What's on your AVIATION Bucket List?

[Ryan Dembroski]

We've talked about our OSHKOSH Bucket Lists before, but what about our Aviation Bucket Lists?
I'd love to hear yours - here are a few of my dream items to get us started (in no particular order). Some are very achievable...others might be a little ridiculous:

1. Learn to Fly (Check! Done!)
2. Learn to Fly Tailwheels (Check! Done!)
3. Fly in an Open Cockpit Biplane
4. Build an Airplane
5. Own an Aircraft
6. Go to OSH (Check! Done!)
7. Fly in a Military Jet (I'm looking at you Blue Angels/Thunderbirds/U2)
8. Get my Seaplane Rating
9. Fly in a Hot Air Balloon (Check! Done!)
10. Try Powered Parachuting
11. Fly in an ultralight (or a Light Sport 2 Seat Version of one).
12. Fly a LONG cross country in something slow (Cub from East to West Coast ala "Flight of Passage" Style?)
13. Fly in an air race.
14. Go Bush Flying in Alaska
15. Set an Aviation Record
16. Go Skydiving (Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane?)
17. IFR Rating
18. Commercial Rating
19. CFI Rating
20. Two Words: Virgin Galactic
21. Learn to Fly Gliders
22. Learn to Fly Helicopters
23. Fly in a Dog Fight (Check! Done! I puked: http://youtu.be/1r7upDbnmH4 )
24. Fly to the Bahamas
25. Fly a Young Eagle (Fly a TON of them!)
26. Fly an Eagle (Fly a TON of them too!)
27. Ski Flying!
28. Become an EarthRounder
29. Fly a WWII Warbird
30. See if I really could land a 747 in an emergency (In a simulator, calm down!)
31. Land a Piper Cub on top of a truck.

So what would you add to "The List"?

[Sonex1517]

Personally, I would add fly an open cockpit pilot as PIC over an old airmail route. Your list is a great one! Thanks for sharing!

Robbie Culver
(building a Sonex, and have 3000 jumps, my private certificate and an instrument rating)

[Floatsflyer]

Fun topic and for me very timely. While I never would have ever imagined the following 2 items on a personal bucket list, present circumstances as of this past Monday, now make them a possible reality: Flying(not as PIC) an airplane from the United Kingdom to Toronto over the North Atlantic and becoming familiar with an all glass cockpit. Let me explain.

Two partners and myself are seriously considering purchasing a plane equipped with a G1000 that is in England. If all goes well in the next 10 days to 2 weeks, we have opted to have it ferried over by a professional ferry pilot rather than dismantled and shipped in a container(much cheaper and far less hassle). There is room for one passenger. None of us have much familiarity with glass so one of us could get about a 22 hour head start on being checked out. The thought of flying the North Atlantic in a SE airplane is intimidating and frankly scares the s**t out of me(even though Alcock and Brown were the first to do it 94 years ago) but what an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience it would be.

Still thinking about it. We are sending our Aircraft Maintence Enginner(AME) to the UK to meet the selller's AME to do the pre-inspection. If all is in order, one of us just might make the thrill of a lifetime flight...or not

[TedK]

flying the North Atlantic in a SE airplane is intimidating and frankly scares the s**t out of me(even though Alcock and Brown were the first to do it 94 years ago) but what an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience it would be.

Still thinking about it.

Do it!

The last thing I want to die of is old age.

[Frank Giger]

I'm going to take an aerobatics course.

Finish the darned Nieuport!

Land at every non-towered public airfield in Alabama.

Make a planned and powered off-airport landing. Take off from same without need of repair.

Go to Oshkosh. And Garner.

Learn to swagger and scowl instead of the goofy OMG OMG OMG I'M A PILOT sort of bouncy walk and grin that I still do after two years when walking towards or away from an aircraft that I am PIC of.

Hand prop an aircraft.

Ask for an advisory from the Unicorn when 10 miles out and see if it responds with a runway (I'm a sucker for bad puns and jokes).

[Mayhemxpc]

Never, ever get rid of that goofy OMG bouncy walk and grin! YOU ARE A PILOT! That is a 1/10 of 1% kind of thing. (Oh my gosh, I just realized AirVenture this year was my 30th anniversary as a pilot.) Anyway, I STILL grin whenever I see my plane -- or any other plane I am about to fly. You know why? Because I AM ABOUT TO FLY!

[Ryan Dembroski]

Guys these are all great bucket lists! I'm going to add a bunch of these to my personal list.
How could I forget aerobatics - maybe in my case "gentleman's (gentlewoman's) aerobatics" are more in order given my propensity to hurl.

I agree with Mayhemxpc, Frank. NEVER lose the OMG bouncy walk - that's what this is all about.

Floatsflyer - I agree with Ted. DO IT!

I actually just checked one off of my list that I hadn't thought about - $100 hamburger. It's a simple one, but I'm so glad I finally did it. Flew my Dad on Friday to a local field with a restaurant. Taxied up, walked in, and had the biggest and stupidest grin on my face. The burger wasn't half bad, I guess the fish is great too (KSBM).

[Bob Meder]

DC3 Type rating.

[WeaverJ3Cub]

That's a good list, Ryan. Most of those would be on my list if I thought about it. Here are a few others on mine...

• Go to Oshkosh
• Fly Young Eagles
• Set the world endurance record for a SEL plane (yes, I know the FAI isn't accepting new records, but I still want to do it.)
• Solo a P-51D Mustang (not so much for the experience as for what I have to do to get there.)
• Race at Reno (any class)
• Get into competition aerobatics

Those are just a few. Being young I'd imagine most of those are pretty unrealistic, but hey...that's what bucket lists are for.

[jfred65]

Weaver,
if you are young, they are more realistic than if you are old! Time can bring opportunities you never thought possible. Unfortunately, it also brings you to a place where they are no longer possible. Dream big and go for them all, most regrets come from having not even tried. For the record, I'm in the middle of the age,dream thing. jim

[Ryan Dembroski]

Weaver - I agree with jfred, I think those are a lot more doable than you'd think! And, if you think about it - a few of them lead into the other. Getting into competition aerobatics (and getting formation training) would probably prepare you really well for Reno. And, if I remember correctly, there was a Sport Aviation article not too long ago about how to get started at Reno. After I read it I remember feeling like Formula One might be really attainable for the average joe who was determined.

[hydroguy2]

.....

13. Fly in an air race.

...........

Here's your chance. go do it. I guarantee you'll learn something and have fun.

http://northwoods100.blogspot.com/

http://sportairrace.org/sarl/node/103

There is a class for all prop planes. heck you might win your class.

[Ryan Dembroski]

That's really cool Hydroguy - right now I'm mostly flying J-3 Cubs, I'd probably have to attach some rocket boosters or something to the wings.