First Flying Lesson!
Discussion
Long story short, eldest Son bought me a Virgin Experience Day (brand, not an experience with a Virgin) for my 50th Birthday last year. The actual gift was 30 laps in a F1000 Single Seater, but as I do many track days every year i thought I'd look at exchanging for something a little different in Virgin's repertoire & decided upon an Extended Flying Lesson (I'm of the age where a Bucket List has appeared).
Due to the inconvenience of Covid-19, i was of course unable to book anything up until now, but am booked for said Extended Flying Lesson out of Blackpool Airport tomorrow morning.
To say I'm excited is an understatement, but i find that today the day before take off, I'm also getting a little apprehensive as I've only flown on Commercial Aircraft as a Passenger & my only time as a Passenger in a Cessna (pal was doing his PPL in Philly), i really can't say it was enjoyable (was sat in the back navigating).
1. Anything obvious i need to do in preparation &/or to take with me tomorrow?
2. Best to wear warm weather of cool weather clothing? Looks like the ground temp tomorrow will be around 17 degrees Celsius with a chance of light showers.
3. I do love flying, but that's as a passenger so am i likely to love/hate this experience.
4. I'm guessing being only a 1hr lesson, I'll only be at the controls for at best 50% of the time & expect being up front it will be considerably more interesting that my only other light aircraft experience.
It appears Westair Flying School have several 2 & 4 Seater Cessna's, so my assumption is i'll be up in one of their 2 seaters & as it's an hour i believe we head up the Fylde Coast towards Cumbria/South Lakes before returning to Blackpool.
Will of course try & if I'm allowed, take plenty of photos.
Thanks in advance
Due to the inconvenience of Covid-19, i was of course unable to book anything up until now, but am booked for said Extended Flying Lesson out of Blackpool Airport tomorrow morning.
To say I'm excited is an understatement, but i find that today the day before take off, I'm also getting a little apprehensive as I've only flown on Commercial Aircraft as a Passenger & my only time as a Passenger in a Cessna (pal was doing his PPL in Philly), i really can't say it was enjoyable (was sat in the back navigating).
1. Anything obvious i need to do in preparation &/or to take with me tomorrow?
2. Best to wear warm weather of cool weather clothing? Looks like the ground temp tomorrow will be around 17 degrees Celsius with a chance of light showers.
3. I do love flying, but that's as a passenger so am i likely to love/hate this experience.
4. I'm guessing being only a 1hr lesson, I'll only be at the controls for at best 50% of the time & expect being up front it will be considerably more interesting that my only other light aircraft experience.
It appears Westair Flying School have several 2 & 4 Seater Cessna's, so my assumption is i'll be up in one of their 2 seaters & as it's an hour i believe we head up the Fylde Coast towards Cumbria/South Lakes before returning to Blackpool.
Will of course try & if I'm allowed, take plenty of photos.
Thanks in advance
Make sure you have a breakfast and just enjoy the experience. With experience flights you often follow the FI through on the controls for take off then they'll get you to do some turns and do a bit of sightseeing, navigate you back to the field and then retake control for the landing. Have fun.
I used to take people for these and do trial lessons and similar experience flights loads. I really enjoyed them and they’re usually great fun.
Usually there’s some kind of hanging about when you get there, then maybe a brief, then you go to the aircraft and check it out and your instructor will get you settled in and give you a safety brief and show you how the headset and intercom works etc.
You’ll likely be sitting on the left and the (other) pilot will be on the right. There’ll then be some radio talk and button pushing he/she’ll start it up and taxi out to take off then when you’re up a bit he’ll/she’ll give you control and talk you through everything and you’ll be flying it around most of the time.
Eventually you’ll head back to the airfield and the instructor will probably land it.
Then you'll get out and be wanting to spend thousands on getting a ppl.
You’ll likely only be at 4000 ft or so and the temperature will be much like the ground. I wouldn’t wear anything like flip flops etc as you need to operate the pedals.
