[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I flew! (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/24/2008 8:51:49 AM EDT
My wife and kids bought me a discovery flight at the local flight school. 30 minutes of stick time in a Piper Archer for $49! I bought one for my dad and we headed to the airport on Saturday. Ready to fly. Pete, the instructor pilot, is on the left. Pete was really cool. My wife is in the backseat, doing a great job of hiding her nervousness.  My dad takes off for his flight. He is in a Piper Warrior, very similar to the Archer.  Liftoff! We are over US290 near Telge road. Pete turned the controls over to me and we headed west to do some turns.  Sharp turns over Katy. I was trying some rudder instead of just banking and pulling.  Heading in for a touch-and-go prior to landing. Pete did the landing part of the touch-and-go, then turned the controls over to me to take off again. Full throttle climbs are fun. As I brought us around the racetrack to land, Pete said, "You're doing fine, I'll let you land it." Me:  "Dude, I'm gonna feel really bad if I wreck your plane."Pete: "Nah, it's easy." He walked me through flaps, airspeed and pitch. There's a pasture full of cows just before the runway. Pete said that those are the happiest cows in the world because they get to watch airplanes fly all day. If those cows had known that a guy with no experience was plummeting towards them in a rented plane, they wouldn't have been so happy. That runway looks really, really small from the air. I trying to be cool, but I was scared shitless. Landing is like trying to park in a driveway at 90mph. I cleared the powerlines, cows and fence and made a mostly smooth landing. The flying bug has me. I have one daughter in college and one more to go, then I can get my license. |
Thanks for your contribution. I had never flown before, so it was a big deal to me.|
That is cool that he talked you through a landing. He must be a good instructor, and you must have a fair amount of aptitude. Back when I was instructing, I used to try to do that for the challenge, and to break the monotony. I was able to talk a couple kids through to a landing because they have no fear and they do what you say. It was rare to be able to talk an adult down with no assistance, because their fear would get the best of them and they would start over correcting. |
Ummm...Ok. Anyway, I'm jealous man! It's been ages since I've been up and I cam so close to getting my license. I used to fly Cessnas for the most part but I did try a Piper Cherokee. Give a Cessna a shot. The wings being above the fuselage gives you the best view. That and I thought they were great at low speeds. Nice and stable. I hope you go all the way with it! |
.. it sounds like you have a kickass wife. I have always wanted to do that but never have had the time. I hope to get to it in the next couple of years.
Got to agree that it's cool for the everyday arfcommers. No reason to be a dick and shit in someone's thread. |
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Flying is a ton of fun. I got about 1/2 an hour of stick time in a 6-seat T-tail a couple years ago, and while it was a VERY windy day (gusts to around 30 mph at ground level) so it was pretty bumpy, it was great. It was my ex-bosses plane (she'd just retired) and she and her husband had flown up from TX to meet us (in Ohio) before heading to the east coast to see my co-worker (in Delaware). They have their own plane and business. They asked me if I'd ever flown before since things were going so well (nice turns, keeping it in level flight, etc.) and all I could contribute it to was thousands of hours on flight sims over the years. If I ever get the chance to fly again, I'll jump on it without any hesitation. |
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Now you need to decide if you want to buy an inexpensive used aircraft of your own or keep renting.I was very surprised at the prices of used single engine aircraft. DON'T GO HERE. |
Now that you say that I remember having the same problem! I'm around 5'9" so I guess they made the Pipers for six footers. You'll love Cessnas then. They had great visibility and I always felt safe in 'em. I figured in a head wind with full flaps I could get that plane down to 40mph or even a hair lower before she stalled. Hell I can hit anything short of a brick wall going that slow and be OK. 
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I wish I could afford to fly. I know I can't afford to own a plane. Well, I could technically afford to purchase one, but the purchase and costs associated with owning one would kill me financially. "Being able to purchase" and "Can afford" are two different things, after all. That leaves me with renting. Even there, I'm sure it's prohibitively expensive. Years ago (like in 98 or 99) I looked into it. At the time, a 172 ran about $75/hr fuel included. I'm sure it's MUCH more expensive than that now. I seem to recall avgas being around $2.10/gal at the time. And yet, I'd sure like to do it. I just don't think I have the coin. It's a rich man's hobby. 
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Hey man congrats! That 1st flight is a gas, huh? Here is an aviation thread... 
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Budget for 2-3 hours a month. I'm sure a financial whiz like you could wrangle that! It isn't much, but it would be enough to keep you gaining experience, and would be able to pay for a couple trips with the wife. |
Actually its about $105 wet for an old 172, and about $130 wet for a new 172 SP Im sure you could find a 150 for $80 wet. |
I'd be a VFR pilot (I don't know that I'd ever get an instrument rating), and I only have time on the weekends. When I actually get the time to fly, I'm concerned that I wouldn't be able to pretty often, due to weather and the like. What does a 172 rent for, nowadays? What are the limitations/caveats on overnight trips? |
Depends upon how fancy a 172. The g1000 skyhawks around here go for about 175/hr EDIT:As far as overnight trips, it all depends upon who you are renting from. You could also join a club and gain flexability. |
