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I Flew a Plane

Blogs > micronesia
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micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24670 Posts
Last Edited: 2016-04-10 21:24:30
April 10 2016 19:01 GMT
#1
[image loading]
Dramatization


About four and a half years ago I wrote this blog where I discussed the possibility of getting a private pilot's license. Aside from some online research I hadn't done anything about it. Last year I tried to schedule an introductory discovery flight a couple of times but they got cancelled due to weather. This year I had to reschedule a couple of times due to weather but today the weather was pretty nice and it happened!

I will discuss how things went for anyone who is interested in what your first day of being a student pilot is like. For starters, all I had to do prior to today was call a flight school that offers introductory/discover flights and make an appointment. When I got there they asked for my driver's license... that's all I needed. The cost for the flight, including briefings, was 90 dollars (this varies depending on what school you do the flight at and what plane you are in...). I was in a 1984 Cessna 172 which looks like this:

[image loading]


During the pre-flight briefing the instructor kind of raced through a ton of information, and even acknowledged that I wasn't going to remember all of it the first time I heard it. Some of it I only understood because I actually showed up prepared after having done some studying from http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/ .

I then went out to the plane with the instructor for a pre-flight check. For any of you who don't know, the experience of getting to the plane at a small airport is much different than at a major airport. I parked in a lot directly adjacent to the flight school building, walked in to the building and out another nearby door, and was on the tarmac. The planes were less than one minute of walking away from there.

First we climbed into the cockpit and went through a quick checklist. Then we got back out of the plane and went around inspecting every surface and exposed component. We checked the oil level and took samples of gasoline from four separate places to verify the fuel was clear and free of water. We removed the ropes tying down the plane and got back in.

After another brief checklist we attempted to start the engine which actually took a few tries (like trying to start a car on the coldest night of the year). I learned you always yell "CLEAR" out the window before you start the engine. Eventually we started the engine, checked a few more things (as you might expect, you check things a lot!) and began to pull away.

You probably think taxiing is pretty easy. All you need to do is follow the line and go straight most of the time... occasionally you turn, and guess what, there's a line for you to straddle. It is NOT easy (at least not at first). One reason is that you are not steering with the "steering wheel." You are steering with pedals (note that they control the rudder, not the ailerons on the wings). You push the right pedal to turn right and the left pedal to turn left. The pedals have an upper component with a brake that you use as well... each pedal has an independent brake for the corresponding wheel. Even though I understood the concept of how to taxi, it felt like the instructor had the power up a little too high and it was quite difficult to follow the line. Also you can't always tell when the instructor is helping you a little because they have their own set of pedals linked to yours. Here is what the pedals more or less look like with everything else removed:

[image loading]
I was sitting on the left


The instructor was handling the radio communications with the tower throughout this process and the rest of the flight (thank God). I was way too busy trying not to somehow lose control of the airplane to worry about how the heck you are supposed to communicate over the radio (I'll have to learn that obviously if I do more flight training). Shortly before getting to the end of the runway, we pulled off to a little area where planes perform a quick pre-takeoff check before getting on to the runway. We pulled up alongside another plane and went through a checklist while that other plane pulled away and took off. When radio permission came we pulled out on to the runway and started to accelerate.

The instructor let me control everything during takeoff including the throttle, which honestly is pretty easy to operate during takeoff. You... push the throttle in all the way. That's it. The only difficult thing about the throttle is that you are controlling it with your hand rather than foot (it's the gas pedal on your car).

[image loading]


The big knob in the middle is the throttle. For those who are interested, the small knob to the left is the carburetor heat control (to prevent icing), the orange knob controls fuel mixture (how rich), and the beige lever to the right controls the flaps (more down for more flaps). I essentially was learning how to use the controls during the flight... it's easier to learn controls in MS Flight Simulator when you aren't actually in a flying plane

The plane happily removed itself from the runway once the speed was high enough, and we climbed steadily. The instructor told me when to take most/all actions such as when to retract the flaps a setting, when to bring down the throttle, and when to level off (if I recall correctly, it was at 1200 feet, with the airport at ~200 feet of elevation). We made two 90 degree left turns and traveled downwind, parallel to the runway over some farmland. The instructor pointed out two adjacent silos (on a farm) as a good landmark. We received a report over the radio that a plane was coming in for landing and that we should make a 360 degree turn to the right to buy time while the plane lands. However, the instructor stated on the radio that we had visual of the incoming plane (which we did) at which point the tower authorized us to continue straight until the plane passed us in the other direction and then make our two 90 degree left turns again to approach the airport. There is a single-file line of trees that leads directly into the runway (the airport has two runways but we were using the short one near the flight school).

