Did you ever wonder what ever happened to the plane that you first learned to fly? After hearing the news that Marty Vale had recently soloed, I got to wondering what ever happened to the 1946 Cessna 120 that I learned to fly back in Iowa in 1961 when I was 17 years old. I went through all of my flight training in that plane including getting my private license. It used to cost a whopping $5.50 an hour (WET!) and an additional $5.00 an hour for the instructor.
I Got on the web and went to http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/ and typed in Cessna N77335 and low and behold it popped and was still in current annual down in Naples, Florida. The name and address of the current owner was listed there so I sent the fellow a note asking about my friend and a quick thumbnail note about myself and when I learned to fly it. About a week later an e-mail came from the owner and he explained that he was 73 years old, he used to operate an air taxi service and got his instrument rating in a 120 Cessna. He loved that little plane and when he came across N77335 he bought it. He said that he was looking forward to flying it many more years.
So if you are ever wondering what happened to the first plane that you soloed or if it is still in service, the FAA registry will give you that information. Happy Memories! - Roger
