How did you become a Aviation Enthusiast?

[Euan Buchan]

I was obsessed with Planes when I was younger in the 1990’s my Grandpa would take me to a gate near the Airport and we watched Planes land and take off Edinburgh Airport used to have a observation deck you could go and watch planes so went there a few times. We also found a path near the end of the runway were you’d get great views of aircraft landing and taking off we went to RAF Leuchars in 1998 and he also took me to The Museum Of Flight at East Fortune a lot those were very happy memories . In early 2000’s I lost interest in plane watching as I got into Birding which is my main hobby but I still looked at planes when one flies by and when I'm at the airport I like looking out at the runway to see what's going on I never lost my interest in aviation. In late 2017 my Grandpa passed away so I decided to walk to the path he & I used to go and my interest in plane watching returned it is now my second hobby after Birding and I do go on a regular basis . In 2018 I went to the Scotland Airshow at The Museum Of Flight it was great but gave me a tear too as it made me think of my Grandpa as it was my first time back in years I went the following year till covid came . I’m planning on going to The Ayr Airshow next month.

[UKTopgun]

Firstly a really nice post Euan, often our best and sometimes most poignant memories come from airshows or spotting you did with a family member or friend. When those people are no longer around it's normal to reflect on things.

For me it was Air Fete at Mildenhall. Went as a kid and was hooked on aircraft ever since. The speed, noise and spectacle... Air Fete had it all. Plus great food straight from the US! 40 years on and I love airshows and aviation just as much.

When you find something you will love for life... Well you just know.

[iainpeden]

An Airfix Kittyhawk in my Christmas sack in the mid-1960 - which dad made and I still have.
The Victor comic with it's stories and Matt Braddock.
Mid-1960s, having visited grandparents in south London and driving home to Dorset. I looked out of the rear window and told dad a Lancaster was following us, you can imagine his reaction - and then what I much later found out was Just Jane flew by as part of the Blackbushe Air show.
Then Abingdon in 1968 for the RAF's 50th anniversary.
Then from 1974 MIldenhall lots of airshows with my dad - RIAT 2010 was really strange because it was only a few weeks after he died.
Still miss him.

[ExVulcanGC]

Going to different schools due to my father being in the Airforce (groundcrew} which meant different stations/aircraft, starting with my first aircraft the Vulcan at Scampton with my friends sitting on the approach as they landed or took of low overhead, picture of me in front of the Scampton Lancaster gate guard, when my dad was posted to RAF Eastleigh he took me to work and I got to see the Hunter flight line at close quarters. While at boarding school I tried the ATC and went on a flight in the Hercules, and with all the airshows at those same stations, it was just a wonderful time and I was hooked.

[cabbage]

Like ExVulcanGC, my dad was in the RAF (for the 2nd time), having been ground crew with Bomber Command during WW2, eventually going to 2BFTS in Texas, for pilot training, just as the war was ending. After eventually gaining his wings, he flew, as a Sergeant Pilot, Avro Yorks on the middle and far east routes, until declared surplus to requirements, shortly before the Berlin Airlift.
He went to university and became a church minister, and then rejoined the RAF as a CSFC padre. He never lost his love of flying, and flew whever he could wangle flights in military aircraft, including canberra and varsity. In fact his resettlement course on leaving the RAF, was 2weeks with a University Air Squadron, to enable him to get his PPl.
During his service career, he was a member of the Laarbruch gliding and flying club, and I spent many a happy weekend helping (more like hindering) the club, in the early 60's.
My 1st flight with him was from Cranwell, in an Auster, which I gallantly tried to fly straight and level, only using the artificial horizon, as I couldn't see over the instrument panel. The less said about his later adventure with this same aircraft the better.
I followed him into the RAF sometime later, as a weapons techy, working on Vulcans, Nimrods, Buccaneers, and Tornado F.3's, before being declared surplus to requirements after 18 years.