Just enjoy it.
You might be able to take someone else with you also depending on the aircraft.
Usually there’s some kind of hanging about when you get there, then maybe a brief, then you go to the aircraft and check it out and your instructor will get you settled in and give you a safety brief and show you how the headset and intercom works etc.
You’ll likely be sitting on the left and the (other) pilot will be on the right. There’ll then be some radio talk and button pushing he/she’ll start it up and taxi out to take off then when you’re up a bit he’ll/she’ll give you control and talk you through everything and you’ll be flying it around most of the time.
Eventually you’ll head back to the airfield and the instructor will probably land it.
Then you'll get out and be wanting to spend thousands on getting a ppl.
You’ll likely only be at 4000 ft or so and the temperature will be much like the ground. I wouldn’t wear anything like flip flops etc as you need to operate the pedals.
Just enjoy it.
You might be able to take someone else with you also depending on the aircraft.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 10th June 17:05
Very envious, it's something I hope to try one day.
As an ex-skydiver I've had many flights in Cessna 182s; They are great little aircraft to fly in, I have no idea what the landings are like though.
When on the ground watching tandem passengers land, I've seen so many ask "Where do I sign up for solo jumps?" I second what was said above; You'll be wanting more, no doubt.
Hope to see some cool selfies.
Good luck
As an ex-skydiver I've had many flights in Cessna 182s; They are great little aircraft to fly in, I have no idea what the landings are like though.
When on the ground watching tandem passengers land, I've seen so many ask "Where do I sign up for solo jumps?" I second what was said above; You'll be wanting more, no doubt.
Hope to see some cool selfies.
Good luck
Depending on your state of mind at the time (you may be understandably too giddy), but if you want to scratch a little deeper into the experience, maybe ask about the instructor to explain the radio calls he'll make through the flight.
Some simple stuff like QNH/QFE, wind speeds, which runway, altitude etc so you can begin to place where you are and what you're doing in a bit more context. Also who he's talking to - Ground/Tower/Radar. It's all second nature if you fly, but it's also all Dutch to a newbie. It'll give you a little more appreciation of what's involved in flying.
Some simple stuff like QNH/QFE, wind speeds, which runway, altitude etc so you can begin to place where you are and what you're doing in a bit more context. Also who he's talking to - Ground/Tower/Radar. It's all second nature if you fly, but it's also all Dutch to a newbie. It'll give you a little more appreciation of what's involved in flying.
It’s an interesting one. I’ve never really felt any great desire to learn to fly. However, I keep getting ‘encouraged’ to do so by all sorts of people. As soon as this situation with the pandemic abates, I might actually do it. Nothing ventured nothing gained after all. There is the issue of having to spaff a load of money to get an initial qualification, then more and more for ‘ratings’, and then maintaining the qualifications, and I’m not sure I can be arsed, but I might just go for the initial qualification, then tick the box and move on.
I did a flight experience day 6 years ago under similar circumstances. I do not think my day would be considered typical though but it was a blast.
My instructor was Russian and crazy. Nice, but crazy. We got iin the plane with no brief at all and he told me I was driving. We headed off to the run way with me at the controls taxiing. I have a feeling he did this just to have a laugh because taxiing a plane with your feet for the first time with no instructions meant I was all over the place. During this the pilot was on his phone speaking to someone in Russian.
As we finally got to the end of the run way, he put his phone down and spoke to the control tower. He then turned to me and said "pull this. Then, when I tell you, pull back on this". He then went back to his phone conversation.. I do not know how he could be so calm at that moment as he was asking me to take off with 10 words of "lesson". At least when i flew a helicopter the pilot took off for me.
We get into the air and so far death tally was still at 0. I flew down the NJ coast with the NYC skyline to our left and headed over to a beach area called Sandy Hook. At some point the pilot congratulated me on making a course correction due to observing another plane. Genuinely, I never saw that bloody plane and the course correction was probably a twitch.
