So I signed up to take an "introductory flight lesson"!

Don, you are correct, Money makes them FLY. Noise makes them GO UP.

 

Of course, there's always the old standby...

The propeller's sole function is to be an A/C unit for the pilot(s). Don't believe me? Shut the thing off and watch the 'em start to sweat.

 

Don't make the same mistake I made on my intro flight.

I thought the turning of the yoke set the bank angle of the plane.
That is, if you wanted to make a 30 degree bank turn to the right, you set the yoke at a 30 degree angle to the right and hold it there.

When we got up straight and level, the instructor let me fly the plane straight and level for a while, then he said, "make a gentle turn to the right".
I set the yoke for about 15 degrees to the right and held it there.
You should have seen his face as we continued to bank steeper and steeper to the right.

Have fun, you'll love it.
.

 

a good prank...

I would borrow a spare throttle control from parts that I would pull out at the appropriate time ( for those deserving a good prank ). I would brief others in the plane on what going to happen and then signal when the time was right. I would pull the throttle back and loudly exclaim "oh f**k"...while holding the throttle control for all to see. The focus goes to the throttle in the hand and the change in the sounds... not that the plane is safely flying slow... clean underwear anyone ?

 

Have a great time! I took my intro flight at Boeing Field in 2002. Be careful though, you will want to go back up again and again. That's their hook, cheap intro flight then 40+ hours for the Private and then the other certificates.

 

As soon as you get going, reach over and turn the radio off. Useless thing doesn't play any music.

 

Probably not a good thing to keep saying "Pilot to Co-Pilot ..." through the microphone.

I think they only do that in ancient black & white movies.
.

 

Jedi, the " NOISE" thing is a leftover from my training days a 100 years ago. The instructor in an offhanded way asked me what made an airplane go up. I wiggled the stick back a couple of times and he immediately killed the engine and yelled , " Okay! I want to go up now!" When he was sure that I got the message he got the engine started again.

 

Last bit of advice, and I'm not kidding. If you want to impress your instructor, and have a perfect command of the aircraft in the air, go get this book. It's a simple read, but it will tell you literally everything you need to know and understand about handling a plane. From take off to landing and everything in between. It is the bible of aircraft operations, I assure you:

Stick and Rudder: an Explanation of the Art of Flying
by Wolfgang Langewiesche

There's prolly a copy at the local Half Price Books. It's the be-all, end-all of primary flight instruction.

 

docmirror is 100% on the money. That is the bible. Your library will have it.

 

The last thing you want to do on your first flight is think. A good instructor will have you start the engine, taxi out, take-off, fly over and circle your house, and have you land. The instructor will be talking/instructing constantly (doing the thinking for you.)Your job is to have fun!!! Making your own decisions at the right time is the real art of flying...save that for later.

Dave

 

What???? on an introductory flight? Don't think so.

 

What part did I get wrong? 20+ years ago that is exactly what I did on introductory flights. The student always had fun and walked away feeling like it was something they could do because they had just done it....haven't you ever seen a Hollywood movie?...talking someone in is no big deal. Seriously, I would handle the throttle on short final and was ready at the controls but many students could make the entire flight unassisted.

Dave

 

Jedi--I'm SUPER jealous! I've been up in a bunch of 172's when I was younger. My Dad worked at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach and his cadets took me up all the time while they logged hours. It was really fun and the perspective you see from a few thousand feet up is amazing. I've always wanted to learn how to fly but never found the time to do so.

Interestingly I live a few miles away from the Lantana airport where some of the 9/11 hijackers learned how to fly.

It's on my bucket list. Looking forward to seeing updates from you here.

 

Jedi, your wife is special for giving you a very nice and early VD gift.
You'll view Seattle from a perspective only a winged flight can give.
You'll experience freedom as never before. It's addicting. Enjoy.

 

Reading through this thread made me check out what my local airports offer, $99 for a discovery flight, I'm calling them tomorrow.

 

I do this with all of my clients, they walk away from the first flight feeling awesome and immediately they jump on the phone and call whoever to tell them what they just did its a great feeling. The trick is to play it in such a way that you are actually helping them without their knowledge.

 

The flight school I learned to fly at had a couple of 172s they bought from Emery Riddle I soloed in one of them. tail number 82Foxtrot Romeo. Damn I am getting old that will be 24 years ago on March 1st. I still have what was left of my shirt framed with the date, and plane info written on it hanging in my office.

Duane if you get the time go get your license.

 

"... get your licence..."

should read get your "... instrument rating and signed off for complex aircraft..."

it's not about flying in bad weather, it about gaining proficiency, a useable level of proficiency, a basic licence essentially allows one to fly around the patch a few times on a sunny day in a basic trainer of an airplane... the news accounts are full of incidents by under trained pilots with bad judgement...

 

Well, it's LICENCE in the UK, but it's LICENSE in the US... FWIW...

 

it's like a coin, it doesn't matter whether it's head or tail is up,

 

Well one has to start somewhere. First step is getting to the airport and finding an Instructor. I would advise sticking a guy under the hood on his introductory flight. Trick is to show them how fun it is first.