What did you want to be when you were younger?

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My dream was to be a US Army helicopter pilot.

Everything was going well until my eyes went bad. Because of this I ended up being a Crew Chief. My philosophy behind that was: At least I was flying. It is the best job in the army besides being a pilot.
 
Bill, durn your hide, thanks for "rezzing" this thread.

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When I was younger, I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

In high school, I was the cadet battalion commander of our Army JROTC unit. I went to college on an Army ROTC scholarship. I wanted to go Signal Corps, at that time. However, fate had other ideas. My father, who was then in his 70s, had a heart condition. I was told I would be unable to have him live with me for at least the first year after my commissioning, due to schools and such. I couldn't risk that, so had to drop the scholarship and pay for school myself. That turned out to be a fortunate decision. Less than a year after I earned my bachelor's degree, my father passed away. I had almost a year with him I would not have had if I had continued in ROTC.

After graduation, I again set my sights on the military. This time, however, I decided I wanted to fly. I took the exams for USAF Officer Training School (OTS). I did well on the pilot portion, but to my chagrin, SERIOUSLY aced the Navigator portion of the test. Darn you, MSG Chestnut (Lakeland High School JROTC, Lakeland, FL) for your excellent land nav training! They would hear of nothing but giving me a "VIP" slot in OTS, as a navigator candidate, and later putting me in the BACK SEAT *gasp* of a jet. Well, two could play that game. I had read an article where the Air Force was going to be retraining F-4 crews to fly the new two-seat Strike Eagles (F-15s) which were just coming into service. Well, almost no one was choosing to be trained in F-4s (if they could help it), even though crews were still being trained. I figured I'd find my way into the back seat of a Phantom, then transition to an F-15. After six years as a navigator, I would qualify for an automatic slot in pilot training, if I wanted it...and I did. So the plan was to get into a Phantom, then get into the back seat of an Eagle. After pilot training, I would have a HUGE advantage in being posted to fly an F-15, since I would already have time in the airframe. This seemed to be a reasonably certain way of becoming an F-15 pilot.

Fate AGAIN gave me a kick, although this was a bad one. It turns out, when I got to OTS, they had WAY overbooked themselves with navigator candidates. They were looking for any way they could to release nav candidates from OTS. One flight of 24 OTS cadets was down to TWO people, by the time they were through. I had hay fever when I was a child. They saw that on my records and scheduled me for an allergy test. The test came back positive to EVERYTHING they tested me for. Say WHAT??? If I was allergic to that much stuff, I couldn't leave my house, EVER. However, there was no way to fight it. I could file an appeal, but it would take years to get back into OTS. A month after arriving, I was saying goodbye to the Air Force, and OTS Class 82-05B, Flight 2-12 for good. Goodbye, Captain (Ron) Durbin. It was fun.



-Irish
 
ODonovan said:
Bill, durn your hide, thanks for "rezzing" this thread.

View attachment 506875

When I was younger, I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

In high school, I was the cadet battalion commander of our Army JROTC unit. I went to college on an Army ROTC scholarship. I wanted to go Signal Corps, at that time. However, fate had other ideas. My father, who was then in his 70s, had a heart condition. I was told I would be unable to have him live with me for at least the first year after my commissioning, due to schools and such. I couldn't risk that, so had to drop the scholarship and pay for school myself. That turned out to be a fortunate decision. Less than a year after I earned my bachelor's degree, my father passed away. I had almost a year with him I would not have had if I had continued in ROTC.

After graduation, I again set my sights on the military. This time, however, I decided I wanted to fly. I took the exams for USAF Officer Training School (OTS). I did well on the pilot portion, but to my chagrin, SERIOUSLY aced the Navigator portion of the test. Darn you, MSG Chestnut (Lakeland High School JROTC, Lakeland, FL) for your excellent land nav training! They would hear of nothing but giving me a "VIP" slot in OTS, as a navigator candidate, and later putting me in the BACK SEAT *gasp* of a jet. Well, two could play that game. I had read an article where the Air Force was going to be retraining F-4 crews to fly the new two-seat Strike Eagles (F-15s) which were just coming into service. Well, almost no one was choosing to be trained in F-4s (if they could help it), even though crews were still being trained. I figured I'd find my way into the back seat of a Phantom, then transition to an F-15. After six years as a navigator, I would qualify for an automatic slot in pilot training, if I wanted it...and I did. So the plan was to get into a Phantom, then get into the back seat of an Eagle. After pilot training, I would have a HUGE advantage in being posted to fly an F-15, since I would already have time in the airframe. This seemed to be a reasonably certain way of becoming an F-15 pilot.