Once at Sandy Hook we decided to play around with flying on instruments and trying to be consistent. Part of this was flying around a fixed object. An apartment building tower. Anyone inside that place must have thought they were under attack from an incompetent Kamikaze pilot as we circled around it surprisingly close.
Next, the pilot took over and wanted to show me a couple of stalls. I do not recall the details but when I have spoken to other pilots I said I was shown both kinds of stalls. The commercial pilots have told me if he did that he was crazy. This is how the two felt, something like, fly up and then sort of drop to the side and get back control. The second being fly up and then drop backwards before spinning around and flying away or hitting the ground. During the first, the pilot was calm and slow in his actions. In the second I think he was in control but his arms were all over the place on every knob (except mine) very rapidly. I just know I was petrified. I did not think I was going to die. I knew I was going to die.
Once I landed us back safely, this time he did have his hands near the controls and he was not on the phone, I had a new appreciation for life. I wish I could say I changed my priorities and became a new man. Instead I changed my underpants. I did not take him up on the kind offer of further instruction because I am sure the next lesson was hands on experience with a parachute.
I am forever changed. Amusement park roller coasters do nothing for me now. They are dull. But, even with the numerous times I was close to death, it was bloody good fun. I am glad I did not take him up on the offer to bring my 4 year old son with us!
Here is the "pilot" just in case he has relocated to the UK and is running the event you are on. If it is him, I would recommend still going through with it but get your will sorted before you do.
My instructor was Russian and crazy. Nice, but crazy. We got iin the plane with no brief at all and he told me I was driving. We headed off to the run way with me at the controls taxiing. I have a feeling he did this just to have a laugh because taxiing a plane with your feet for the first time with no instructions meant I was all over the place. During this the pilot was on his phone speaking to someone in Russian.
As we finally got to the end of the run way, he put his phone down and spoke to the control tower. He then turned to me and said "pull this. Then, when I tell you, pull back on this". He then went back to his phone conversation.. I do not know how he could be so calm at that moment as he was asking me to take off with 10 words of "lesson". At least when i flew a helicopter the pilot took off for me.
We get into the air and so far death tally was still at 0. I flew down the NJ coast with the NYC skyline to our left and headed over to a beach area called Sandy Hook. At some point the pilot congratulated me on making a course correction due to observing another plane. Genuinely, I never saw that bloody plane and the course correction was probably a twitch.
Once at Sandy Hook we decided to play around with flying on instruments and trying to be consistent. Part of this was flying around a fixed object. An apartment building tower. Anyone inside that place must have thought they were under attack from an incompetent Kamikaze pilot as we circled around it surprisingly close.
Next, the pilot took over and wanted to show me a couple of stalls. I do not recall the details but when I have spoken to other pilots I said I was shown both kinds of stalls. The commercial pilots have told me if he did that he was crazy. This is how the two felt, something like, fly up and then sort of drop to the side and get back control. The second being fly up and then drop backwards before spinning around and flying away or hitting the ground. During the first, the pilot was calm and slow in his actions. In the second I think he was in control but his arms were all over the place on every knob (except mine) very rapidly. I just know I was petrified. I did not think I was going to die. I knew I was going to die.
Once I landed us back safely, this time he did have his hands near the controls and he was not on the phone, I had a new appreciation for life. I wish I could say I changed my priorities and became a new man. Instead I changed my underpants. I did not take him up on the kind offer of further instruction because I am sure the next lesson was hands on experience with a parachute.
I am forever changed. Amusement park roller coasters do nothing for me now. They are dull. But, even with the numerous times I was close to death, it was bloody good fun. I am glad I did not take him up on the offer to bring my 4 year old son with us!
Here is the "pilot" just in case he has relocated to the UK and is running the event you are on. If it is him, I would recommend still going through with it but get your will sorted before you do.
Edited by h0b0 on Thursday 10th June 18:04
El stovey said:
I used to take people for these and do trial lessons and similar experience flights loads. I really enjoyed them and they’re usually great fun.
