I have a VFR license which I got in high school, have not pursued it although I have an airplane 'up on blocks' in my yard.

Read a good deal about aviation and planes. Particularly many books by Robert Serling. Robert Serling specialized in the history of various aircraft and commercial aviation. And his brother was well known for a TV show.


He told lots of good tales: The DC3 was a big hit when it came out in the 30s. It was an enlarged, sleeper version of the DC2, and as a transport plane during WWII it outclassed the German Junkers 52 which the Germans were quite fond of. But, every so often, a DC3 would augur in and leave only bits so no one knew what the problem was. But it was not grounded. Then one night, in turbulence, a pilot tried to hang up his microphone on the wall hook, and it fell down the control well, which was a wedge shaped opening in the floor through which the control column went in order to link the control yoke to the ailerons and elevators. The controls were wedged solidly forward, and the pilot managed to extricate the mike in time to regain control. A leather boot was then installed over all the DC3 controls and no more auguring in.

Robert Serling lived a lot longer than his brother. His last book was about the early history of Alaska Airlines.