Fate AGAIN gave me a kick, although this was a bad one. It turns out, when I got to OTS, they had WAY overbooked themselves with navigator candidates. They were looking for any way they could to release nav candidates from OTS. One flight of 24 OTS cadets was down to TWO people, by the time they were through. I had hay fever when I was a child. They saw that on my records and scheduled me for an allergy test. The test came back positive to EVERYTHING they tested me for. Say WHAT??? If I was allergic to that much stuff, I couldn't leave my house, EVER. However, there was no way to fight it. I could file an appeal, but it would take years to get back into OTS. A month after arriving, I was saying goodbye to the Air Force, and OTS Class 82-05B, Flight 2-12 for good. Goodbye, Captain (Ron) Durbin. It was fun.



-Irish
Click to expand...
Your determination is commendable. Sorry it didn't work out as you planned.
 
ODonovan said:
Bill, durn your hide, thanks for "rezzing" this thread.

View attachment 506875

When I was younger, I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

In high school, I was the cadet battalion commander of our Army JROTC unit. I went to college on an Army ROTC scholarship. I wanted to go Signal Corps, at that time. However, fate had other ideas. My father, who was then in his 70s, had a heart condition. I was told I would be unable to have him live with me for at least the first year after my commissioning, due to schools and such. I couldn't risk that, so had to drop the scholarship and pay for school myself. That turned out to be a fortunate decision. Less than a year after I earned my bachelor's degree, my father passed away. I had almost a year with him I would not have had if I had continued in ROTC.

After graduation, I again set my sights on the military. This time, however, I decided I wanted to fly. I took the exams for USAF Officer Training School (OTS). I did well on the pilot portion, but to my chagrin, SERIOUSLY aced the Navigator portion of the test. Darn you, MSG Chestnut (Lakeland High School JROTC, Lakeland, FL) for your excellent land nav training! They would hear of nothing but giving me a "VIP" slot in OTS, as a navigator candidate, and later putting me in the BACK SEAT *gasp* of a jet. Well, two could play that game. I had read an article where the Air Force was going to be retraining F-4 crews to fly the new two-seat Strike Eagles (F-15s) which were just coming into service. Well, almost no one was choosing to be trained in F-4s (if they could help it), even though crews were still being trained. I figured I'd find my way into the back seat of a Phantom, then transition to an F-15. After six years as a navigator, I would qualify for an automatic slot in pilot training, if I wanted it...and I did. So the plan was to get into a Phantom, then get into the back seat of an Eagle. After pilot training, I would have a HUGE advantage in being posted to fly an F-15, since I would already have time in the airframe. This seemed to be a reasonably certain way of becoming an F-15 pilot.

Fate AGAIN gave me a kick, although this was a bad one. It turns out, when I got to OTS, they had WAY overbooked themselves with navigator candidates. They were looking for any way they could to release nav candidates from OTS. One flight of 24 OTS cadets was down to TWO people, by the time they were through. I had hay fever when I was a child. They saw that on my records and scheduled me for an allergy test. The test came back positive to EVERYTHING they tested me for. Say WHAT??? If I was allergic to that much stuff, I couldn't leave my house, EVER. However, there was no way to fight it. I could file an appeal, but it would take years to get back into OTS. A month after arriving, I was saying goodbye to the Air Force, and OTS Class 82-05B, Flight 2-12 for good. Goodbye, Captain (Ron) Durbin. It was fun.



-Irish
Click to expand...
Sounds like you did your best to make your dream work so at least you have nothing to regret. That's the real regret alot of people have is that they didn't even try.
 
A pilot...........
Used to hang out at the CAL-ANG in Hayward CA, 9 years old watching the Mustangs fly in from the Central Valley. I climbed to the top of the hangar where the tower was and the blokes gave me the binoculars to watch them appear from over the hills. Hayward AP was right next to the main road of San Lorenzo and Hayward.

My mother remarried and we moved to the Yuba City, end of my airplane watching, only Steerman crop dusters.
Joined the Navy while still in High School, told the recruiter I wanted to "build airplanes" he says "you want to be an Aviation Boatswains mate",
"okay" says I. Then I found out he's the bloke on the flight deck sending and receiving planes, no F'n way.
Hearing tests put me in as an Aviation Sonarman, leaned nothing I could use on the outside. Two years, nine months and twelve days discharged on April fools day, 1964.