Usually there’s some kind of hanging about when you get there, then maybe a brief, then you go to the aircraft and check it out and your instructor will get you settled in and give you a safety brief and show you how the headset and intercom works etc.
You’ll likely be sitting on the left and the (other) pilot will be on the right. There’ll then be some radio talk and button pushing he/she’ll start it up and taxi out to take off then when you’re up a bit he’ll/she’ll give you control and talk you through everything and you’ll be flying it around most of the time.
Eventually you’ll head back to the airfield and the instructor will probably land it.
Then you'll get out and be wanting to spend thousands on getting a ppl.
You’ll likely only be at 4000 ft or so and the temperature will be much like the ground. I wouldn’t wear anything like flip flops etc as you need to operate the pedals.
Just enjoy it.
You might be able to take someone else with you also depending on the aircraft.
I had a trial flight experience that went pretty much just like this at carlisle airport about 10 years ago(prior refurbishment). Cant remember if it was carlisle flight training or the now closed border air training. Usually there’s some kind of hanging about when you get there, then maybe a brief, then you go to the aircraft and check it out and your instructor will get you settled in and give you a safety brief and show you how the headset and intercom works etc.
You’ll likely be sitting on the left and the (other) pilot will be on the right. There’ll then be some radio talk and button pushing he/she’ll start it up and taxi out to take off then when you’re up a bit he’ll/she’ll give you control and talk you through everything and you’ll be flying it around most of the time.
Eventually you’ll head back to the airfield and the instructor will probably land it.
Then you'll get out and be wanting to spend thousands on getting a ppl.
You’ll likely only be at 4000 ft or so and the temperature will be much like the ground. I wouldn’t wear anything like flip flops etc as you need to operate the pedals.
Just enjoy it.
You might be able to take someone else with you also depending on the aircraft.
Edited by El stovey on Thursday 10th June 17:05
I had the luxury of doing it in a piper tomahawk, Only after flying it in did I become aware that its nickname is the piper traumahawk. Was great fun though and the instructor was was more than happy to answer all my questions which was mainly pointing at things and asking "what does this do" and "why".
I had to do the "clear prop" through the tiny plastic cut out in the window, Also had a hand at trying to taxi the plane to the runway as he controlled the throttle, I was making an absolute arse of it trying to keep it anywhere near the line, Takes a suprising amount of effort on the pedals to turn and to me was like riding a circus bike and went the opposite way I thought it would. but as it was a quiet sunset Saturday evening with nobody around I was allowed to proceed.
Instructor done the run up and take off, Probably only got to about 400/500ft and I was giving the controls for the rest of the flight although there wasnt much to do other than keep it level and straight bar some turns here and there. Flying back to the airport, it Felt like there was only a 100ft although it was probably more before the instructor took back over for landing.
Always wanted to do my PPL after that but the cost's not just of the license but future hiring of aircraft/fuel etc made me think how viable it would actually be, Also being colour blind and never being able to get an instrument rating for night flying etc kind of killed my ambition a bit.
Also the piper tomahawk I flew in had a bit of a whoopsie a couple years later
https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation...
Edited by PaulWoof on Thursday 10th June 18:44
Edited by PaulWoof on Thursday 10th June 18:45
h0b0 said:
I did a flight experience day 6 years ago under similar circumstances. I do not think my day would be considered typical though but it was a blast.
My instructor was Russian and crazy. Nice, but crazy. We got iin the plane with no brief at all and he told me I was driving. We headed off to the run way with me at the controls taxiing. I have a feeling he did this just to have a laugh because taxiing a plane with your feet for the first time with no instructions meant I was all over the place. During this the pilot was on his phone speaking to someone in Russian.
