If your diabetes is well enough controlled to get a drivers license, you can get a "Sport Pilot" license without a medical. The aircraft you are allowed to fly can't have a gross weight over 1320 lbs or fly faster than 120 knots or have more than two seats, but that doesn't effect the experience. Most trainers can't go that fast anyway. The only problem is finding a Sport Pilot-rated plane to do your solo work in. Most guys who go that route buy their own plane. The planes cost about $100K, about what you'd pay to own a new 'vette, with one big difference -- you'll probably make a little money when you sell it. Airplanes tend to appreciate, unlike cars.

Good stories. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy reading them.

I have another boat story. This one is about the stink pot we owned. We docked this boat on the Jersey shore in Stone Harbor, NJ. At this marina, there was a man who owned a very nice yacht and always had beautiful, "slack jawed blondes who wore steel back braces" standing on the bow of his yacht whenever he went out and came back. He was a short, heavy guy and not particularly "a physical catch," for any woman.

One day at the gas dock, he and I were fueling our boats, so I asked him how he was able to get all of those pretty women on his yacht. He put his hand in his pocket a pulled out a wad of $100 dollar bills. Now, more curious than ever, I asked around the marina if anyone knew this guy. I was told by several people that he invented the green, porta-potties. I guess there really is money in other people's s...

Keep those stories coming.

Thanks. I wish I had known that when I went to the flight instructor's office. They didn't mention that, but then, that was 20 years ago office

Several things make continuing on top more dangerous than finding a way down.

The main one is that you probably don't know how long you'll be there, unless you have a real-time weather map in the cockpit. My Cherokee had a fuel range of about 500 miles, and it was a lot farther than that to Florida. You're better off descending on your own terms under power though a hole, than blind with no power after your fuel runs out.

The other problem is that when the clouds close in, they tend to start rising, because it's usually some kind of front that caused them to do that. Clouds over a front can easily rise into the stratosphere. Small planes like a Cherokee only have a ceiling of about 18,000 ft, but you'll never survive to get even that high unless the plane is equipped with oxygen.

While at Palmer College (the ole boy adding to many degrees already displayed in bathroom, largest wall in apartment) we joined other couple for dinner and movies. After being seated at theater, man in front jumped up to ask for help with his wife, the "ole boy" came to his aid, checked her pulse, no pulse, without alarming man, contacted 911, the lady was taken away, the name of the movie, "the goodbye girl", true.