An airplane renews a pilot's passion I LUCKED INTO MY FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE IN A CHEROKEE 140 when I was 15 years old, and for the next two years, all my lawn-mowing money went straight into the cash register of the local FBO. In 1977, 10 hours of dual in a Cessna 150 with fuel could be had for $210. Those two years until I reached age 17 and could become a private pilot seemed to take forever. But during that time I went to ground school with my dad, and fell into the rhythm of my new economic reality: Mow three lawns, fly one hour. B Y B O B M C S PA D D E N I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y F R A N C I S L I V I N G S T O N www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 71http://www.aopa.org/pilot