Rob's PPG Adventures: Aviation Posts are Back!

For those that have followed me for a while, you may be pleased to know that I'm going to start posting about my new Aviation Adventures in Powered Paragliding. But, before I get there, let's recap where it all starts,....

My Dad took me for a ride in this C150-T at Pennridge Airport when I was just a little guy,..

I've always had a fascination and love of flying or anything that I can make take flight. I've flown stick and tissue rubber powered craft, Cox 049 Control Line models, Free Flight, Sailplanes, Radio Control gliders and powered models, all thru my younger years and high school. Remember those balsa rubber powered machines you could get at the 5 & 10,... I'd fly them till one broke, then morf them together into a twin like a P-38, and fly them till they couldn't fly anymore.

Then, college came and I was up at Penn State University. A few RC models came to life there in my apartment and I even did some model reviews for Hobby Lobby RC. One day, another pilot saw me flying near Beaver Stadium and stopped over. He later introduced me to the Soaring club just north of State College and I visited a few times to fly some real gliders with them. But, still RC for me.

Post-College, my new bride Becky and I were out to dinner with some friends and aviation came up in conversation. Uknown to me, the one member of the group was in a partnership in a Piper Cherokee based at Quakertown Airport. After dinner, we went to the airport and took a short flight,... WOW, I was hooked!! My wife knew it as soon as we parked infront of the hangar that I was not going to be able to just take that flight,.... a few months later and I was signed up for my first flight lessons.

August 4 2007, I took an intro flight,...
Jan 5, 2008 I gook an intro flight / first instructional flight at Perkiomen (N10)
March 15th 2008, I solo'd
June 12, 2008, I passed my FAA Checkride and became a Private Pilot!

You can also view this on YouTube

My Wife and Kids were so Supportive!!

From then on,... I was at the airport any chance I could get. Flying is more than a fascination,... it is really an obsession or addition. Once you have tasted flight,.... you will just keep thinking about it.

So, time to move up. From a small 2 seat Cessna to a 4 seat Cessna.

Cessna 172 SP

Diamond DA-20-C1 at Wings Field

Then to a Sporty Diamond DA-20. That aircraft was so much fun. I would buy one in a heartbeat if I could have. Fast, economical on fuel, sporty handling, and great view from the cockpit.

1967 Cessna 172-H

I made a lot of new friends along the way, one of which, owned a Cessna (shown above) that wasn't getting a lot of flying time. After some discussion and agreements, I soon had the keys to an Airplane!!! I flew before work,.. after work,.. weekends,... nights,... any chance that I could for as long as I could. I went camping with my daughter in West Virginia, flying with Friends and Family, and enjoyed the blue skies.