How many generations of flying in your family?

[usaf36031]

Grandfather: PFC Army infantry, Okinawa (purple heart for taking a machine gun round through the hand a piece of his buddies shattered helmet above the eye)

Scary to think that if that round had been 2 inches to the left, I wouldn't have been born.

Grandfather: Colonel (Medical Doctor), Phillippines, USAAF WWII

Father in Law: Army Ranger, Berlin in the 60's

Uncle: Cold War subhunter navy (can't remember what he flew, but it had nuclear depth charges )

Me: T-6 stud

EDIT:

Now I remember, S-2 Tracker.

[Guest Flyin' AF Hawaiian]

Grandfather: Prior E and then officer, Army Ranger, fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam

Grandfather: B-24 pilot in WWII, then C-54s afterwards, has some great war stories to tell.

Dad couldn't fly (bad eyesight), but did a lot of work with NASA and other space programs.

Me: On my way to Corpus for T-44s.

[go_cubbies22]

Grandfathers- Both enlisted, One Army and the other USMC

Uncle- Air Force Crash, Fire, Rescue

Dad- Air Force ATC then FAA, finished PPL at Yokota Aero Club

Me- Buff Nav, hoping for UPT this next board

[Bronco130]

Grandfather: KC-135s, responsible for keeping the bombers aloft up north 24 hours a day during the cuban missile crisis (retired colonel)

Father: USAF Colonel (ret) R&D guy (bad eyes)

Uncle: Coast guard C-130

Uncle: USAF C-130 (stationed in Japan)

Aunt: Army reservist, married a french officer

Sister: Intel officer, attached to a C-17 SQ

Me: enjjpt select

[MCO]

Great grandfather x3- Civil war, fought for florida

Great grandfather- WWI- was at ardenne forest

grandfather- T-6 texan, tracked heavies, trained in B-25's, then flew C-47, C-54, C-119, EC-121, korea through Vietnam. Enlisted in 46, did aviation cadets in 48, retired Lt. Col. in 75.

other grandpa was army intel officer- korea through vietnam (ret. Lt. Col.)

2 uncles went to west point- signal corps (ret. Col.), and a longbow pilot (AD Col.)

Aunt and uncle did Army ROTC, 4 and out

Neither of my parents served, but i got my inspiration to fly in the AF from my grandpa. He used to take me to the end of the runway at MCO to watch the planes T/O and land when i was 5 or 6, Got me hooked. I'm currently in T-44's.

Edited November 19, 2008 by MCO

[amcflyboy]

Grandfather: Flew AT-6's and P-47's but never saw combat. By the time he got rated, the war in Europe had ended and

they had no intentions of sending him to the Pacific.

Dad: Flew CH-46's in the Marines; sat standby for Grenada in 1983. Was a T-34 IP at Whiting Field from 1980-1983. Went

on to fly UH-1's and UH-60's in the Army National Guard. Retired in 1997.

On a side note, my other Grandfather was a ground pounder in the European and African Campaign from 1942-1944. I believe that's what the time frame was. I had a Great(x3)Uncle who was at the treaty signing at Appomatox Courthouse. He supposedly stood several feet away from General Grant while the treaty was being signed.

[Guest EverettP]

2nd Generation here... My father flew F-4's, F-5's, and F-15's retired in '96. No other Air Force in my family.

[lloyd christmas]

Maternal Grandfather was a Marine in WW2. Fought in the Pacific.

Paternal Grandfather was in the Army WW2. Fought in Europe.

Dad is a retired O-6 and C-130 pilot.

I am a C-130 loadmaster.

[czecksikhs]

Paternal grandfather - WW II swabbie

Maternal grandfather - WW II swabbie

Father - KC-135/PIT instructor, now Fed-Ex

Step-father - KC-135 driver

Paternal Uncle - F-111

Wife's grandfather - WW II pilot, forgot what plane

Father-in-law - PIT instructor/C-141/C-9/C-17

Me - H1 drivin' bubba

I honestly don't know how to go about finding employment in the real world. When I told my old man that I wanted to be a pilot when I grew up, he always said "Son, you can only do one or the other."