As we finally got to the end of the run way, he put his phone down and spoke to the control tower. He then turned to me and said "pull this. Then, when I tell you, pull back on this". He then went back to his phone conversation.. I do not know how he could be so calm at that moment as he was asking me to take off with 10 words of "lesson". At least when i flew a helicopter the pilot took off for me.
We get into the air and so far death tally was still at 0. I flew down the NJ coast with the NYC skyline to our left and headed over to a beach area called Sandy Hook. At some point the pilot congratulated me on making a course correction due to observing another plane. Genuinely, I never saw that bloody plane and the course correction was probably a twitch.
Once at Sandy Hook we decided to play around with flying on instruments and trying to be consistent. Part of this was flying around a fixed object. An apartment building tower. Anyone inside that place must have thought they were under attack from an incompetent Kamikaze pilot as we circled around it surprisingly close.
Next, the pilot took over and wanted to show me a couple of stalls. I do not recall the details but when I have spoken to other pilots I said I was shown both kinds of stalls. The commercial pilots have told me if he did that he was crazy. This is how the two felt, something like, fly up and then sort of drop to the side and get back control. The second being fly up and then drop backwards before spinning around and flying away or hitting the ground. During the first, the pilot was calm and slow in his actions. In the second I think he was in control but his arms were all over the place on every knob (except mine) very rapidly. I just know I was petrified. I did not think I was going to die. I knew I was going to die.
Once I landed us back safely, this time he did have his hands near the controls and he was not on the phone, I had a new appreciation for life. I wish I could say I changed my priorities and became a new man. Instead I changed my underpants. I did not take him up on the kind offer of further instruction because I am sure the next lesson was hands on experience with a parachute.
I am forever changed. Amusement park roller coasters do nothing for me now. They are dull. But, even with the numerous times I was close to death, it was bloody good fun. I am glad I did not take him up on the offer to bring my 4 year old son with us!
Here is the "pilot" just in case he has relocated to the UK and is running the event you are on. If it is him, I would recommend still going through with it but get your will sorted before you do.
That was very funny thank you! If I ever head to Morristown Airport I'll keep an eye out for him....My instructor was Russian and crazy. Nice, but crazy. We got iin the plane with no brief at all and he told me I was driving. We headed off to the run way with me at the controls taxiing. I have a feeling he did this just to have a laugh because taxiing a plane with your feet for the first time with no instructions meant I was all over the place. During this the pilot was on his phone speaking to someone in Russian.
As we finally got to the end of the run way, he put his phone down and spoke to the control tower. He then turned to me and said "pull this. Then, when I tell you, pull back on this". He then went back to his phone conversation.. I do not know how he could be so calm at that moment as he was asking me to take off with 10 words of "lesson". At least when i flew a helicopter the pilot took off for me.
We get into the air and so far death tally was still at 0. I flew down the NJ coast with the NYC skyline to our left and headed over to a beach area called Sandy Hook. At some point the pilot congratulated me on making a course correction due to observing another plane. Genuinely, I never saw that bloody plane and the course correction was probably a twitch.
Once at Sandy Hook we decided to play around with flying on instruments and trying to be consistent. Part of this was flying around a fixed object. An apartment building tower. Anyone inside that place must have thought they were under attack from an incompetent Kamikaze pilot as we circled around it surprisingly close.
Next, the pilot took over and wanted to show me a couple of stalls. I do not recall the details but when I have spoken to other pilots I said I was shown both kinds of stalls. The commercial pilots have told me if he did that he was crazy. This is how the two felt, something like, fly up and then sort of drop to the side and get back control. The second being fly up and then drop backwards before spinning around and flying away or hitting the ground. During the first, the pilot was calm and slow in his actions. In the second I think he was in control but his arms were all over the place on every knob (except mine) very rapidly. I just know I was petrified. I did not think I was going to die. I knew I was going to die.
Once I landed us back safely, this time he did have his hands near the controls and he was not on the phone, I had a new appreciation for life. I wish I could say I changed my priorities and became a new man. Instead I changed my underpants. I did not take him up on the kind offer of further instruction because I am sure the next lesson was hands on experience with a parachute.
