TBGDN's blog: Another Passion: Aircraft & Flying

Since childhood I've been fascinated with airplanes- all airplanes! I simply could not understand at that young age how a man-made craft could fly like the birds. I remember watching whenever a plane would fly over the house, and secretly wished that I could do that too! This was in the years before modern jet aircraft when the only plane I was likely to see was a single engine Cessna crop duster. But yet I had no idea back then where time and circumstances would take me.

As time and the years passed my interests became more diverse. Being raised in the countryside on a farm raising livestock, grains and potatoes among other things I was drawn to growing things. The simple fact that a small seed could somehow emerge from the soil, put forth leaves and grow into something as big as a stalk of corn or a pumpkin simply defied logic (and my understanding). As part of a farm family we had work (lots of it) to do. Nobody escaped work back then: That's how we survived, and if we were lucky earned some extra money too. In today's world that would almost be "unlawful" according to current child labor laws! What a pity! I cannot imagine growing up in the environment today with all the 'politically correct' atmosphere that exists now. That's another subject for another time. My interests expanded tremendously through young adulthood and through high school.

With my range of interests growing into a lot of different ventures I decided on a tour of duty with the U. S. Air Force after high school. Little did I realize that particular field also required a lot of work too. But, no matter I was finding that my objectives were being realized, at least part of them anyway! In my mind I was finding much of what I liked in this new venture at the age of 18: There was boot camp in Texas, tech school, lots of military travel and loads of airplanes! Military tech school took me to Biloxi, Mississippi where I was enrolled in communications and electronics. Later I would do a lot of overseas travel in various places with the U. S. Air Force. Little did I realize then I was accomplishing many of my goals, and doing it while I was at a young, energetic and curious age! Moving on to civilian life my work took me into manufacturing where once again I was engaged in a lot of travel all over the U. S. including California, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas and Illinois. Over the years I was fortunate to become involved with many friends from all over. I am even more fortunate to live within easy driving proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Museum near Dayton, Ohio. I am even nearer to my once-assigned duty station at Grissom ARB in Indiana. Most of the pictures on this blog post are from the Air Museum at Grissom. I cannot imagine why my interests take me in so many directions, but I do know for sure I am blessed with more than my share, including pets, gardens, family and lots of country living.

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