A Personal Aviation Milestone & Anniversary Today with a Numismatic Tie

airplanenut

A few of you may have caught on at some time or another that I enjoy aviation. So with that, a little story...

13 years ago today, I flew solo from Bedford, MA, to Hartford, CT (Bradley Int'l), and then on to Westerly, RI. When I got to Westerly, @TomB swung by and we had show-and-tell for a few hours (and trust me, Tom is one of those people you want to have show and tell with... however valuable or inexpensive the coin, if he has it, it's going to be nice); while the flight hit a key training requirement, it was also the first time since I started my flight training where I did anything beyond the flight itself. By the time I got back to Bedford, I had 37.5 hours in my log book and had finished my solo flight requirements.

Today I chose my destination the easier way--I asked some friends which island they wanted to go to, and a few minutes later we were on our way to stroll around Friday Harbor, WA. At some point on the way home--right around when I took this shot of Oak Harbor, WA (central Whidbey Island) from 5500' with Mt. Baker in the distance--I logged hour number 700.

Beyond the coins themselves, one of the things I've really enjoyed about these boards is the number of great people I've had the opportunity to meet--some only online, but many in person. While I don't go to too many shows now, I can attend a show for a day or two, buy nothing, and still leave satisfied having just had a chance to catch up with friends. And from those relationships, I've had a chance to make some aviation memories, too. @CoinRaritiesOnline (John Agre) and his son were my first passengers after I got my license. I needed to see Dave Wnuck for a few hours once while I was in college, but I was too young to rent a car, so I rented a plane to fly out to see him. @Lakesammman took me up for my one and only seaplane ride the summer I was an intern in Seattle. And it was during that summer of 2007 when I was doing my flight training that I went to an Orioles game with @MarkFeld during the Summer Baltimore show, and when discussing how quickly I was writing checks to the flight school without a care in the world, I realized I was sure it was worth the cost.

So to everyone who's helped make these boards a fun and educational place for more than half my life (yes, you read that right)--with or without aviation activities on the side--thanks!

1northcoin

Congratulations on the added milestones. Pretty cool way to remember the first solo flight too. If Whidbey Island is the one that had a military airfield on it I got a chance to stop there enroute from Alaska to California as a guest of the military when in high school. I had won the trip as a prize for my science fair project.

Those islands north of Seattle are impressive.

1630Boston

That's a wonderful summary of your great memories.
Thanks for sharing that

opportunity

You're not alone

TomB

It's terrific to read your threads and about your updates, Jeremy!

I remember that afternoon quite well when I picked you up at the Westerly Airport and we spent the afternoon together. It seems amazing to me that we first got together when you were about 13-years old and in junior high and I would take tables at the Parsippany, NJ show set up next to @njcoincrank. At that time your parents were bringing you to shows and I would talk to them when it was slow. Since then we have gotten together at shows as well as your flight to Westerly and even took in a Boston Bruins game while you were an undergrad at MIT and now I have kids who are the age that you were when we first met! How did that happen?

You are one of the good ones!

airplanenut

@1northcoin said:
Congratulations on the added milestones. Pretty cool way to remember the first solo flight too. If Whidbey Island is the one that had a military airfield on it I got a chance to stop there enroute from Alaska to California as a guest of the military when in high school. I had won the trip as a prize for my science fair project.

Yes indeed! A few minutes before the photo I put in the opener, I took this one of NAS Whidbey, which is at the north end of the island. The Navy controls this area, so I get to talk to them when passing by.

And sometimes, they're good for a personal air show (this one taken June 2019)

@TomB said:
I remember that afternoon quite well when I picked you up at the Westerly Airport and we spent the afternoon together. It seems amazing to me that we first got together when you were about 13-years old and in junior high and I would take tables at the Parsippany, NJ show set up next to @njcoincrank. At that time your parents were bringing you to shows and I would talk to them when it was slow. Since then we have gotten together at shows as well as your flight to Westerly and even took in a Boston Bruins game while you were an undergrad at MIT and now I have kids who are the age that you were when we first met! How did that happen?

