Flying with guns 1969.

[Will Carry]

In 1969 I was 13 years old. The Viet Nam war was raging and Hippies were calling for peace and love. My Granma in Alabama invited me to come down for a week so Uncle Jack could take me quail hunting. Dad decided to fly me down there. It was my first big trip alone. I dresses in my Sunday suit (people dressed up back then to fly), put my 20 gauge in a soft case and off to airport we went. I walked up and checked my bag but kept my shotgun as a carry on. We walked through the airport to the gate and when I boarded the plane the stewardess said "We'll take your shotgun and let the pilot take care of it for you." and she put the shotgun in the cockpit. When I landed in Atlanta they gave me my shotgun and I walked to the next terminal to catch the plane to Columbus. I boarded the plane again and gave my shotgun to the stewardess, who gave it to the pilot for safe keeping until I landed in Columbus Georgia for the ride the Clayton Alabama.

In 1969 a 13 year old kid carrying a shotgun on an airplane was no big deal. Try That today and see how far you get. I did not realize then how free I was.

The hunting I will never forget. I don't think I hit a single bird. They scared the heck out of me when the dogs jumped them up and I just shot into the middle of the covey.

[daddyo]

Those days are gone forever, I'm afraid.

[NRA]

How times have changed

[BrasilNuts]

Today you'd be in foster care and your parents would be in jail.

[Dolomite_supafly]

In the mid 70's I do remember causing a little bit of a stir when I wanted to carry my toy hand grenade onto the plane. The grenade was one of those you could sit a paper cap in and when you released the lever the cap popped. I was probably 6 or 7 at the time and it was part of a package deal. I had the cap grenade, a cap pistol, a belt, a plastic knife and a holster. They were only concerned with was the hand grenade. Once the grenade was put in the luggage all was fine and we entered the plane with my holsted gun and plastic knife hanging around my waist.

That brings back some memories. I can remember the caps would always fall out of the grenade so I would lick the cap so it would stick. It worked fine unless the spit soaked through the cap. As long as I did it quickly I wouldn't have any duds.

It is amazing they can't make some sort of industrial adhesive from kids spit because I used it to keep all kinds of things in place.

Hell, I was one of those crazy kids that would try anything. Probably the reason I am the way I am but I can remember how the caps tasted as a kid when I would try to pop them between my teeth but they would just rip apart. Or how about sitting on the sidewalk with a roll and a rock. Sometimes I would get lucky and be able to use my father's hammer but most times it was with a rock.

A bunch of stuff that parents wouldn't think of letting their kids do or own.

Dolomite

[Will Carry]

Heck yeah! Do they even make caps any more? I remember Greeny Stick'um caps. That was great fun! A hammer, a roll of caps and an imagination. That would keep a kid occupied all day.

[greenego]

Never carried a shotgun on a plane but always had my pocket knife at school. These times will not come back. Too bad we didn't realize what we were about to lose.

[NRA]

you all are showing your age.

[Guest pfries]

you all are showing your age.

They ain't got that much on ya...

Seems like only yesterday when I was in High School had my riffle in back my buck knife in my pocket or on my side nothing was thought of it, I am not sure I even knew the doors locked on my truck... Now I make sure I drop my knife into my pocket if I have to go into the kid’s school and it’s smaller than the Buck I used to carry when I was a kid in school. Never flew as a young child but used to go to Canada camping, fishing or hunting, all I remember my dad doing was filling out a piece of paper declaring them at the border and we were on our way. Now you need a visa to cross.

[Dolomite_supafly]

you all are showing your age.

I'm younger than you

Dolomite

[Guest nysos]

I remember when.........ya sorry, I got nothing. Everything had changed by the time I was in school. I remember when I accidentally left a pocket knife in my coat pocket when I was at my grandfathers over the weekend, and reached in and felt it when I was at school. I was in kindergarten or first grade or something, I freaked out...I though somebody just "knew" about it, and I thought the police were going to come and arrest me. See what the system makes you think even at such a young age?