Today I celebrate 45 years as a licensed pilot. (My checkride was also the day before Thanksgiving that year.)
Rather than reminisce anew, here’s my column from five years ago, “Forty years aloft,” about how different and yet similar piloting was back then. (Be sure to click “read entire column” near bottom of post.)
What an adventure this has been! Here’s wishing another 40 years of fun for all of us aviators!
Greg
PS: If anyone’s interested in some stories over all those years, check out my book, Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane, available in print and ebook.
Photo: Greg & Jean at Lebanon-Warren County Airport, Ohio, on a 1977 day trip to Kings Island Amusement Park. See more photos here.
©2012, 2017 Gregory N.Brown
(This column first appeared in AOPA Flight Training magazine.)

If you enjoyed this story, you’ll love Greg’s book, Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane. Autographed copies available!
Great article, Greg.
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Thank you, Jeff!
LOVE the photo! Haha! That is awesome! I placed it in the 1970s without even looking at the caption. Thanks for the smiles today.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jean and all your wonderful family! h.
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Thanks, Heather. Was it the white socks? Happy Thanksgiving to you all, too!
Congrats Greg!
I bought your book sometime back hoping to read it one of those days 🙂
Maybe I will this holiday season!
Thank you, both for the congrats and for investing in my book! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!