We approached the runway as though we were going to land, but purposefully pulled back up a few seconds before we would have been actually in the process of landing. We went around for another loop and actually landed the second time. The instructor helped a fair bit with ensuring the plane came into the runway properly. You essentially hover over the runway and keep the front wheel of the plane off the ground as long as possible, even as the rear wheels are making contact. Even as we coasted we kept the nose up a bit to keep weight off of the front wheel which is apparently the most delicate part of the plane for landing purposes.

Taxiing back to the tie-down area was probably a bit easier now that I had a bit more practice. We set up the airplane to back into the 'parking spot' but then got out and literally pushed the plane into it's final location (with the help of a small tow bar). The instructor tied the plane down and then we returned to the school building.

For 14 bucks I got a pilot's log book where you keep track of all of your flights. The instructor recorded 0.4 hours into the book. Even if I decide not to continue with my training for now, the logbook is pretty nice actually.

At this point I have to decide whether to continue training. If money were no object I'd immediately say yes. The worst part about the flight was my lack of familiarity with the gauges and the flight plan. If I actually start training for real I'll get comfortable with that quickly and be able to focus on improving techniques. The thing I was most worried about was that I would feel really uncomfortable being up in a tiny plane, but overall I didn't mind it. It was a bit bumpy and I'm sure it can get much worse if you fly in sub-optimal conditions...

I have the potential to use the G.I. bill to pay for flight training, but the pros/cons/challenges associated with that are complicated and probably outside the scope of this blog. For now, I'll sleep on it (and I'll probably roll out of my bed one time tonight).



***
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
farvacola
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States18825 Posts
April 10 2016 21:47 GMT
#2
My father took pilot's lessons and was on his final solo flight before licensure only to entirely lose all interest in becoming a pilot after the wind decided that it didn't care what he did with his small craft's instruments.

Don't die up there Micro
"when the Dead Kennedys found out they had skinhead fans, they literally wrote a song titled 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off'"
fluidrone
Profile Blog Joined January 2015
France1478 Posts
April 10 2016 22:21 GMT
#3
gratz!
"not enough rights"
pebble444
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
Italy2497 Posts
April 10 2016 22:29 GMT
#4
Sounds like you had a lot of fun and this is important to you. I flew a plane several times. Honestly for me i would have loved to learn to pilot a helicopter. Hope you can come up with a way to pay and keep on the flying.
"Awaken my Child, and embrace the Glory that is your Birthright"
Cauld
Profile Joined February 2010
United States350 Posts
April 11 2016 00:05 GMT
#5
I've always wanted to do this, but I'm nervous about the process (not the flying so much). Did you research schools ahead of time? Also, where are you located?
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24670 Posts
April 11 2016 00:13 GMT
#6
On April 11 2016 09:05 Cauld wrote:
I've always wanted to do this, but I'm nervous about the process (not the flying so much). Did you research schools ahead of time? Also, where are you located?

I'm in Northern Virginia outside of DC. I have to drive West or South in order to get to flight schools since they don't operate so close to DC and the major airport nearby.

I was able to determine (mostly through google maps) that there were three flight schools at the small airport nearest me. One of the schools didn't seem to have any information online, so I just chose to do an intro flight from among the other two schools. There is also another airport a little further and in a somewhat different direction with another school (plus a separate branch of one of the schools at the first airport).
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
BigFan
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
TLADT24920 Posts
April 11 2016 15:23 GMT
#7
Thanks for sharing. I've heard that some of these smaller planes lack basic safety gear such as parachutes in the case of an emergency lol. Is this true?
Former BW EiC"Watch Bakemonogatari or I will kill you." -Toad, April 18th, 2017
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24670 Posts
April 12 2016 03:34 GMT
#8
I don't know if I would consider a parachute to be basic safety gear, but to my knowledge the plane I was in and many similar ones do not have a parachute. Hopefully I won't be ditching the plane over a neighborhood lol
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
CaucasianAsian
Profile Blog Joined September 2005
Korea (South)11577 Posts
April 13 2016 05:54 GMT
#9
what airport did you go to? I worked on my privates at a school in manassas.
Calendar@ Fish Server: `iOps]..Stark
Korakys
Profile Blog Joined November 2014
New Zealand272 Posts
April 13 2016 09:11 GMT
#10
On April 12 2016 00:23 BigFan wrote:
Thanks for sharing. I've heard that some of these smaller planes lack basic safety gear such as parachutes in the case of an emergency lol. Is this true?

