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A Nostalgic Pilot Looks Back at Aviation Memories

Skimming through a first logbook brings back plenty of memories. Getty Images
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Key Takeaways:

  • A required search for a Cessna 172 type rating for an upcoming New Zealand trip led the author to a nostalgic review of old flight logbooks.
  • The logbooks chronicle the author's journey from early flying lessons funded by hard work, achieving a Private Pilot license, and becoming a flight instructor.
  • The entries detail a diverse aviation career, including teaching various students, flying unique aircraft like taildraggers and charter planes, a stint as a traffic reporter, and securing their first airline pilot job.
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As a requirement for our upcoming flying safari trip in New Zealand, I had to produce evidence of a “type rating” in a Cessna 172. The type rating was part of the qualifications necessary to obtain the equivalent of a Private Pilot license. Although I have flown a C-172 periodically throughout my flying lifetime, I couldn’t find a specific entry until I literally blew the dust off some old logbooks. Even with the research being a bit tedious, I began to embrace the process.

Les Abend

Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.

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