Nervous passenger

[Hogster]

My brother gained his PPL last year and he finally got round to take me for a flight today. The flight plan was curtailed due to the low cloud base but half hour of circuits and touch and goes would still be good fun.

We were using a Cessna 152 and what first struck me is how cramped the cockpit is. I`m 6ft 2in and I found it dificult to keep my feet and knees out of the way.. Getting in and out also required a certain amount of contortionism.

Anyhow after all prefilghts checks completed we ready for the off. I was slightly nervous and this was the first flight my brother had with a passenger other than another pilot. I needn`t have worried. It was quite exciting and the bumping and weaving was very reminiscent of how our models behave. Constant adjustments are needed to keep the plane heading straight. Then suddenly the bumping stops and your airbone. The turning into a right hand circuit. for a cross wind landing. This would be interesting. I must say my bro did it very well and by the 3rd touch and go I was starting to relax.

All in all a great experience and looking forward to going up again

[Area 51]

Well done and I am sure your brother appreciated taking you for a ride... not much difference at all from model flying, in some ways a lot easier as you are more aware of all that is going on.. engine noise, attitiude.. do you think your landings will improve now, maybe taxying and departures a little more scale like...?

Enjoy and perhaps have a go yourself next time

[Stephen Grigg]

I did have a couple of lessons but when the instructor got us lost felt it was a bad omen, glad you enjoyed your day.

[Hogster]

I would love to learn to fly myself. Its just to expensive for my budget at the moment. Maybe when the mortgage is payed off.

I think I could pickup the actually flying quite quickly but all the RT and navigation stuff seems way to complicated for me.

[ericrw]

When I first enquired about flying lessons,the rate wae £23.00 per hour. Far too expensive at the time for me!!

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Similar to what I remember in the mid-70s - which is why I took up gliding! Only regret is I didn't ever do a Silver C to PPL conversion which would have typically involved around 10 hours or so of training (before they added 4 hours IMC appreciation the actual minimum requirement was to complete the written exams and the General Flying Test but in practice you needed to run through the syllabus of course...)

At the time there always seemed to be better (gliding related and other) things to spend my money on!

I do remember a tale of one clubmate doing a conversion with an instructor who failed to retract the Cessna 152's flaps from the full "barn door" setting while attempting to climb away from a field landing exercise - result was a rather bent spamcan (happily the occupants were unscathed) and an instructor who was never seen again!

Perhaps your instructor was related, Stephen?

Edited By Martin Harris on 21/05/2012 15:40:32

[Hogster]

Flight training is about £130 an hour at my bro`s club. He reckons the minimum cost to gain a ppl is £6000. But in reality closer to £8-10000. Then its £120 a month just to keep your approval rating. So deffo not a cheap pastime. But if you do have the money I cant think of a better way to spend it.

[JC]

My first ever flight was in a Cessna 152 in the late 1970s from Sywell aerodrome. I can remember every second of the flight as if it were yesterday. Since then I have been fortunate to have had several flights in light aircraft thanks to my uncle having a PPL. He even let take me the controls every now and then.

Also many flights in C130s and various helicopters thanks to the Army. Never had the money to learn my self so I fly models. And you know that is good enough for me.

However when I win the lottery I'm off to Florida to learn to fly a P51.

 

Edited By JC on 21/05/2012 21:08:30

Edited By JC on 21/05/2012 21:09:27