Trial flying lesson

Hey, you're a full inch taller than my wife, Mary, who now has over 500
hours as pilot in command of a single engine aircraft!

Great, that means they won't be one laughing or two handing me a
cushion and or board to sit on so I can see out and reach the controls!
(This happened when I learnt to drive, my first attempts being in a
tractor!)

Very worrying about the addictive nature of this, have never tried
heroin or meth, but can safely say I already have one expensive habit,
described by some as 'standing in a cold shower tearing up =A320 notes!'
But I suspect horses are not quite as expensive as flying.

Are there any flight instructors from Australia, on this group? I am
hoping to take a few weeks there next spring, and if I like flying in
the UK, I will probably want to have a go there too.

Many thanks

Ice blonde wrote:
Now am planning to have a flight in the South East of not so sunny
England, so the weather is bound to be unpredictable, do you think I
should be ok for an Autumn flight?

which airfield? I did learn to fly powered aircraft in
Clacton-on-Sea and the place is really neat, and the
weather not as bad as one may think! and lots of
aviation history in this area once you get hooked,
you might squeeze in a visit to nearby Duxford museum
between lessons :-)

--Sylvain

Shoreham, right by Brighton, and just down the road from Gatwick :-)

Not sure whereabouts Clacton-on-sea is?

Thanks

Great, that means they won't be one laughing or two handing me a
cushion and or board to sit on so I can see out and reach the controls!
(This happened when I learnt to drive, my first attempts being in a
tractor!)

You probably are going to need a cushion.

In article . net,
"Dudley Henriques" wrote:

Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?

I had a similar experience at the big tower in Aukland, New Zealand,
which also has a glass floor. Not quite as high as the CN tower, but
still I was barely able to bring myself to stand on the glass floor. It
was a very interesting experience, since I have no problem at all being
up in a plane, and even doing aerobatics.

I wonder if a hot air balloon would have the same effect? Something
about zero airspeed and no engine noise at altitude that strikes fear
into the heart of a fixed-wing pilot?

rg

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

Oh, you'll have to open your eyes Listen, I was terrified going up
the first time. The plane seemed so small.

But right after take-off, it was smooth and beautiful. At that point,
the instructor is probably going to let you take the controls for a
while. Surprised? You'll be surprised how easy it can be.

On my first flight, the instructor landed us at another airport. Then
he had me takeoff, and do the landing back at our starting point. That
hooked me right there.

Enjoy!
Kev

"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)

My first student was about your size...she now flies for United. Another
petite young lady I trained now flies for FedEx. Size doesn't matter.

Bob Gardner

"Ice blonde" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dear all,

Thank you so much for your replies :-)

I am glad I'm not the only one scared of looking down from high
buildings, ladders etc....

I'm sorry if my questions seem a bit wimpish, but being only just over
5'1" and having a total flying experience of a few commercial jet
flights, several unscheduled arial dismounts from speeding horses, and
most recently the flight of stairs at home, top to bottom, (that one
hurt!) I thought I could do with some advice.

Now am planning to have a flight in the South East of not so sunny
England, so the weather is bound to be unpredictable, do you think I
should be ok for an Autumn flight?

I am planning to open my eyes at some point, so I expect I will have a
great time.

Many thanks

I wonder if a hot air balloon would have the same effect? Something
about zero airspeed and no engine noise at altitude that strikes fear
into the heart of a fixed-wing pilot?

Hot air balloons are noisy. Think about having one or more very large
gas grill burners directly over your head at full blast!
Oh, and make sure you are not wearing any synthetic clothing.

Great, that means they won't be one laughing or two handing me a
cushion and or board to sit on so I can see out and reach the controls!

You probably are going to need a cushion.

Absolutely. Mary has a cushion that she made (out of excess upholstery
material left over from our new interior -- hey, it had to match the plane,
right?) that has an elastic strap that holds it firmly in place.

Although it *is* possible to adjust the seat backs in our Piper so that she
doesn't need the cushion, it must be done semi-permanently with a wrench,
which makes the seat back so upright that I can't fly the plane.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"