The International Cessna 170 Association

After 30 years of GA flying, I had two of my best flights ever on Saturday. Yeah, my wife Amy has flown with me a couple of times and we had fun, but this wasn't the same. Flying to Oshkosh last year was a blast, especially with friends on my wing, but doesn't compare to Saturday. So, let me set this up...

The weather was beautiful in St. Louis, clear skies and temps in the mid 60s. We planned to take our twin boys Max and Alex to a pumpkin drop put on by St. Charles Flying Service, the Commemorative Air Force and EAA Chapter 32. I've done flying competitions in college and pumpkin drops from gliders, so I know this kind of event might be a bit slow and boring for 3 year olds and for a wife who doesn't really have the interest or time to hang out at the airport. But we piled in the car for the 20 minute drive to KSET.

They had a pretty good crowd show up to watch the pumpkins drop from an endless parade of 172s and 152s. They even had an old wrecked 172 out in the field for a target. My boys, and Amy, really enjoyed it. After going to the Spirit of St. Louis Airport Airshow a couple of weeks before with temps in the 40s, low ceilings and gusty winds, I felt I had planned a little bit better family outing this time.

Then the fun began... the CAF fired up their B-25 and TBM! They both flew two low level bombing runs, dropping a couple dozen pumpkins each time on the battle-scarred 172. Then they flew another 20 minutes or so doing multiple flybys and photo passes for the crowd. What an awesome time - MY BOYS LOVED IT!!

So, I have been trying to find the perfect day to finally take them for their first flight in the 170. Something was always coming up... swim lessons, pre-school, play dates, nap time.... but, I sensed their energy that day and decided it was now or never. I headed to the hangar while they were napping at home, got everything preflighted, and took a short hop just for my own peace of mind. Everything was perfect.

Amy brought the boys to Creve Coeur after their nap. Max was excited to go; Alex was a bit skeptical. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story - they both did fly, they both had a blast, and they are both my most favorite passengers of all time!

I can’t wait to see what adventures await us...

Great day Mike, thanks for posting!

Awesome, that's what it's all about! Thanks for sharing this.

What a fantastic story and amazing experience for you and the family. The look on their faces says it all. Thanks for sharing!

1998 In Tehachapi, CA after returning home from the Lakeland FL 170 Convention with the Long Distance Domestic Award. Just me and the girls.
They’ve grown a bit since then...

My Mom, Dad, and Wife from Houston to Tuscon to my Dad's 466th B.G. FIFTIETH Renunion in 1995. (B24's based Attlebridge, (Norwich area) England.)

Thanks for sharing Mike! I see two future pilots in those photos. That is a fantastic museum there at your airport. We had our convention there back in 2014. Would like to visit it again one of these days. Was your 170 based there when you purchased it. I remember a really nice one at the end of one row of hangars and I believe the owner was a member of the association and had a low wing light sport also. Thought you might have bought it from him.

Wasn’t that speedy’s Plane?

If “Speedy” is also known as “Zip”, then yep that was his 170 - George and David Andre. Their hangar was down at the far end, I rent hangar space from George in his 2nd hangar. George turned 84 yesterday and celebrated with a flight in his Bucker Jungmann.

What a great trip, Miles! I’m sure your girls will remember that forever.

Lots of favorites, but probably my dad. He’s the one who excited the flying bug and the one who encouraged me to go to college. His challenge to me was that I pay for college and he’d pay for my pilots license. It was good for both of us!

Think of him often when I fly......

Sorry for the thread topic diversion but the tiiming of this is interesting. We were debating originality, paint and judging in a few posts and believe it or not, I think we all survived it!
Why interesting? I was a judge a Creve Coeur and voted for Zips plane as best original 170A. Amongst the judges, I thought I had taken a minority position but I believe it won in spite of the debate we had over the non original paint.
Mike it’s a nice plane, lucky you.
And getting back on topic
Jen, my sister in law ( Mary Anne’s sister) first flight in a small plane and afraid of heights, but still managed to take this shot when I wasn’t looking. Love her smile.

While hijacking a thread, we might be interested to know that Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous WWI aviator, author, owner of the Indianapolis Speedway "brickyard", and president of Eastern Airlines... was terrified of heights. (Many pilots are, interestingly.)
As a young man working for the Columbus Buggy Co. he was charged with delivering one of their new "horseless carriages" from Ohio all the way to southern California. On the way thru Abilene, Texas he stopped at the train station when he noticed patriotic bunting all over the building to ask the occasion.... and learned William Jennings Bryan was due to arrive on his presidential campaign-tour.
When Bryan emerged from the train and waved his hat to the crowds, Rickenbacker stepped up and announced that Mr. Bryans transport down the Main Street parade was a new Columbus Buggy works horseless carriage! (The resulting ride was written up and photographed in the major papers and earned Eddie a raise in pay from his employer.)
When he eventually reached the beach along what is now known as Hwy 1, Pacific Coast Hwy, he stopped to allow the engine to cool down before delivering it to it's new owner. The place he stopped overlooked a flat meadow which contained a large barn. While resting across the fence Eddie observed a young man pull an aeroplane out of the barn and waved to him. The fly-boy invited Eddie to go for a ride which thrilled the future Ace with his first airplane ride.
After the flight, Eddie asked the pilot "why I wasn't afraid of the height as I usually am..?"
To which the aviator explained that "you had nothing with which to relate the actual height" noting that only reference was the airplane itself.... and Eddie was immediately enthralled with the idea of pursuing an aviation career.
Eddie thanked the young aviator and asked his name.... and the man responded, "Glenn Martin!"

On the personal note, I'm afraid of heights and so is a number of my aviator friends and acquaintances. I suspect the victory over that fear might contribute to our enthusiasm for flying.

Mschwarzkopf wrote:What a great trip, Miles! I’m sure your girls will remember that forever.

Thank you Mike, I’m glad to see you passing the torch!

George, I am also afraid of heights, wouldn't go up tall church steeples, up the Eiffel tower, CN tower etc. I am okay in aircraft and always thought that it had someting to do with my but planted on a cushion. I was going to test this theory but never had a cushion handy when tall structures where involved. back to the topic my granddaughter's first flight with me when she was 4 years old. I didn't push her as she was hanging out with me at the field and she said she wanted to go flying, so off we went. It was windy as heck and was not going to take her flying thinking it might turn her off. well away we went for 20 min, it was rough and bumpy but she said she enjoyed the bumpy parts the best.