"Ice blonde" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi

Hi, and welcome to the group!

Can you help with a few questions I have, having never been up in a
small aircraft and being scared of heights (well on tall buildings
anyway) But I do WANT to do this, don't get me wrong.

Let me tell you about myself in a few sentences. Prior to taking
flying lessons, I had only been in a small plane once, when I was
nine or ten. I also am very scared of heights, getting freaked out
on a 16th floor balcony, or even on a ferris wheel! :-( But I took
a "discovery flight", to see if I could handle being up in a small
plane, and it was no problem. When you're secured in your harness
(seatbelt), and enclosed in the cabin, you don't really get the
perception
of "height" at all. And it's really *cool*!

And I just finished my private pilot's license this month... g

So go for it, at least the first trial flight, and you'll probably be
hooked from there, just like I was (like we all were? g)

Can you experience pressure problems in your ears similar to
on a commercial jet?

Yes, altitude still affects your ears, since the cabin is
unpressurized.
But so far I haven't been higher than 4500 ft., and usually only
fly locally at 3000-3500 ft. Most of the time the effect is
unnoticable,
only if I lose a lot of altitude directly, rather than gradually.
Usually,
your ears are (it seems) half blocked, or muffled for a few minutes,
and then after a couple of yawns, you're good as new.

But again, slow descents, and gradual changes of altitude will tend
to avoid the problem.

Do they have sick bags?

Yep. Our school has all their planes stocked with bags in the glove
compartment. I would assume this is standard. And don't get
discouraged about being airsick. I've read posts by pilots and
student pilots who still get airsick once in a while, but apparently
it's something you might be able to get over once you're used to
the sensations.

Do you get a parachute in case anything goes wrong?

They can. I believe some American schools require parachutes
for spin training (which isn't even part of the PPL), but in Canada,
we never used them.

I really wouldn't worry. After about 20-30 simulated engine failures,
you'll discover that even without an engine, the plane turns into a
glider
and *wants* to try. More often than not, I'd be doing a simulated
engine
failure, go through my entire checklist, and then have to do a forward
slip to *lose* altitude because the plane wasn't coming down fast
enough!
g No, between simulated engine failures, and stall practice, you'll
learn that the plane *wants* to fly.

And how addictive is flying really, I mean if I open my eyes and like it?

People who have no possible way to afford a plane often find a way
to buy a plane, after (or before) getting their license. g

Jeff Shirton
PP-ASEL (out of CZBA)