I am forever changed. Amusement park roller coasters do nothing for me now. They are dull. But, even with the numerous times I was close to death, it was bloody good fun. I am glad I did not take him up on the offer to bring my 4 year old son with us!
Here is the "pilot" just in case he has relocated to the UK and is running the event you are on. If it is him, I would recommend still going through with it but get your will sorted before you do.
Edited by h0b0 on Thursday 10th June 18:04
Me and my brother bought my dad a Tiger Moth flight. After many cancellations and changing places due to weather, eventually it was rebooked for a place. As my brother and I have similar date birthdays my dad bought us a flight too so we could all do it.
We turned up and I was last. They both had a great time, even having a chance to fly the plane and enjoying it thoroughly.
My turn came and we took off and the pilot was chatting away then it went quiet but as it was quite windy I assumed he was concentrating. We did some quite cool things throwing it about and I was happily looking out and enjoying it.
When we landed we taxied to a halt and someone ran over and adjusted the microphone Jack and I could hear her again!
Afterwards I thought, had the earphone thing stayed in long enough for me to hear “ok do you want to have a go at flying it” then the earphones stopped working, I’d have missed the “ok I have control now” and thought I have to land the bloody thing
We turned up and I was last. They both had a great time, even having a chance to fly the plane and enjoying it thoroughly.
My turn came and we took off and the pilot was chatting away then it went quiet but as it was quite windy I assumed he was concentrating. We did some quite cool things throwing it about and I was happily looking out and enjoying it.
When we landed we taxied to a halt and someone ran over and adjusted the microphone Jack and I could hear her again!
Afterwards I thought, had the earphone thing stayed in long enough for me to hear “ok do you want to have a go at flying it” then the earphones stopped working, I’d have missed the “ok I have control now” and thought I have to land the bloody thing
I did one a few years ago, simply "to have a go".
Hate to say it, but I was really underwhelmed. Years of watching Top Gun had elevated my expectations of flying to somewhat beyond doing 90kts in a 1970's Cesena 152 at 3000ft. It's reassuring mechanical, and flying is just simply physics. Weirdly at no point was there much adrenaline and excitement. The pro's will probably say that a flight without adrenaline and excitement is a good one 
but I didn't, unfortunately.
Part of me does want to go back and do my PPL as a stepping stone to something more exciting later on. When you start skiing you don't throw yourself straight down the black run at Kitzbuhel do you?
Hate to say it, but I was really underwhelmed. Years of watching Top Gun had elevated my expectations of flying to somewhat beyond doing 90kts in a 1970's Cesena 152 at 3000ft.
It's reassuring mechanical, and flying is just simply physics. Weirdly at no point was there much adrenaline and excitement. The pro's will probably say that a flight without adrenaline and excitement is a good one but I didn't, unfortunately.Part of me does want to go back and do my PPL as a stepping stone to something more exciting later on. When you start skiing you don't throw yourself straight down the black run at Kitzbuhel do you?
Well that didn’t pan out as expected.
Set off for Blackpool Airport (80 mile round trip) in plenty of time to arrive early, but upon arrival was told the cloud base was too low & wind speed too high, so I’d need to reschedule.
I guess it was too too much to ask that they got in touch to inform me of this before I started my journey. Just typical that the last few days have been perfect weather, as will the next few days.
Re-booked for next Saturday, so fingers crossed the weather behaves & I’ll be sure to call the Flying School before setting off.
Set off for Blackpool Airport (80 mile round trip) in plenty of time to arrive early, but upon arrival was told the cloud base was too low & wind speed too high, so I’d need to reschedule.
I guess it was too too much to ask that they got in touch to inform me of this before I started my journey. Just typical that the last few days have been perfect weather, as will the next few days.
Re-booked for next Saturday, so fingers crossed the weather behaves & I’ll be sure to call the Flying School before setting off.
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