Flying Life: Dream ride

Actually, the thought of flying a combat jet didn’t excite me at all. I gave some sort of ambiguous answer and left believing something was wrong with me. A real pilot would want to fly something fast and maneuverable, right? And if I don’t have any interest in flying an L–39, what does that say about me? For the next few days, I felt like an imposter. It was during this aviation midlife crisis that I embarked on a highly scientific survey. In other words, I emailed 20 pilot friends and asked, “If you could go on a fun flight in any airplane ever made, what would it be and why?” My hypothesis was that I’d be able to guess what type of airplane different people would choose based on their personality type.

Since I don’t know all of you personally, my dear readers, I thought it could be fun for you to take my quiz and see if the airplane I chose for you matches with your personality profile.

1. If you could have a free day to do anything you wanted, which would you choose?

A. Fly the right seat of the Airbus 320 next to Capt. Sully.
B. Go to a Six Flags Amusement Park and ride the world’s tallest roller coaster.
C. Spend the day in Washington, D.C., at the Air and Space Museum.

2. Which of the following movies did you like best?

A. Wall Street.
B. The Lord of the Rings.
C. Saving Private Ryan.

3. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. Economics.
B. Physical education.
C. History.

4. If you could have a cup of coffee with any person, which of the following would you choose?

A. Bill Gates.
B. Jeff Gordon.
C. Abraham Lincoln.

5. What would you say was one of the reasons why you got into aviation?

A. To have a career.
B. To go fast.
C. Because you grew up making model airplanes.

If you answered mostly As, then you are a career-minded, driven individual. You have a strong work ethic and make wise financial decisions. You crave stability and typically avoid things that could be considered reckless. Perfect airplane for you? Airbus A380.

If you answered mostly Bs, then you have the need, the need for speed (speaking of great movies). You crave excitement and are a born risk-taker. Your friends would describe you as fun and fearless. Perfect airplane for you? Lockheed SR–71 Blackbird.

If you answered mostly Cs, then you could be described as an old soul. You have great respect for those who have come before you and love hearing the stories of aviation history. You have conservative values and are loyal to a fault. Perfect airplane for you? Boeing Stearman biplane.

My guess is that the results of this survey will prove my theory to be incorrect, just as my local survey of pilot friends has shown. The idea that people and their decisions will always fit into neat little boxes is an absurd notion. We are human, and therefore full of contradictions. It turns out that I am not alone in loving airplanes that cruise slower than 100 KIAS. In fact, the responses from my 20 friends were overwhelmingly in favor of the historical airplanes over the more modern, speedy birds. I got “the Wright Flyer” multiple times in response to my email. Still, there were a few folks who said they’d love to get a flight in the SR–71 Blackbird, a sentiment I was surprised to find myself agreeing with. Who wouldn’t love to see the Earth from 80,000 feet? The truth is that people continue to surprise me, in all the best ways. So maybe you’re a 70-year-old history professor who dreams of hitting Mach 1 in a fighter jet. Or perhaps you’re a 20-year-old college student who admires the subtle grace of the old warbirds. One thing is for certain: Our passions and loves are as varied as the many different types of aircraft out there. No two are exactly alike. If you like to feel the wind in your hair or roll upside down or just want to fly low and slow on a westbound flight to watch the sun go down, there’s a place for you in aviation.

 myaviation101.com