There is an aeroclub at an airport I used to work at. One time a parajump plane took off with a load off parachutists, but about half way up the engines cut out. The pilot told all the passengers to jump out, which they did, and then crashed into a vineyard. Pilot survived ok, but it goes to show that even planes carrying meatbombs parachutists don't have parachutes for the pilot. Typically fighter jet pilots would be the only types of pilots to have parachutes.
Swing away sOs, swing away.
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24670 Posts
Last Edited: 2016-04-13 10:14:17
April 13 2016 10:13 GMT
#11
On April 13 2016 14:54 CaucasianAsian wrote:
what airport did you go to? I worked on my privates at a school in manassas.

I did the discovery flight at Dulles Aviation. Supposedly American Aviation offers the license for a little more than half the cost of what Dulles Aviation would charge, if you are light enough to do it in a Cessna 152.

edit: there is also Aviation Adventures but they haven't replied to my e-mail yet.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
BigFan
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
TLADT24920 Posts
April 13 2016 16:11 GMT
#12
On April 12 2016 12:34 micronesia wrote:
I don't know if I would consider a parachute to be basic safety gear, but to my knowledge the plane I was in and many similar ones do not have a parachute. Hopefully I won't be ditching the plane over a neighborhood lol

so, maybe basis wasn't the best wording but basically, I hear the safety equipment is pretty nonexistant. All you can do is radio an SOS and hope to survive a crash :/

On April 13 2016 18:11 Korakys wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 12 2016 00:23 BigFan wrote:
Thanks for sharing. I've heard that some of these smaller planes lack basic safety gear such as parachutes in the case of an emergency lol. Is this true?

There is an aeroclub at an airport I used to work at. One time a parajump plane took off with a load off parachutists, but about half way up the engines cut out. The pilot told all the passengers to jump out, which they did, and then crashed into a vineyard. Pilot survived ok, but it goes to show that even planes carrying meatbombs parachutists don't have parachutes for the pilot. Typically fighter jet pilots would be the only types of pilots to have parachutes.

hmm good point. The pilots in general always get the shaft it seems lol
Former BW EiC"Watch Bakemonogatari or I will kill you." -Toad, April 18th, 2017
Cauld
Profile Joined February 2010
United States350 Posts
April 13 2016 21:03 GMT
#13
On April 11 2016 09:13 micronesia wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2016 09:05 Cauld wrote:
I've always wanted to do this, but I'm nervous about the process (not the flying so much). Did you research schools ahead of time? Also, where are you located?

I'm in Northern Virginia outside of DC. I have to drive West or South in order to get to flight schools since they don't operate so close to DC and the major airport nearby.

I was able to determine (mostly through google maps) that there were three flight schools at the small airport nearest me. One of the schools didn't seem to have any information online, so I just chose to do an intro flight from among the other two schools. There is also another airport a little further and in a somewhat different direction with another school (plus a separate branch of one of the schools at the first airport).


Hmm, cool. I told myself I would look into this seriously after I finish grad school, which will be in August. I'm probably going to look for a place on Long Island. Keep us updated if you decide to go for the license. I'm pretty interested in the process.
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24670 Posts
April 13 2016 23:24 GMT
#14
On April 14 2016 06:03 Cauld wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2016 09:13 micronesia wrote:
On April 11 2016 09:05 Cauld wrote:
I've always wanted to do this, but I'm nervous about the process (not the flying so much). Did you research schools ahead of time? Also, where are you located?

I'm in Northern Virginia outside of DC. I have to drive West or South in order to get to flight schools since they don't operate so close to DC and the major airport nearby.

I was able to determine (mostly through google maps) that there were three flight schools at the small airport nearest me. One of the schools didn't seem to have any information online, so I just chose to do an intro flight from among the other two schools. There is also another airport a little further and in a somewhat different direction with another school (plus a separate branch of one of the schools at the first airport).


Hmm, cool. I told myself I would look into this seriously after I finish grad school, which will be in August. I'm probably going to look for a place on Long Island. Keep us updated if you decide to go for the license. I'm pretty interested in the process.

When I blogged a few years ago about possibly getting a pilot license I was actually on Long Island. The plan was to train at a flight school at Republic Airport which was 20-25 minutes from my house. Someone had told me that there is a lot of congestion at that airport, though. If you are further East you'll probably have more luck.

And as an update, I'm going out for a flight in a Cessna 152 at that other school this Sunday. If I like it and the school seems legit (American) then I will probably start working on the license there. If you buy flight/training time in blocks of 10 hours you get 1 hour free. However, if you shell out 6k for roughly the minimum flight time and training needed to get the license, you are getting a much more significant discount. I have to decide if I'm willing to shell out 6k in order to save a few thousand in the long run.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
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