To be fair, I think I was 14 or 15... I joined the boards as a 9th grader in fall 2001, when I was 14. I don't remember exactly when my first Parsippany show was, but my attendance was most certainly a result of your encouragement, which broke me out of the collecting bubble I had been in that consisted of one small shop in town, the occasional shop I saw on a vacation, and a small amount on eBay. Access to shows really opened my eyes to what was out there, and the size and regularity of Parsippany really made for a good first impression. The Bruins game was a good one, especially since you tried to dress down to look a bit more like a college student since I got the discounted tickets. I don't think they cared Is it wrong for me to say I thought your kids were older?

1northcoin

@airplanenut said:

@1northcoin said:
Congratulations on the added milestones. Pretty cool way to remember the first solo flight too. If Whidbey Island is the one that had a military airfield on it I got a chance to stop there enroute from Alaska to California as a guest of the military when in high school. I had won the trip as a prize for my science fair project.

Yes indeed! A few minutes before the photo I put in the opener, I took this one of NAS Whidbey, which is at the north end of the island. The Navy controls this area, so I get to talk to them when passing by.

And sometimes, they're good for a personal air show (this one taken June 2019)

That's pretty cool. Ironically I had something of a "personal air show" from my living room deck today as a U.S. Air Force fighter jet went vertical as pictured:

and then swooped straight back down behind my house

Jimnight

Congrats!

ricko

Congratulations on the milestone Jeremy.... I recall when you first moved to WA state (I was working in Seattle). We never did meet, but I have always enjoyed your posts/contributions. Great pictures....Cheers, RickO

WaterSport

Jeremey, we have all been around on these boards for so long - we feel like we raised you!

WS

coinbuf

Some great memories that you will have and carry forward with you, congrats on another aviation marker and some great photos. And for fun here is a coin that you imaged for me many years ago which I still have.

winesteven

@airplanenut - Congrats on your wonderful milestone.

Below is a photo I took on July 9. 2018, landing on a dirt strip in Botswana, and a few elephants decided to cross at that moment. But there was plenty of time for them to cross before landing!

opportunity

@winesteven said:
@airplanenut - Congrats on your wonderful milestone.

Below is a photo I took on July 9. 2018, landing on a dirt strip in Botswana, and a few elephants decided to cross at that moment. But there was plenty of time for them to cross before landing!

Where does the runway begin? Is it just beyond that little patch of grass above the elephants? They must have been running fast to beat you from that point!

winesteven

@opportunity , yes, the runway begins after that patch of grass, so there was plenty of altitude to actually pass safely over without endangering them.

opportunity

@winesteven said:
@opportunity , yes, the runway begins after that patch of grass, so there was plenty of height to actually pass safely over without endangering them.

That's really cool. Flying around Africa must be an otherworldly experience.

winesteven

@opportunity said:

@winesteven said:
@opportunity , yes, the runway begins after that patch of grass, so there was plenty of altitude to actually pass safely over without endangering them.

That's really cool. Flying around Africa must be an otherworldly experience.

Just being on safari with the ability to get close to wildlife (with the help of a camera, tracker, and knowledgeable guide) is truly phenomenal. I’m fortunate to have been to Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

For those that love experiencing wildlife up close, the Galápagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador, is also truly phenomenal!

opportunity

I wonder how many pilots there are on this forum, or in the numismatic community in general? I got my PPL when I was in high school, and did a LOT of flying all throughout college. Life got in the way, and I went AWOL for about 11 years. Picked it back up in 2016, and am just an occasional weekend/fair weather flyer now.

crazyhounddog

Congratulations on your achievements , Jeremy,
You’ve always been an inspiration here on these board with your contributions.
Carry on my coin brother and be careful up there😎

joeykoins

Nice. Congrats and many more achievements to come! How exciting it must be? You have to feel, while up in the skies, you are in another world. Very cool.

airplanenut

@opportunity said:
I wonder how many pilots there are on this forum, or in the numismatic community in general? I got my PPL when I was in high school, and did a LOT of flying all throughout college. Life got in the way, and I went AWOL for about 11 years. Picked it back up in 2016, and am just an occasional weekend/fair weather flyer now.

There are definitely a few on the boards that come to mind. @Lakesammman and @boiler78 are in the club. I'm sure there are some others I'm forgetting.

@joeykoins said:
Nice. Congrats and many more achievements to come! How exciting it must be? You have to feel, while up in the skies, you are in another world. Very cool.

That's the fun of it. Sometimes I go there just to get away from everybody else