Edited November 19, 2008 by czecksikhs

[disgruntledemployee]

I'll go in reverse.

Me - C-130 pilot

Dad - Marine Corps during Vietnam, then went Army, then Army Guard for Desert Storm (between him and I, we can have a 75% joint conversation...sorry Navy)

Grandfather - Air Corps during WWII: Attemped pilot, then nav, then became a B-17 bombadier

Great grandfather (dad to the one above) - WWI Italian infantry: captured, escaped, immigrated to NY

I'll even throw one in for the wife; Grandfather was an Army MAJ in WWII, retired a Col.

I love this kind of heritage!

Out

Edited November 19, 2008 by disgruntledemployee

[BQZip01]

Great-grandfather - U.S. Pilot License # 26, checkride given by Orville Wright, worked on Spirit of St Louis.

That is friggin' awesome!!!

Next time someone gripes about comm remember the signal corps bought the first airplane...

Edited November 19, 2008 by BQZip01

[Guest OldAssGRunt]

Great Thread!

Great Great Grandfather and Great Grandfather: Army Scouts during the Indian Wars (~1850's)

Maternal Grandfather: Navy SeaBee built runways in North Africa and the Phillipines WWII

Paternal Grandfather: MP in WWII (still wore technical sergeant rank with the 'T' under the chevrons)

Paternal Uncle: Retired Army E-8, drill sergeant

Me: Cavalry Scout in the Army (E-6), now intel patch in AF (O-4)

[Insubordinate & Churlish]

Holy cow, I have comparatively nothing.

Mom's dad: Tried to enlist, but medically disqualified.

Mom's cousin: wounded in Vietnam

Dad's dad: Navy MX, but was a civilian aviator for the now defunct Eastern Airlines, and an A&P

Dad: T-33 and F-16 driver

Me: Guard enlisted, UPT hopefully once I graduate

I've always and only ever wanted to be a pilot because of my dad.

Edited November 19, 2008 by Port Dog

[JarheadBoom]

Not much here, either...

Great-grandfather (Mom's side) - US Army infantry, WWI

Grandfather (Dad's side) - US Army draftsman, '46-'49, Germany. PPL in the mid-'70s (and a Cessna 172) until a heart attack in '80 grounded him.

Uncle (Mom's side) - US Army infantry, Vietnam '69-'70

As far as aviation goes... there's a photo of a relative on my Mom's father's side who was in the Marines in WWII (enlisted aircrew), but since my grandfather died before the picture was found, no one seems to know who he is/was.

Also on my Mom's father's side - Willy Messerschmitt is a distant relative.

Looks like some of y'all are carrying on the family tradition in a big way!

[pbar]

Grandfather- WW2 flight instructor (AT-9s), ferry pilot

Dad- operating room tech in AF

Uncle- infantry, Vietnam (left two days for Tet Offensive)

Uncle-retired MH-53M Pave Low pilot

Me-prior enlisted Army Reserve, AF intel officer then B-1 WSO

bunch more cousins and uncles AF enlisted

A couple of my Korean AF classmates asked me today why so many Americans have multiple generations of family in the military. While a Korean's male relatives have all been drafted as enlisted, from what I understand it's exceedingly rare for to have 2-3 generations of officers or NCOs (if you enlist in Korea, you start as an E-6 but if you get drafted you come in as an E-1 and leave as an E-5) in the same family. I said, unlike their military, ours is a good place to serve and family members often encourage the next generation to join.

As an aside, my grandfather told me a cool story about how one day after he transferred to being a B-24 ferry pilot, a P-38 landed at the base he was at and he said if could have found the pilot, he would have taken it up for a spin. I asked him if they could do that sort of then back then, and he said, "Easily." Imagine being a B-52, etc. pilot and just hopping into a transient F-16 and taking it for some pattern work spur of the moment...