But I did learn to fly at 48!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I am here among friends of a feather.
That ain't a bad thing!
 
This is an interesting topic. Fascinating to know a bit about peoples stories.
When I was young at various ages I wanted to be a military pilot, railroad engineer, truck driver, biologist, ranger, guitar player, song writer, or be a machinist and work at Douglas like my grandfather.
Well long story short, when I was 18 I decided to follow my dream deshure. Be a song writer/ guitar player. I dropped the sociology classes in college and started taking music. Joined a band etc.
After a couple years of this I realized I was going to have to figure out some way to make a living until that big record deal came through . Tried machinist( didn't like it to my surprise), welder, wasn't any good at that so ended up driving a small truck then got my class a liscence to drive the 18 wheelers. Pretty good living for something you can learn to do in a few weeks.
Then in 94 that big( actually rather small) record deal came through with Warner Bros............and then it fell through( long story). Next year some interest from Elektra records and that was the last interest i ever had from a record company.
Things didn't work out the way i planned but I followed a dream, did my verry best so don't have any regrets. The regret would be of I didn't try.
Besides what really matters is I've got a wonderful wife , two wonderful daughters, great family, and friends i could literally trust with my life
Who could ask for more.
 
I wanted to be a Fleet Air Arm pilot but ended up being trained as an Artificer in the FAA on airframes and engines. Unfortunately this didn't last long as they cut the Fixed Wing stream I was in when they scrapped the old Ark Royal.
Had a lot of fun, grew up very quickly having joined at 16 and was the youngest on my course by two years, however that helped me significantly as I grew older and worked in a number of careers.
Initially in Insurance ultimately as an Assistant Underwriter insuring shipping fleets, then moved to IT where I became a senior project manager/programme manager which gave me financial security. This in turn allowed me to go to University at the grand old age of 52 to train as a counsellor/psychotherapist, a job I love but the money is rubbish.

My tip for all, think hard before you go to University at 52. I was the oldest person on the course by some margin and you don't learn as fast as a twenty something year old. One of the students I worked closely with was exactly the same age as my son, day month and year, which freaked him out a little when he met her at my graduation after studying for five years.
 
billrunnels said:
A cowboy !
Click to expand...
Bill, good morning. This is off the topic here but a friend of mines grandfather was a gunner in a B 17. He( my friend) doesn't know which unit only that he was based in England so im figuring 8th air force and I'm pretty sure from the picture he's got of his grandfather with the whole crew and there plane it was a B17g ( i could be wrong on that) so im thinking verry late 43 onward time wise. Anyway, just thought it might be worth inquiring about the off chance you might have known him. His grandfathers name was David Lewers.
 
michael rauls said:
Bill, good morning. This is off the topic here but a friend of mines grandfather was a gunner in a B 17. He( my friend) doesn't know which unit only that he was based in England so im figuring 8th air force and I'm pretty sure from the picture he's got of his grandfather with the whole crew and there plane it was a B17g ( i could be wrong on that) so im thinking verry late 43 onward time wise. Anyway, just thought it might be worth inquiring about the off chance you might have known him. His grandfathers name was David Lewers.
Click to expand...
Sorry I didn't know David. I checked the 303rdbg roster and his name does not appear so he must have been with another Bomb Group. Thanks for inquiring.
 
billrunnels said:
Sorry I didn't know David. I checked the 303rdbg roster and his name does not appear so he must have been with another Bomb Group. Thanks for inquiring.
Click to expand...
Thanks for checking. I figured it was a long shot given the sheer numbers but thought it was worth a shot.
Thanks again.
 
michael rauls said:
Bill, good morning. This is off the topic here but a friend of mines grandfather was a gunner in a B 17. He( my friend) doesn't know which unit only that he was based in England so im figuring 8th air force and I'm pretty sure from the picture he's got of his grandfather with the whole crew and there plane it was a B17g ( i could be wrong on that) so im thinking verry late 43 onward time wise. Anyway, just thought it might be worth inquiring about the off chance you might have known him. His grandfathers name was David Lewers.
Click to expand...



509th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group, Flying out of Polebrook
(The 351st is the group Clark Gable flew some missions with.)

David D Lewers | American Air Museum in Britain



-Irish
 
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