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evangilder said:I don't know when it began actually. When I was 2, we moved to Dayton Ohio and I watched everything that went by in the sky. One of my earliest recollections was my father taking me to see the XB-70 Valyrie land for the last time at Wright Patterson. I spent alot of time at the museum there while I was growing up. I also visited Carrollon Park there, where the Wright brothers bicycle shop is. We later moved to Wisconsin and I visited the EAA there many times and went too the fly-in at Osh Kosh a number of times as a teenager.
I built alot of airplane models over the years, as I am sure we all did. I joined the Air Force right out of high school. I wanted to join the Army to fly helicopters, but my vision wasn't good enough. I didn't want to be cannon fodder, so I joined the Air Force.
I was a "groupie" at the CAF for a number of years until about 4 years ago when my wife surprised me early for my birthday with a membership to the CAF. I've been volunteering there ever since and it has been wonderful! It is fun to have a passion like that and to belong to an organization that shares that passion is awesome. The things you see and the stories you hear are worth way more than the memberships dues cost every year.
I have been very fortunate to have seen and done everything that I have so far. Someday, I want to purchase a ride on a B-17. I am still waiting for my slot on the SNJ to open up so I can go up in that. Be warned, pictures will surely follow that!