Welcome to my website about flying. Please enjoy the content.
These are stories about flying. Stories of my own that I want to share and by sharing these things that happened to me flying might encourage someone to learn to fly and enjoy the magnificence of flight. Also to share the things that were not so pleasant so that it may not happen to someone else.
I will include some history of our predecessors and some stories from other pilots that I’ve known.
I invite my contemporaries to join this conversation and share their experiences.
My primary intent is to teach what I know and by doing so hopefully, some people might engage in learning to fly. Or continue with their aviation training. There is always something new to learn.
The content of this site will be for all pilots, student pilots through airline transport pilots. Perhaps beyond.
Perhaps some of my stories will inspire young people to become involved in this wonderful aviation business.
I will be more than happy to help anyone that has an interest and answer your questions, I’ll help you find a good flight school. I’ll give you ideas about who to use as an instructor.
My fascination with aviation began when I was a young man. Very young. About the age of 5 or 6 when I discovered how cool airplanes are.
My initial training in an airplane started in Helena, Montana at Morrison Flying Service owned by Jeff Morrison who had been on that airport most of his life as his parents had run the airport before him.
I knew at that time that somehow I was going to be able to make a living flying an airplane no matter how many obstacles I had to overcome. It took many years and lots of frustration to finally become a commercial pilot.
Most of all I’m a pilot and now I’m telling the story about it.
I am an airline transport pilot and a certified flight instructor with a type rating in the Boeing 737 I have flown everything from the Cessna 150 up to the 737. My experience involves venues from pleasure flying, corporate flying, airline flying, and flying for a few rich guys that own aircraft.
A little bit more about me
I was born and raised in northwestern Montana at the doorstep of Glacier National Park. Other than times when I was forced to be gone because of a job I’ve lived here and been a resident all my life. It is in my estimation one of the most beautiful places on earth. That was a plus for me in aviation because I learned how to fly in the mountains. That is something that seriously intimidates some people. But like anything else you just follow the rules.
During my searches on the web for flying stories, I found very little content about real pilots telling real stories about flying. So I’ve decided that I should share my knowledge with others who may want to partake in the experiences aviation offers.
Aviation has changed
The main thing that changed is the lack of well-experienced pilots getting into commercial airliners in the right seat. My peers told me that many of these new First Officers have never been in the left seat except for training and building enough time to get considered for a job.
I personally prefer the guy who spent some time out flying in the real world in real weather. In my estimation, that’s the best way for any pilot to gain experience and truthfully that’s where a lot of the pilots used to come from. That is simply just my opinion.
When I began flying the jobs were all going to the guys that came back from Vietnam and rightfully so. They had the experience so the competition was intense even for a flight instructor position.
Lots of pilots get their time being flight instructors which is damn honorable. That’s something I really recommend since if you are gonna teach it you gotta know it.
I have seen so many changes in aviation over the past 50+ years of hanging around the airports. All of the new technological advancements in performance and avionics have created greater challenges for students learning to fly. The opportunities of the future are almost unfathomable to me with all the possibilities. I can only imagine what the new arena of spaceflight will create.
I intend to give helpful instruction and guidance in the pursuit of an aviation career and hope that this website can become a place where people can comment on their own experiences and help create safer skies through education.
Perhaps my experience will make a difference in someone else’s decision-making process. I would be very pleased if my stories inspire current and future pilots. If no more than to learn from my mistakes.
” It’s a beautiful day and we’re flying high” Will Rogers
MY GOAL
It’s all about flying.
If you ever need a hand or have any questions, feel free to leave them below and I will be more than happy to help you out.
All the best,
STEVEN MEDLEY BENNETT ATP CFI
Wow, how much fun it must have been to fly in the Montana mountains. I look forward to reading more about your flying experience’s. The photo’s are great and I can’t help but think that the photo of the mountain’s is one you took yourself. I started my flying lessons in my high school years and had hopes of joining the Air Force; but my vision was not up to standards. My mother was active in the New Jersey Pilots association and we had many great experiences as a result. I got to fly a Sopwith Camel once and that still brings a smile to my face even though it was over 50 years ago. I did notice that you have no external links to something like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Camel and I was reading this morning that doing so can help you get better seo results.
May your new venture have the updraft needed for your flight
Jack
Thank you Jack I just haven’t figured out how to put external links into it. Quite frankly haven’t even realized that I could. Since I made no reference to the Sopwith Camel may I ask why you questioned that? As I indicated I am still pretty much a novice here. You’ve already been a lot help so thank you very much. It just clicked I realize I need to include a link to the P51 I guess I forget my brain is 70
i would have loved to ride around in a Sopwith Camel. you lucky boy
Nice website! Would be nice if it had some advertisements/links to different aviation schools or other aviation related businesses!
I have known Steve as long as I can remember. When asked how I got into aviation, I tell them about a time I went up with Steve and my father and ever since I was hooked. Growing up, I think Steve noticed and encouraged it with posters and such. Now I am 30 years in aviation as an mechanic currently working for Wheels Up as a QC inspector. I always wanted to be a pilot (still do) I had an eye issue the would of kept me from getting my commercial.
Thanks Steve!
Mort
Thank you, Mort.
I never was aware that I influenced you that much.
What a wonderful comment. I spent the afternoon with your Mom and Dad and loved their company immensely.
I am very pleased with your success and hope I get to see you again one day soon!
I think Wheels Up is a great company from what I see on the website.
Keep on your course and go fly. I am here if you need my help.
Love to you and your family.
Steve
Great site Steve – and sounds like you’ve had a pretty awesome aviation journey. I started out in a similar way but ended up joining the Air Force after becoming a CFI, ended up on transport and had an absolute blast of a time in Iraq, Afghanistan et Al (pun intended) 😅
Thanks for referencing my article on the cost of flight training – If you ever want to collab or do a feature let me know. Cheers, Ken
It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ken.
It was a true surprise to see your comments, and I am terribly flattered.
I have been working on this website for a couple of years and struggling with learning all the ins and outs of attempting to make a living online. It has been an awful lot like learning how to fly. But I’ll be damned if I’ll quit.
Looking at your website, all the work you guys have put into this massively impressed me and I’m sure you’re making a fair living off of your advertising on the site. Of course, that’s what I am trying to achieve, but my major struggle is to get traffic + 2 build my credibility as an authority.
I would absolutely love to work with you to collaborate or write an article or whatever you might have in mind. Anything that I can do to enhance my own ability to make a living here would be great since now, in my later years, I find myself disabled and unable to fly any longer. My limited income does not make life exactly pleasant.
Years ago I flew with a gentleman named Peter Bud who is an Aussie that was a captain at a company called ProAir and I flew as his first officer on the 737 perhaps you have run across him he is now involved with safety in the aviation industry in Australia. If you don’t mind I will inform him about your website and perhaps you guys can collaborate as well. He’s very well-versed and a very good pilot with lots of international experience. Aviation is a small town.
My email address is smben69@gmail.com and I would love to hear what you have in mind.
If you ever make it to the United States to our part of the world in Northwest Montana, I will arrange a ride for you in my brother’s P-51D Mustang called “My Sweet Mary Lou” which has been in the family now for many years, and was the best military restoration at the Reno National Air Races last year.
It was a true pleasure to hear from you. Let’s work together. I would enjoy that.
And yes, we started out into this world of Aviation the same and I see some of your other pilots did as well. I very much enjoy your website. Thank you.
I thank you for your service and I am sure it was a “blast”
Your new friend,
Steve