Trial flying lesson

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?

Actually, a pilot friend of mine just took his first hot air balloon ride
last week. With no history of fear of heights he experienced vertigo in a
bad way. And his wife had to sit down on the floor of the basket.

Their story was enough to remove THAT particular experience from "the list"
for me...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

There isn't enough money in the world to get me up there. Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:epoZe.401223$xm3.64671@attbi_s21...
Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

There isn't enough money in the world to get me up there. Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!
:-)
Yeah, I know that feeling!!! I think it has something to do with common
sense. :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Dudley

Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!
:-)
Yeah, I know that feeling!!! I think it has something to do with common
sense. :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Nah. If it was common sense at work, I wouldn't be able to fly around it
all day long, taking pictures, without a second thought...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Ice blonde wrote:

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.

You are unlikely to experience fear of heights while flying a plane. I have read
that this is because you don't have anything visually connecting you to the
ground, as you do when looking over the side of a building.

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

Perhaps a little. Light planes don't climb as rapidly as the jets, so the
pressure doesn't change as rapidly, so you probably won't have any problems. If
you have a cold or sinus problems at the time of the flight, you are more likely
to have problems in the air.

Is it best to go alone with just the instructor, or take a willing
victim to witness your trial?

Either is ok, but the person in the back seat should have a cast-iron stomach. A
first-timer (that's you) is likely to fly the aircraft less-than-smoothly, and
the back seat is behind the center of motion. It's an uncomfortable place to be
with a tyro at the controls. For best results, just go with the instructor.

Do they have sick bags?

No, but most of the offices sell them in the pilot supplies case. Buy one if you
think you need to, but you are unlikely to make yourself sick.

Do you get a parachute in case anything goes wrong?

No, but don't worry too much. It's unlikely that anything will go wrong, and the
instructor has been trained to handle emergencies.

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

It can be very addictive. One poster here (Jay Honeck) literally can't
understand how anyone wouldn't be willing to do nearly anything to be able to
keep flying. Other people go up once, say "that was nice", and never go again.
Most people are in the middle. You'll probably like it a great deal.

Have fun!

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Dudley Henriques wrote:

Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

They probably built it 'cause they heard that people like me would pay to avoid
it! :-)

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

On 24 Sep 2005 14:29:22 -0700, "Ice blonde"
wrote:

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

Probably not because you don't climb fast enough in a small GA
aircraft. I've had my ears pop in a cargo plane at just a few hundred
feet of altitude, so it doesn't have much to do with absolute
altitude--it's the speed of the ascent. (In the case of jet planes,
I've rarely experienced ear popping.

Is it best to go alone with just the instructor, or take a willing
victim to witness your trial?

Just the instructor. You'll learn more and you won't be distracted.

Do they have sick bags?

Probably not, but you can ask for one. I doubt you'll be sick.

Do you get a parachute in case anything goes wrong?

No. You're safer in the airplane, which can glide to a landing.
Parachutes are very uncomfortable if worn tightly enough, and nobody
could know whether you'd be brave enough to actually jump.

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

Depends on you.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 16:36:11 -0700, Ron Garret
wrote:

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.

I once talked to a very experienced sailor who when she was first
married crewed for her husband on a fishing boat from Ecuador to the
Galapagos Islands and back. They towed an old wreck of a boat out with
them, to carry additional fish back. Every day somebody had to go back
in the dinghy to pump out the spare boat.

She was fine until they passed the continental shelf. Then she just
couldn't bear to get in the dinghy any more. The knowledge that there
was a MILE of water beneath her just freaked her out, even though she
knew perfectly well that she could drown in anything deeper than five
feet.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 02:59:05 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Actually, a pilot friend of mine just took his first hot air balloon ride
last week. With no history of fear of heights he experienced vertigo in a
bad way. And his wife had to sit down on the floor of the basket.

I didn't feel that way at all in a balloon ride, and I'm terrified on
ferris wheels!

The one time I was scared flying was in a Huey helicopter in Vietnam.
The pilot thought it would be safer to fly below treetop level. Now
THERE is a sensation of speed and altitude, 50 feet above the ground,
100 knots, and tilted 15 degrees nose down!

(I don't have that sensation in an airplane, presumably because it's
not tilted--or if it is, it's for the sake of landing.)



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Ok, my plan is forming now.

Take cushion if not provided.
Take hidden sick bag if not provided ( I have never been sick on a
large plane)
Don't take willing or unwilling victim.
Open eyes and enjoy.
Don't take credit card as limit is over 5k and I might end up spending
too much.

And never never take the family of hippos up the CN tower in Toronto!

No flight instructors based in Oz here then?

Actually I have a friend who used to work at the airfield previously, I
am going to meet up with and ask some more questions. But I've now been
told there is a 'choice' of flying schools there, so I will need to
shop around.

Now the question is, how do you spot a good flying instructor???

Many thanks