Blind Aviation Enthusiast

[Larry Holtz]

Hi Matt,

You might check out a site called http://www.pilotsharetheride.com. I came across it a few years ago while looking for a flight assistant when tranporting children for Angel Flight West. It is a free site managed by a rancher named Baldy in Arizona or New Mexico. He came up here to the Northwest to our aviation conference to visit folks about the site. He reminded me of Sam Eliott. I have used it several times. I just checked and found several pilots in Florida looking for someone fly with and share expenses.

Larry

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Matt,

I read your first post 5 minutes before leaving for a few days to a Fly-In with my Cub in Lock Haven Pa, called Sentimental Journey, so this post is delayed till I got home.

My suggestion is to visit your local airports specially on weekends. If they are anything like mine here in Pennsylvania, you will find pilots there fouling around with their planes and for the most part they love to talk and share their experience. At my own airport our airport pilots association meets every Sunday morning the weather is good to fly someplace for breakfast. We take anyone who wants to join us who shows up providing of course we have enough seats but that is usually not a problem. If you showed at our ramp at 8:15 and asked to go along chances are you'd be going. Of course you would be buying breakfast for the pilot which is somewhat of a tradition. I'll bet there are other groups similar to ours though maybe not as loosely run as ours, who do the same.

You live in a great state for aviation. Per capita Florida has more airports than any other state. Doing a quick search you have 8 airports within 25 miles of Port Orange and on Air Museum. Smaller airports tend to be better to meet folks than larger airports. 5 of the airports are controlled airports which means they have enough traffic for a control tower. These tend to have more fences and less access to pilots. However Massey Ranch Airpark, New Smyrna Beach, Florida is not controlled and might be a better bet to meet people. This is the closest I think to Port Orange.

I'd also visit the DeLand Naval Air Station Museum: http://www.delandnavalairstation.org/ these places are full of pilots and the more you network the easier it will be to meet and join in. Out just north of the museum looks to be a real treasure called the Bob Lee Flight Strip, Deland, Florida. It is a privately owned grass strip open to the public. Says the owner lives on the premise.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

BTW Matt, I might have missed it. How old are you? I'm 56. Age doesn't matter really but I'm thinking your at least 25 years younger than me. How close am I?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Matt, just reread your first post. If I were you I'd call and try to visit the Emery Riddle folks. I'd try to meet with who ever manages the local program. Explain to him your interest, how you listen to their students over ATC. Ask if you might be able tour the facility and meet a few of their instructors. These people are all pilots. They love to talk aviation to anyone interested specially someone like yourself not letting a handy cap stand in the way of enjoying something. It is all about networking. These instructors are the same guys you might meet at a hanger at another airport.

Network network network.

[n9gmr]

Bruce,

I'm going to answer all your posts in one message.
My primary method of getting around is public transportation. Unfortunately, Deland is not really accessible for me to get there. I'm restricted to teh east sie of the county which includes the cities of Daytona Beach, Port Orange, South Daytona, Ormond Beach Daytona Beach Shores, and Ponce Inlet. All other areas are considered cross-county trips. The biggest obstacle for me in this area is transportation.
I know someone who works at Emery Riddle. I'll ask him if he can put me in touch with the chief instructor in the flight epdepartment. I checked the web site, and there's no e-mail address for him.
Should I contact the local flight schools as well? I know there's one at NSB Airport, KEVB. I've considered e-mail the chief fliht instructor as well.

[n9gmr]

I did some research on-line and checked out Massey Ranch Airpark. On airnav.com, it's listed as an airport open to the public. When I did a google search I was taken to a site for buying and selling property in this area. It appears to be an community that allows pilots to park their planes near their house. There's a similar community near me called Spruce Creek Flyin. Spruce Creek is a gated community, not sure about Massey Ranch.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Matt,

When your networking you can not talk to or meet enough people. The instructors, specially the school owners usually have a good idea what's going on and who is who at he airport. I mention Emery Riddle because they are big.

Lots of airports are privately owned but open to the public. that means you should be able to visit. These types of airports are usually more interesting and friendly because the owner usually lives there.

Spruce Creek rings a bell. I may know someone who lives there, I just have to remember who it might be.

[n9gmr]

When your networking you can not talk to or meet enough people. The instructors, specially the school owners usually have a good idea what's going on and who is who at he airport. I mention Emery Riddle because they are big.
Spruce Creek rings a bell. I may know someone who lives there, I just have to remember who it might be.

I'll see the gentleman who works at Riddle today, so I'll ask him. I know for sure Epic is out at New Symrna Airport, and they do have e-mails listed for all instructors. I'll send the chief instructor something and see what happens..
I checked the membership directory. From what i can see, we have three members including me in Port Orange. I believe one of them might live out at the creek.
By the way, I forgot to answer your question about my age. I'm 44.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Matt,

When you meet these people be sure to tell them you are looking for ways you can participate. Don't be afraid to ask them for ideas. I'll bet there is an EAA chapter somewhere maybe close by. These chapters could be another way you can meet people and participate. You just want to hang around aviation people and learn. Rides in airplanes will be a natural progression as you develop relationships and friendships.

[n9gmr]

When you meet these people be sure to tell them you are looking for ways you can participate. Don't be afraid to ask them for ideas. I'll bet there is an EAA chapter somewhere maybe close by. These chapters could be another way you can meet people and participate. You just want to hang around aviation people and learn.

There are two chapters, an acrobatics chapter in Daytona and a chapter in Deland. I don't know about this organization, so which one should I contact?