flyingfool
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2008
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 2
I guess I've been posting for a couple of days and did a bit of an "introduction" in my profile. But it appears proper to do the introductin here.
My "real" name is Tom DeWinter. I am married and have three daughters currently their ages are 14, 11 and 3.5 years old. I am a civil engineer by training and I work for the Wisconsin DOT for the Bureau of Aeronautics as an airport engineer. That is I help WI community's build and expand airports from construction projects of runways and pavements to terminal buildings, hangars, fuel facilities etc. I'm currently in charge of doing all the bidding for the construction projects and the construction specifications book as well as several other misc. duties.
I wanted to be a pilot when I flew to see my Grandpa in FL from MI when I was in kindergarten. Being a pilot is the first thing my mom ever heard me state that I wanted to be when I "grow up" (being in aviation and a pilot and "growing up" are mutually exclusive!). No one in my family fly's so I'm a bit of an anomoly that way. most people get interested by someone in their family having introduced it. Not me. I was BORN with flying/aviation in my veins.
I started flying at the age of 14 (just a few months before my 15th B-day). I was the fabled "airport kid". I "worked" at the airport all of my "spare" time. I was paid in flying lessons. As I recall I or my parents only physically paid for like 5 hours of training. I soloed in a 1946 Champ on my 16th B-day. I could fly a plane by myself BEFORE I could drive a car! I obtained my Priviate Pilot certificate on my 17th B-day. (both FAA minimums). I can only thank my parents for that amazing childhood and the opportunity that has lead me to the life I now lead surrounded by aviation.
I went on to get my instrument rating, commercial and CFI. I currently have only about 700 hours total time.
I have only missed three Oshkosh EAA conventions since 1980. This helped by the fact that I have only lived no more than 300 miles from OSH for this whole time.
This October it will be 3 years since I bought my dream house on an airport. It is just North of Madison, WI in a town called Waunakee (6P3). I have a 42'x40' hangar. Currently with no airplane. And my neighbors taking off Saturday morning and other times is literally eatingme up inside. But there's this thing called money. And I'd say my priorities are right in that getting a house literally on an airport is a HUGE first step. An airplane is easier to find than houses on airports!
I currently am thinking of getting into a C-150 partnership so that I can cheaply fly and start to teach my kids to fly (if they want to).
I've always been in love with Bi-planes. My first EAA in 1980 (before I started fying) I saw a Christian Eagle II and saw aerobatics.I was and still am in awe of the eagles aerobatic team, Bob Herenden in his pitts etc. To this day the Christen Eagleis still one of the most beautiful aircraft that I've laid eyes on. But the financial realitiesthat I live under, and the narrow 30' wide paved Rwy of the airport I live on makes this not realistic for me, at least in the forseeable future.
My current desire is leaning heavily me towards an Acrosport II. It is the right size with the skybolt & starduster being a bit too big for my tastes. Yet also offering aerobatic capability to be exciting and yet also being benign enough with the straight flat wing to operate out of the airport I live on. I also have a fancy for the Baby Lakes and the Boredom fighter.
Well that about says it all. At least that I can think of right now.
My "real" name is Tom DeWinter. I am married and have three daughters currently their ages are 14, 11 and 3.5 years old. I am a civil engineer by training and I work for the Wisconsin DOT for the Bureau of Aeronautics as an airport engineer. That is I help WI community's build and expand airports from construction projects of runways and pavements to terminal buildings, hangars, fuel facilities etc. I'm currently in charge of doing all the bidding for the construction projects and the construction specifications book as well as several other misc. duties.
I wanted to be a pilot when I flew to see my Grandpa in FL from MI when I was in kindergarten. Being a pilot is the first thing my mom ever heard me state that I wanted to be when I "grow up" (being in aviation and a pilot and "growing up" are mutually exclusive!). No one in my family fly's so I'm a bit of an anomoly that way. most people get interested by someone in their family having introduced it. Not me. I was BORN with flying/aviation in my veins.
I started flying at the age of 14 (just a few months before my 15th B-day). I was the fabled "airport kid". I "worked" at the airport all of my "spare" time. I was paid in flying lessons. As I recall I or my parents only physically paid for like 5 hours of training. I soloed in a 1946 Champ on my 16th B-day. I could fly a plane by myself BEFORE I could drive a car! I obtained my Priviate Pilot certificate on my 17th B-day. (both FAA minimums). I can only thank my parents for that amazing childhood and the opportunity that has lead me to the life I now lead surrounded by aviation.
I went on to get my instrument rating, commercial and CFI. I currently have only about 700 hours total time.
I have only missed three Oshkosh EAA conventions since 1980. This helped by the fact that I have only lived no more than 300 miles from OSH for this whole time.
This October it will be 3 years since I bought my dream house on an airport. It is just North of Madison, WI in a town called Waunakee (6P3). I have a 42'x40' hangar. Currently with no airplane. And my neighbors taking off Saturday morning and other times is literally eatingme up inside. But there's this thing called money. And I'd say my priorities are right in that getting a house literally on an airport is a HUGE first step. An airplane is easier to find than houses on airports!
I currently am thinking of getting into a C-150 partnership so that I can cheaply fly and start to teach my kids to fly (if they want to).
I've always been in love with Bi-planes. My first EAA in 1980 (before I started fying) I saw a Christian Eagle II and saw aerobatics.I was and still am in awe of the eagles aerobatic team, Bob Herenden in his pitts etc. To this day the Christen Eagleis still one of the most beautiful aircraft that I've laid eyes on. But the financial realitiesthat I live under, and the narrow 30' wide paved Rwy of the airport I live on makes this not realistic for me, at least in the forseeable future.
My current desire is leaning heavily me towards an Acrosport II. It is the right size with the skybolt & starduster being a bit too big for my tastes. Yet also offering aerobatic capability to be exciting and yet also being benign enough with the straight flat wing to operate out of the airport I live on. I also have a fancy for the Baby Lakes and the Boredom fighter.
Well that about says it all. At least that I can think of right now.
