Flight Training - January/February 2025 - 5

LETTERS
IFLYING FRIENDS
an Twombly hit on an interesting subject ( " Flying Friends, " July 2024 Flight Training).
I looked around for flying connections, but no gathering place exists. I'm a rusty pilot
and I assume there are many of us, but how can we know where others exist that would
like to gather? At Ankeny Regional (IKV) in Iowa, we have a flight school, but it seems
they are only there for students.
I wanted to join a group where one buys into partial ownership in an aircraft, but
I was not invited to their meetings and had not yet renewed my medical. I think about
this as a loss in connections. I hear that pilots are a wonderful group, but I'm not sure
of it in this regard.
So later I found an EAA group that met, but at my stage in life, I'm not interested in
building a kit aircraft. I am older, so doing that plus the cost at this point in life seems
nonsensical.
So maybe the answer is the establishment of local AOPA chapters. Maybe! I'm
always looking for someone to ask me to ride along. However maybe aircraft owners
prefer to fly alone?
Here is a side story: When I was learning to fly on a grass strip in Macomb, Illinois,
I decided one day to hitchhike to DeKalb. I got a ride to the area and was dropped off
northwest of the Quad Cities region in Illinois. An airport was nearby, so I went to the FBO
and asked if anyone was flying. The desk guy pointed out a guy doing a preflight, so I went
out to ask where he was going. He said east, so we flew about 40 miles and landed, and I
continued on hitchhiking. Now that was a neat experience I have never forgotten.
Glen Davis
West Des Moines, Iowa
I enjoyed " Flying Friends, " and I applaud Ian Twombly's decision to tackle a critical
topic that is often overlooked. We are most definitely social animals, and it's impossible
to separate our activities from our social instincts. Let's keep this conversation going
and see where it leads!
I've been a private pilot since 1987 and an AOPA member since 1990. Whenever I
look at my logbook, I see strong proof of the connection between flying and friendship.
Simply put, I flew more hours when I had friends nearby who also enjoyed flying. They
encouraged me and often accompanied me on flights that I might not have taken alone.
My " flying buddies " played important roles in the development of my confidence and
skills as a pilot. I am truly grateful to them! (See p. 34, " Lean On Me. " )
As you well know, there are a bunch of reasons why FBOs can't model themselves
on country clubs. But that doesn't mean we can't invent our own unique forms of social
behavior. Hey, we're pilots-we can do this!
Mike Barlow
Fairfield, Connecticut
Another grFAMILY VACATION
eat piece by Sarah Deener ( " Family Vacation, " September/October 2024
Flight Training). It's easy to visualize everything she says and understand the challenge-and
the guts-it takes to fly with two young kids. She can just flat out write.
Michael O'Mara
Seymour, Connecticut
We welcome your comments. Please email flighttraining@aopa.org. Comments will be edited for
style and space.
FLIGHT TRAINING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
5

http://www.aircraftspruce.com

Flight Training - January/February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - January/February 2025