First plane I ever “flew”
Discussion
I have never been a pilot, but as a kid ca. 1978 I won a Red Arrows colouring-in competition at our local department store. The advertised prize was a framed colour photograph of the Red Arrows in flight, with each aircraft signed by its pilot. I think they were still Gnats back then. Anyway there was a surprise gift of a flight in a Cessna for the three age group winners. Despite being the youngest, I was allowed to sit in the front and even fly the plane for a short while. I remember being amazed how many people had swimming pools in their back gardens!
For some reason I never forgot the registration (a bit like your first car!). I have just googled it and it’s still around (again like my first car!). Is “your” first plane still going strong?
For some reason I never forgot the registration (a bit like your first car!). I have just googled it and it’s still around (again like my first car!). Is “your” first plane still going strong?
Mine was a Piper Cherokee, its not with us any more. I was working part time for the organisation that rented it for the consortium that owned it. One member of the consortium managed to destroy it beyond repair through crap parking in a strong wind!
My first flight was from Coventry Airport to Leicester (i think) we the flew circuits for passengers at a low rent airshow.
My second flight was back
My first flight was from Coventry Airport to Leicester (i think) we the flew circuits for passengers at a low rent airshow.
My second flight was back
My first light aircraft flight was in a Reims-built Cessna 172H, G-MELT, but I didn't get to pilot it. It's still around and still based somewhere in the south of England (it was at Goodwood when I flew in it) although it's lost its original paint scheme for a more modern chequered-flag one.
Had to (literally) dust off the logbook (17 years since anything went in it!) for the rest:
G-MELT was still at Goodwood when I flew from there and got behind the actual controls of a plane for the first time, which was in PA-38 G-BNKH, which has since been repainted from its Goodwood club livery and gone to Poland.
First solo was two years later in PA-28 G-ELZY which has since gone to Redhill but still pretty much in the GFS livery but with the logos changed. G-ELZY was also what I took up for my only other solo flight the following day. Then one more lesson the week after (two days after my 17th birthday) and that was it for my aviation career when life got in the way!
When I am not on my phone I'll try and dig out some pics later
Had to (literally) dust off the logbook (17 years since anything went in it!) for the rest:
G-MELT was still at Goodwood when I flew from there and got behind the actual controls of a plane for the first time, which was in PA-38 G-BNKH, which has since been repainted from its Goodwood club livery and gone to Poland.
First solo was two years later in PA-28 G-ELZY which has since gone to Redhill but still pretty much in the GFS livery but with the logos changed. G-ELZY was also what I took up for my only other solo flight the following day. Then one more lesson the week after (two days after my 17th birthday) and that was it for my aviation career when life got in the way!
When I am not on my phone I'll try and dig out some pics later
I did my first solo in a Cessna 150 Aerobat G-BAIN when I was 17 years old (back in 1993!) as part of my RAF Flying scholarship at Perth/Scone. I remember it really well, I hadn’t even learnt to drive at the time 
Not sure if it’s still flying but the doors used to pop open randomly and you could yaw the aircraft by pushing them out in to the slipstream!
Not sure if it’s still flying but the doors used to pop open randomly and you could yaw the aircraft by pushing them out in to the slipstream!
I'd always dreamed of flying one. I'd never flown anything, suffer from chronic motion sickness & I disgraced myself by throwing up....(twice) 
Wouldn't change a thing. Mysteriously, the room gets incredibly dusty just thinking about it, in close formation with a P51D, unquestionably the best day of my life. 
Now hunting down a Hyponotherapist in a bid the help with the motion sickness & studying for my PPL.
Wouldn't change a thing. Mysteriously, the room gets incredibly dusty just thinking about it, in close formation with a P51D, unquestionably the best day of my life. Now hunting down a Hyponotherapist in a bid the help with the motion sickness & studying for my PPL.
Edited by KR158 on Friday 22 January 18:46
Edited by KR158 on Friday 22 January 18:49
AndrewGP said:
I did my first solo in a Cessna 150 Aerobat G-BAIN when I was 17 years old (back in 1993!) as part of my RAF Flying scholarship at Perth/Scone. I remember it really well, I hadn’t even learnt to drive at the time
Not sure if it’s still flying but the doors used to pop open randomly and you could yaw the aircraft by pushing them out in to the slipstream!
Which way would it yaw? I heard a drunken debate once about whether they always yaw towards the open door due to drag, or whether you can angle the door to cause the airflow to yaw the aircraft the other way.Not sure if it’s still flying but the doors used to pop open randomly and you could yaw the aircraft by pushing them out in to the slipstream!