[the88tench]

I grew up living under the flight path for Brize and Fairford, so would always see aircraft like the Hercs, VC-10, TriStar and later also the C-17, A400 and Voyager, as well as bomber and U2 deployments into Fairford. To top that all, I also get to see all the RIAT traffic for the arrivals/departures from my back garden! Other than that, I also grew up playing flight sims such as Janes Longbow 2, IL2 and now DCS and Microsoft Flight Simulator, building Airfix models and visiting museums and airfields. I've also recently started to learn to fly gliders and also looking at trying to get into the aviation industry as a potential career option so the hobby really has grown for me!

[Roger_Over]

Being taken to the local airshows by my dad in the late 70’s/early 80’s (Tollerton, Leicester airport, Swinderby, Waddo). The feeling of awe watching the front line jets of that time doing a full display. Leicester was particularly good, I have some awful photos but happy memories of F-111’s, German and Canadian F-104 display teams, Concorde, C-5, A-10’s etc taken with an old instamatic camera.

Obsessively making military aircraft models, you could barely see my bedroom ceiling.

Learning to ignore the commentator and look to the right for the Jaguar fast pass.

Lessons at my school coming to a standstill whenever a Vulcan flew over!

[Pen Pusher]

Born in an RAF Hospital, delivered by a Wing Commander and lived all of my life on or around military airfields.

[Gt5500]

I think I've always been a machine enthusiast, I grew up in a house surrounded by farmland and was always fascinated by the farm machinery (combine harvester being the jackpot of course) even though as a toddler the enormous machines did somewhat terrify me. My dad was always interested in steam engines of all types and had a passing interest in aviation so naturally we spent a lot of time in museums, steam fairs and railways and occasionally airshows.

Reading the posts above brought a smile to my face, as despite living in Kent my whole life I was born in Leicester and used to regularly visit family, I have some vague memories of the airshow there but only went inside when I was very young. As an adult I continue to be interested in machines of all types with aircraft being my biggest passion, I think it's the noise and dynamism of them flying that captures my imagination.

[phreakf4]

When I was very young my family lived close to the USAF (which only gained that title the year I was born having previously been the US Army AIr Corps and then the US Army Air Force) maintenance base at Burtonwood in Lancashire. My late mother said that I was entranced by the aircraft even then. We moved 200 miles to Hampshire on the day after my 4th birthday where the home was under the circuit for RAF Thorney Island when the wind was in one direction and under the HMS Daedalus (Fleet Air Arm Lee-on Solent) circuit when the wind was in the other direction. So my fascination with aircraft and aviation did and still does continue.

My first air show was when I was taken to the 1956 Farnborough when I was 9. I haven't given up on air shows since.

[woody]

I remember being taken to airshows at Upper Heyford in the early to mid 70s. That was the seed. Living in Wolverton, Milton Keynes we were positioned on the long final for UH and happy days watching the F111s. Constant action Monday to Friday. Regular overflights from RAE Bedford. What nailed it was a bike ride to Cranfield in the early 80s when we saw a RAE Bucc do a low pass over the field.
Best regards, Steve.

[Unknown74]

There were 2 reasons I became an Aviation Enthusiast, one of my Dad's Brothers was in the Air Force so I had a little interest when I heard what he actually did - although his Family were connected to the Air Cadets I for some reason never joined (I had to join the Cubs and Scouts!) which has since become a mistake.. The second is that a Neighbour's Son was an Aviation Enthusiast so we were mates anyway and got together regularly so started talking about Aircraft and Aviation in General after that My Father and I decided to got to Leuchars Airshow I think in 1986 and as we were arriving The Red Arrows were arriving and flew right over our Car in all honesty I wasn't into naming Aircraft Types at that stage but I could tell a Canadian CF-188A, Phantom and a Vulcan Bomber as well as who The Red Arrows flying Hawk Trainer Aircraft were, after the short time we were there that day, after that I started becoming slowly interested and started buying books about Aircraft and we attended Leuchars every Year since from 1987 until 2013 when we all know what happened. the rest as they say is History....

[Blackbird]

My interest is also down to my much-missed dad. He did his National service in the RAF in the Education service (although he wasn't a teacher). He took me to the Wethersfield shows in the early 1960s, and I became hooked after that. He also introduced me to photography when I was very young, and subsequently the two interests merged. I've got a lot to thank him for.