[PET-Shot]

I had several Great Great Great Great (I think that is enough) Grandfathers in the Civil War - Both Sides

Grandfather - Navy Signalman WWII - South Pacific

Grandfather - Army Supply Sergeant WWII Italy / Finance Troop Korea

Cousin - Army Sergeant - Medic - Iraq

Cousin - Army MP

Unlce - Air Force 0-6 Security Forces

Uncle - Air Force 0-4 AC Mainanance - Helped to put together the intial B-2 Maintanance program

Father - E-1 to O-7 - Served Army/Navy/Army Guard

I'm the first flyer from my family. Service tends to be in one's blood, as seems to be very clear by this thread.

[osulax05]

Great Grandfather: RAF Fighter Pilot WWI and WWII

Grandfather: Army, tank driver. He received a battlefield commission on D-Day.

Other Grandfather: Navy during WWII: Trained sailors that were drafted prior to going to the fleet.

Brother: Army E-2, Airborne

Me: UPT Stud at Vance

[pawnman]

I've had family in the military all the way back to the Union side of the Civil War. My great-uncle (dad's uncle) was a fighter pilot in WWII (Mustangs) and transitioned to F-86 Sabres in Korea. Dad was a crew-chief, mom was also MX (that's where they met), and my step dad was a flight engineer for C-5's.

[HossHarris]

Great Grandfather was Army Infantry in WWI.

Great Uncle Red was a Radio Operator on B-17s in WWII.

Great Uncle Delbert flew C-47s in WWII, B-29s and C-9s afterwards (retired O-6).

Great Uncle Schwartz was a Nose gunner on B-24s in WWII.

Dad flew Tweets in the 70s (washed out) then on to missiles (retired after 22 years).

Now me, a Radar Nav on the BUFF and start UPT this January.

Where does your great uncle schwartz live now? that story sounds familiar.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Where does your great uncle schwartz live now? that story sounds familiar.

Unfortunately he has passed on along with many of his stories. My family is originaly from a small farming community about 45 minutes east of St. Louis, my Uncle Schwartz settled down later in life near Dallas.

[Guest IncompletePete]

Sorry for your loss, Mr. Lorence.

Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment.

[HossHarris]

Unfortunately he has passed on along with many of his stories. My family is originaly from a small farming community about 45 minutes east of St. Louis, my Uncle Schwartz settled down later in life near Dallas.

That would be a different great uncle schwartz, B-24 nose gunner then ....

[AEWingsMN]

Dads Side:

Though I know of nothing around the Civil War time, if there was any, it was on that side for the Union (Minnesota) as they were part of the gold rush, were informed of a heist, and

took a ship all the way around to the Mississippi, up to MN and bought land. The land still has all their graves, with the text in German. I wonder if they spoke English too?

Grandpa - Army briefly in the early 60s... my dad was born on base in Germany.

Father - Enlisted in AF, immediately applied to ROTC, and then was a Nav in 135's and then switched to guard to fly the 130.

Moms Side:

Grandpa - Navy, subhunting on a P-3, or maybe that S-2. I dunno what aircraft.

Others on both sides served.

Me - Born on a SAC AFB, feel at home every time I step on an AFB, and have known that's what I've wanted to do even though my dad switched to part time with the guard shortly after I was born. Just seeing him do the PT flying for the guard was enough inspiration. Still remember playing different video games and thinking to myself "Some day, I want to outrank my father!" haha... Now I'm 1 month from commissioning, ENJJPT select

Edited November 19, 2008 by AEWingsMN

[Guest r6pilot]

Maternal grandfather: WWII artillery and then crop duster in the 40's/50's (died young - engine quit at low altitude; never met him)

Paternal grandfather: Korean War tank guy and Private Pilot for many years (flew with him a lot growing up which got me into aviation)

Me: still waiting on FC1 approval...

[LJDRVR]

My Grandpa was in the Navy right after WWI

My Dad served in the Army National Guard as an NCO

Both my Uncles were active duty Marine Corps grunts

Another uncle was in the Navy

My Brother was a grunt in the Marine Corps Reserve

I spent nine years on active duty with the AF as an NCO. Then did the shoe clerk to airline pilot track.