to going there with my father on the weekends. At the time my father was chairman of the architecture department at a university in Philadelphia.
On one lucky day the Dean of the university invited my father and I for a ride in his Piper aircraft. I thought it would be fun but had no idea what was in store for me. I was planning to follow in my fathers footsteps and pursue a career in architecture.
My father was an architect, classical pianist, artist, historian, lecturer and writer. Ask my father a question and you were in for a history lesson and lecture. My family says I may have inherited some of his lecturing and artistic ability. Perhaps only in a small part though. Yes, sometimes I talk too much.
This first flight changed the direction of my life. Like many other aviators before me I was instantly bitten by the flying bug. I remember saying,
“ this is what I want to do”. That first flight took place late in the afternoon.
I remember the sunset was spectacular. Late afternoon is still my favorite time of day to fly. As we walked up to the Piper Cherokee 180 I was very excited. Surprisingly, I was put in the "copilots" seat. In the air, I was handed the controls of the small single engine Piper aircraft and I "flew" for the first time. Wow! The three dimensional movement through the air seemed to make immediate sense to me. I remember very clearly feeling how wonderful it was to be able to fly. This may be a typical story when someone discovers flight. However, I believe for every individual person it’s a special moment.
Since that first flight, I have been continuously involved in various aspects of aviation. From humble beginnings working at the airport on weekends and after school. To earning my flying ratings one at a time then transitioning to jets at 1800hrs. At first, trying to put enough money together to take one flying lesson was very difficult. My father helped me get but soon insisted that I earn them myself. It has been exciting to say the least. I have always enjoyed meeting new people and living with different cultures all over the world.
Flying internationally has allowed me to live in places like Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, South America, the former U.S.S.R., and Australia.
In 1989 while flying throughout the Soviet Union, I was a member of the first American corporate flight crew to land at Vladivostok U. S. S. R. Russia's largest naval base . In 1996 I founded V1 Aviation Inc., an aviation company providing temporary crew services for the corporate aviation community. Most of my clients included numerous fortune five hundred companies. Currently, I am blessed to fly a Gulfstream G-550 for a private airline which continues to allow me to fly all over the world.
