Kids don't look up at overflying airplanes anymore

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LoneRanger

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Have noticed this lately. Live about 5 miles from the local Class C airport, what I recognized to be an old Beech Queen Air by the straight tail fin was flying over, engines growling nicely in a departure climb making a beautiful music to this aviation buff's ears. Neighborhood kids on their leg push scooters didn't skip a beat nor tilt their heads skyward to watch the source of the wonderful sound.

Sad.
 
If it's not coming through a smartphone it doesn't register, besides they can just YouTube it later , white male inventions are being scrubbed thanks to the progressive insanity.
 
I don't know I have a 10 year old and he and his buddies always look at passing aircraft. I have even had them out to the local airport so they could watch them do touch and goes.

Not only that, this past summer we were off to a camping trip and when we passed the airport they had some old WWII planes to include a B-17 on display. I had to find a spot to park 22 feet of truck and 35 feet of trailer so we could go look at them.

Me? Not so much I don't like to fly.
 
In fact my kid has this in his room.

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When we were kids,the very second we heard an airplane flying over,we ran outside as fast as we could to check it out!!
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
In fact my kid has this in his room.

IMG_3865.jpg



AWESOME!! I still have this huge metal Braniff 747 (it's about my length and I'm 6'1) that one of my friends gave me when we were little kids. To this day I wonder where he got it.

Happy birthday!!
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I didn't forever, planes and flight scared the crud out of me. 3 years ago, at 52 I took my first flight. It was not my choice, I was "forced" by what was going on at the time. 2 Xanax and a cold brew, I don't really remember much of the flight STL to DFW. Anywho, now I always look up and send a quick prayer to those on board that they are going somewhere because they want to, not because they have to, and for safe travels. And I admit, I look all the time now, and really enjoy the different sounds different models make.
 
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I've been in the aviation world for 30 years. There has been a cultural change. Kids that wander around the airport don't show much interest in the aircraft.
 
I've always been into aircraft. My mom says I'd look up and point and say "beepee, beepee!"

To this day, I pretty much know all of the commercial airliners, and can spot a 73G vs. a 738 and can tell you whether that 320 has V2500 engines or CFM56s.

I'm trying to get my girls into it (6 and 10). We go to RDU every now and then and go to the observation deck and watch landing and take off movements. Fun for me. They get tired after 15 minutes. Maybe with time...
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Not to stop the youth bashing but could it be that kids that live in this neighborhood "about 5 miles from the local Class C airport" are used to the sound, like living next to railroad tracks? Is it possible to be glued to a smart phone while scootering?? Resume bashing.

FWIW my wife and I (old people) stopped our morning desert run with the dogs earlier to watch a small plane climb out of the local airport that sounded like it was laboring way too hard. While we were stopped I checked my smart phone...
 
I love aircraft and being able to go to the maintenance and freight facilities for work and being able to see them in parts and sit in the cockpits only increased the amazement. Planes and helicopters !!! Machinery in general ther bigger the better.
 
I grew up and still live in the flight plan of SBA. I only look if it is something that sounds out of the ordinary. My 3rd grade teacher was dating a Marine F/A-18 pilot. One of the times after he visited he took off from SBA and lined up alone the main street here in SB, State St. He and his wingman went full afterburner at minimum height down the street knowing she was shopping. It was epic.

There used to be groups that would come around trying to get us to sign petitions to close the airport. Seeing as how my family moved here to work at Aero Spacelines, those people were quickly chased sway with pitchforks and torches.
 
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Have noticed this lately. Live about 5 miles from the local Class C airport, what I recognized to be an old Beech Queen Air by the straight tail fin was flying over, engines growling nicely in a departure climb making a beautiful music to this aviation buff's ears. Neighborhood kids on their leg push scooters didn't skip a beat nor tilt their heads skyward to watch the source of the wonderful sound.

Sad.




Seems like kind of a reach. "Kids don't look at airplanes anymore" because you noticed that some kids who live and likely have always lived near the airport don't look at every plane that flies overhead?

I think it's always wise to be skeptical of "kids these days" type generalities. They've been going around for a long, long time.
 
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