I always used the rudders myself, in the days when I could almost sort of fit into a 150 without technically overloading it.
My first flight was aged 13 in this Chipmunk WB654 at RAF Woodvale back in 1979. 
It's still flying under a different number now G-BXGO
The first Glider i flew in was a Kirby Mk3, again back in 79, unfortunately my log doesn't show the number, but i eventually did some more serious training and flew solo in another Kirby Mk3 number XE791 in 1982 at RAF Burtonwood.
Biggest thing i went into the cockpit with was a VC10 XV106 doing 190 minutes of takeoff and landing training at RAF Brize Norton in 1980.
Time flies.
It's still flying under a different number now G-BXGO
The first Glider i flew in was a Kirby Mk3, again back in 79, unfortunately my log doesn't show the number, but i eventually did some more serious training and flew solo in another Kirby Mk3 number XE791 in 1982 at RAF Burtonwood.
Biggest thing i went into the cockpit with was a VC10 XV106 doing 190 minutes of takeoff and landing training at RAF Brize Norton in 1980.
Time flies.
So my first (and last) ever flying lesson was in this:
In work one day and I got asked if I wanted to go on a pilots last flight in the RAF the next day, normally these are quite fun sightseeing tours so I agreed and rocked up the next day at work ready for a jolly. Next thing he’s giving a brief to about 5-6 of us on how to fly an aircraft
Turns out he got permission from the station commander (or above) and as a qualified instructor wanted to give something back.
We all got 20-25min behind the stick flying a circuit and then hovering work before swapping over. One of the girls on the flight was a steward, she’d been in the RAF 3-4 years and had never flown. Her first military flight was flying the thing!!
In work one day and I got asked if I wanted to go on a pilots last flight in the RAF the next day, normally these are quite fun sightseeing tours so I agreed and rocked up the next day at work ready for a jolly. Next thing he’s giving a brief to about 5-6 of us on how to fly an aircraft
Turns out he got permission from the station commander (or above) and as a qualified instructor wanted to give something back. We all got 20-25min behind the stick flying a circuit and then hovering work before swapping over. One of the girls on the flight was a steward, she’d been in the RAF 3-4 years and had never flown. Her first military flight was flying the thing!!
ecsrobin said:
So my first (and last) ever flying lesson was in this:
In work one day and I got asked if I wanted to go on a pilots last flight in the RAF the next day, normally these are quite fun sightseeing tours so I agreed and rocked up the next day at work ready for a jolly. Next thing he’s giving a brief to about 5-6 of us on how to fly an aircraft Turns out he got permission from the station commander (or above) and as a qualified instructor wanted to give something back.
We all got 20-25min behind the stick flying a circuit and then hovering work before swapping over. One of the girls on the flight was a steward, she’d been in the RAF 3-4 years and had never flown. Her first military flight was flying the thing!!
Fantastic! What was it like???? Ive heard Helicopters are very tricky to flyIn work one day and I got asked if I wanted to go on a pilots last flight in the RAF the next day, normally these are quite fun sightseeing tours so I agreed and rocked up the next day at work ready for a jolly. Next thing he’s giving a brief to about 5-6 of us on how to fly an aircraft
Turns out he got permission from the station commander (or above) and as a qualified instructor wanted to give something back. We all got 20-25min behind the stick flying a circuit and then hovering work before swapping over. One of the girls on the flight was a steward, she’d been in the RAF 3-4 years and had never flown. Her first military flight was flying the thing!!
https://www.jetphotos.com/registration/G-BBCH
An old one now, but it carried on flying for a few decades before crashing, and now it's a rebuilt write-of!
An old one now, but it carried on flying for a few decades before crashing, and now it's a rebuilt write-of!
AndrewGP said:
I did my first solo in a Cessna 150 Aerobat G-BAIN when I was 17 years old (back in 1993!) as part of my RAF Flying scholarship at Perth/Scone. I remember it really well, I hadn’t even learnt to drive at the time
Brilliant 
I did my first solo in this Piper Tomahawk; G-BGGG at Teesside Airport also in 1993, courtesy of a RAF Flying Scholarship, when I too was 17 and hadn't learned to drive yet.
The Key, The Secret was the theme tune to that summer and I sang Jingle Bells at the top of my voice all the way round that solo for some reason that I've never figured out. Happy days.
To be fair it looked equally ropey when I flew it...!
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