I had left that job at the computer training course company. The business closed down, and I was a free agent.
Shortly after I arrived, I went to the nearest Federal Aviation Authority Office (FAA) to get my American private license issued over the counter, based on my UK license. Not quite so easy to do that nowadays, but still not difficult.
The next day I went to Spirit of St Louis airport in Chesterfield, MO to a Flight School called Thunder Aviation. They had a fleet of Cessna 172s that I could rent. It was obvious then, just how much more advanced general aviation is in the USA than back where I came from in the UK. Landing away at other airfields is free. At night when they become un-manned, you can still use them if you are qualified to fly at night. You can operate the runway lights by clicking the radio transmit button in the cockpit. You can help yourself to fuel, as the fuel pump had a credit card swipe on it for self filling. Visiting pilots can even use a free courtesy car to get to the local town in.
I flew three hours over a period of two days with an instructor to get used to the American ways of flying, and how the Radio calls are different. Also to be checked out in the Cessna 172, as I hadn’t ever flown one of those before.
After I was signed off as competent, for my first trip I just looked at the map and picked an airfield. Why not, they are all free. Most places I flew into I ended up flying out of Spirit in the same direction, to avoid the Class B airspace which surrounds Lambert. So most of the time on the way out, I ended up crossing the same point where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet.
First I flew to St Claire. A small county airport with friendly folks who live in the county and keep their private aircraft there. Then I looked at the map and went to another airfield nearby called Washington. Pretty much the same deal. By the time I got to the third, I was looking for places that had restaurants so that I could purchase a pound of ground round to put down my neck. I flew into five different airfields that day, just casually hopping from one to the next in this C172. It’s so laid back, so much more fun, and so much easier out there. None of the restaurants were open though, it was on a Monday.
At least by doing this, I found out when these restaurants would be opening. So the next day I took my relatives with me and flew back to St Charles County Smart for some lunch. That's them pictured below stood in front of the C172 on the apron at St Charles.
The day after that when I next went flying, I flew the Cessna into the airport called Downtown St Louis. There is a very big Arch to look at on the final approach. Parks college was based there. Parks was a Flight Training Academy. There was an instructor about to fly one of their aircraft to Alton, Illinois to pick up a pilot. He offered me the left-hand seat, and I flew it there myself with him in the right. Just being in the right place at the right time got me a free half-hour, and a check out on a new type of aircraft. It was a TB-9 Tampico. I’ve always had a liking for the TB range of aircraft, since it was one of those I first flew in as a nine year old. Plus they are a comfortable and sleek looking tourer. Now I got to fly one myself. We picked this guy up, flew back to Parks, and then I jumped back into the C172, and went back to Spirit.
Photograph above is thanks to Steve Oeters.
I spent a full month out there in St Louis, flew around 12 hours and had a real great time just enjoying myself. When I left, I felt like I had a tiny bit of experience. I was no longer a fresh newly qualified pilot with a brand new license.
When I returned from the US, the very next thing I did was I added a Night Rating to my license. It was a 5 hour course, with the fifth hour being solo. Within three to four weeks, I had completed it, and then I wasn’t in danger of having the daylight against me when I fly out somewhere and need to return back to Leicester. Also the views at night can be fantastic. Sometimes I would go out there at night especially.