I must have bored him rigid with my photos. He never really liked those pointy things! The only "proper" aircraft were things like Spitfires, Tiger Moths or Gladiators etc. And as for helicopters.... don't even go there!! I clearly remember showing him my first DSLR (a Canon 10D) which impressed him, and he couldn't believe you could store a few hundred photos on a memory card that was about an inch square. How things have moved on.

Andy

[Webby74]

My father and his brothers served with bomber command and coastal command during the war so that sparked my interest. Later on visiting the now long gone HMS Daedalus air days, Fleetlands open days and Navy days at Portsmouth dockyard. My father loved photography and airshows so what better way to keep the legacy going through aviation photography. Also my line of work is aviation based so all ties in nicely

[jasonT1981]

One of my first memories is a "pleasure flight" around the Ards peninsula. It was a 10 minute flight in one of the flying clubs aircraft when at the Newtownards Airshow in the early 80s.

Parents took me to every airshow in NI. Ards, Eglington and Aldergrove were the 3 main shows in the 80s here as well as Armed Forces day having some sort of aviation related displays.

A family members company was the main sponsor one year for Newtownards so we got into the Sponsors enclosure which was pretty fun.

I went from 2000 to 2009 without attending an airshow though I was quite interested still in civilian aircraft. 2010 my hometown started having a show and was instantly hooked again on airshows.

[hunterxf382]

As a kid, got into 'spotting' at my local (Elmdon Airport before it became Birmingham), which led to me joining the ATC, which led to joining the RAF as I was fascinated that I could work on them for real.
Even though I left the RAF way back in 1989, that interest never left me for long and I got back into it in the 90's by volunteering to look after one of my old jets, hence the signature. That led to a long period of getting back to live aircraft working at Airshows with a few other restoration projects along the way too in recent years.
Having the advantage of being airside a lot has kept the interest going, which is mainly ex-military and some current, with a smattering of civil stuff along the way too. Never been a particularly good photographer given the standards today but I like to document history where I can even now.
Sadly, with the post-Shoreham effect hitting the airshow scene I had been a part of, plus the mounting costs for organisers, my own activity has lessened more recently. Now in my 60's I have other things in life taking up what free time I had, but the internet keeps me up to date with most things 'aviation' of course

[psquiddy]

My dad took us to airshows and museums when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s.

I have pics of me sitting in a Venom at Yeovilton and my sister in the paddling pool on the Queens Building at Heathrow.

Aircraft seem a lot less accessible these days. If you fly on one you don't generally see it. How will the next generation become interested?

[AndyXH558]

Growing up in a village between Manchester airport and Woodford I'd always see aircraft. But it was a trip to Manchester airport in may 1976 to get my grandparents from their trip away that sealed my love of aircraft as the red arrows were coming in to land after their Barton airshow display. I was addicted ever since and even now still have a soft spot for the arrows.. even more so now knowing red4 However my addiction to the Vulcan came around because of finningley airshow in 81 when I witnessed a qra scramble which again addicted me to that and the fact at school my classroom overlooked the Woodford flight path so in 82 during the Falklands I was able to see the k2s being flight tested alongside the 748s and Nimrod aew3s as well. I also saw the latters last delivery flight to oblivion as it turned near the school and disappeared into the clag of that morning..

[Euan Buchan]

My fav aircraft when I was younger was Concorde only ever got to see her fly the once on 24th October 2003 & The Red Arrows. My fav livery in the 90’s was British Airways Landor

[roger]

My father did his National Service in the RAF (1953-1955) where he was a specialist in maintaining & repairing the camera motor-drives in the Canberra PR3 and PR7s of 540Sq & 542Sq, along with the film developing equipment in the caravans alongside the apron, at Wyton. Oddly, we never really talked too much about his time in the Forces. I know he never flew during his time in the RAF, nor did he travel overseas.

However it was his younger brother who got me into spotting. He had been a mad-keen train spotter until he reached the point of having seen and hence underlined every BR locomotive in the book bought annually in WHSmiths. He then wondered what to do next, just as one of the (then) new Argosies from Benson flew overhead at fairly low level, and he was able to read off the serial with his naked eye! He was hooked, and my father and I soon caught the bug from him.

