A Dream Takes Flight
Flying airplanes was a dream of mine that started at age seven, when my dad's friend took my sister and me up in a Cessna 172 at the Hickory, N.C. Airport. At age 16, I took my first lesson at the same airport. After moving to South Florida several years later, I was invited for a flying lesson by a friend who was a CFI at the local airport. A week later, I soloed and was hooked on flying. A week later, I flew my first solo cross-country from the Lantana airport to the Okeechobee airport and back.
Living and Breathing Aviation
Over the next few years, I painted airplanes, ferried airplanes, sold airplanes, washed airplanes, and flew many different models. I lived a mile away from the Boca Raton airport, where I detailed airplanes until I was offered a job flying a King Air out of PBI.
The Aerostar That Saved Me
For the next several years, I flew for charter companies out of Stuart, Fort Lauderdale, Opa Locka, and Boca Raton airports. I was fortunate to have flown famous VIPs, such as Don Rickles, Natalie Cole, Pat Riley, and Maurice Gibb, to name a few. Two of my favorite airplanes were the Lear 31 and the King Air C90. However, the Aerostar 601P, N715RM, is the best because I credit it with saving my life.