My earliest memory of an airshow has to be Farnborough in 1964 when I was 8. We always went on Saturdays and that year was the one year when the Saturday of the show coincided with my birthday - I clearly remember the birthday cake my mother had made, being enjoyed while we had our picnic while watching the show.

[Varkfan]

I guess it was my local environment. I grew up in Garston (Liverpool), which was next door to Speke airport, our house was virtually under the final approach, and I regularly watched Cambrian Airways Viscounts dropping in over the park on finals. Ultimately ended up spending my Saturdays (with a bag of butties and a bottle of water) on the balcony at Speke.

[FarnboroJohn]

I grew up in Farnborough with the old MOD(PE) fleet of assorted cast-offs constantly flying around: Devons and the Dak making approaches over Cove Juniors School to the now-abandoned cross runway as well as Beverley, Shackletons, Varsities, Hunters, Buccaneers, Comets and goodness knows what occasional proper fast jet visitors for trials. Towards the end of my passage through the Cove School triad Doug Arnold was building up the Warbirds of GB fleet at Blackbushe with the place hosting at different times multiple ex-German target tug Sea Furies, ex-Spanish CASA352s and the odd 2111; more Daks; and eventually a whole pile of ex-Indian Air Force Spitfires that I was lucky enough to assist with cleaning out and dismantling before they were put in the hands of proper professionals for restoration to flight.

That settled my main interests as current military and warbirds so as we became mobile young adults we did multi-day spotting trips a couple of times a year to East Anglia or even doing the full length of Britain from Kinloss and Lossiemouth Southwards. We couldn't afford much film - if only digital photography had been invented forty years earlier....

Airshows then had a tame BBMF display and if you were lucky Ray Hanna in MH434. Nothing like Duxford's mind-boggling Big Wing of today! On the other hand the RAF contribution was amazing with Lightnings (real Lightnings I mean, not US fakes), Harriers, Buccs, Phantoms, Vulcans, Victors, Nimrods, Shackletons... I remember watching an RAF Odiham Families Day from a crash gate and both Pumas and the Red Arrows being below me in the shallow valley just outside the airfield - the Pumas went past behind telegraph posts and the then new Hawks laid smoke directly into the fields!

Occasionally Dad would let us have half a day in the A5 pass on Snowdonia walking holidays and some of those were back in the days of the Gnat at 4 FTS. Once we saw four go round the corner in finger four formation - perhaps all instructors but blimey.

The sound of a Merlin or even just a local Wokka still sends me out of the door with camera in hand. I even go to Heathrow once in a while to watch airliners going somewhere. Aviation is still great.

[bishbashbosh]

Take Off magazine launched just after the Gulf War and 10-year-old me was enticed by the free Tornado airfix model. I became an avid reader, enthusiast, and modeller but we never went to an airshow (my family worked long hours for little money). I then went to uni and discovered alcohol, girls and football and forgot all about aviation until my late 20s and a fortuitous trip to Waddington airshow. Became hooked on aviation again almost immediately…

[UKTopgun]

These replies are fascinating and suggest the average age is quite 'mature' on this forum I include myself in that btw!

The reference to Take Off mag brought back memories! That was cool as was Warplane and War Machine (both similar publications to Take Off). Also I miss Airshow mag from Key. That was a must buy for each new season back in the day...

[CWS]

Great topic and a great read to see people's background.

I just got taken to airshows since I was a toddler. My dad was always into aviation and his biggest regret was not pursuing a career as a pilot. I believe he flew a Chipmunk with the cadets but that is where it stopped.

Went to Riat as a child in the late late 90s into 2000s, also going to the odd Mildenhall and Biggin Hill.

I have always been into aircraft. My mum was telling me the other day that I had an argument with a teacher when I was in nursery. Had to name what things were, a dog, cat etc. When it got to a 'plane' I was saying no it is a Harrier .. family have always called me a nerd

Definitely been getting more and more into aviation over the last 6-7 years. Although my normal is Riat every year and normally no others, I have certainly been wracking airshows up this year!