Tue Jul 13, 2021 6:17 pm
#1858603
Only now getting around to write this, but since a month ago or so I've finally taken the plunge on the way to a PPL.
It's been about 15 years since the idea of learning to fly came into my head, for some reason always seemed out of my reach. Maybe it was Covid, maybe an early mid-life crisis, but about 2 months ago I decided, **** it, excuse the French, let's do it!
I'm based in East London and was scouting around for a flight school when I found North Weald Flight Training, about 35 minute drive from where I live and work, and from a browse on here it seemed like a good choice! If anyone is flying with them or have in the past, let me know! I want that sweet insider gossip.
I booked a "Trial Lesson", found my way to the airfield, experienced driving into an active aerodrome for the first time (scary that!), met my pilot/instructor, and took off in a Cessna 152 Aerobat (he promised no aerobatics, thanks for that ), and WOW.
Finally I was flying a plane I've flown so many times in simulators (I know, what a cliché). The experience was amazing. The physicality of it, the feeling of sitting in a tin can but actually nimble and so light is nothing that can be simulated. I was in love!
Queue 2 weeks later, and bam, Lesson 1.
Lesson 1
My instructor was the same as for my Trial flight, which I didn't expect but I was very happy. He seems like a great instructor and person.
We started off in the office with some overview of what we were about to do in the air. Instructor tells me he'll give me lots to do as he knows what I can do from the trial flight.. I'm keen, but slightly scared.
Once in the plane, another C152 Aerobat, my FI went through the pre-startup checklist with me from memory (he didn't have the physical checklist with him.. oops!), and let me do most of the steps.
My instructor let me on the controls as soon as the engine was on, while he managed the radio.
To my surprise I was told to line up on the runway and take off. I was not expecting that level of control at my first lesson! Honestly, I loved it.
I followed along as the instructor told me, was far too slow with the throttle (he kept telling me to go full throttle but I took my sweet time....), but otherwise took off reasonably well I think!
And then it was a whirlwind of exercises! My FI was not kidding when he said he was going to give me lots to do. We tried all different ways I can imagine you can manipulate the controls, going up, down, left, right, yaw, slips and even slow flight and flaps. At this point I was starting to feel a bit nauseous, I admit I hate roller coasters and get pretty nauseous in them, and this felt awfully familiar.
We were reaching the end of the lesson after many turns and dips and at this point, as much as I was loving the experience I was really getting nauseous. We were on our way back to the airfield, and I was still in control, my instructor telling me instructions on how you enter a circuit, what to say on radio and I'm sure other things I can't recall right now, when I had to tell him I was holding my lunch down by sheer force .
He quickly apologized for giving me so much and said we only needed to get back in the circuit and land. I reassured him I really appreciated the high pace, just needed to get a bit of breathing going if we didn't want my lunch on the floor of the Cessna..
I was relieved to be on solid ground, but elated to have had a great first lesson.
On our way back to the school he told me I was doing fantastic and was absolutely confident I would do my PPL in the minimum hours. That was great to hear, although I'm in no rush and happy to take my time, it was great to hear at least lesson 1 went well!
Homework
- Recap Straight & Level and Stalls from Pooley's APM vol 1
- Skim through CAP 413 radiotelephony manual - heavy read but good to skim
My next Lesson is tomorrow morning. I can't wait.
PS. Wow.. I've written a bloody book. If you managed to read all the way I'm sorry.
It's been about 15 years since the idea of learning to fly came into my head, for some reason always seemed out of my reach. Maybe it was Covid, maybe an early mid-life crisis, but about 2 months ago I decided, **** it, excuse the French, let's do it!
I'm based in East London and was scouting around for a flight school when I found North Weald Flight Training, about 35 minute drive from where I live and work, and from a browse on here it seemed like a good choice! If anyone is flying with them or have in the past, let me know! I want that sweet insider gossip.
I booked a "Trial Lesson", found my way to the airfield, experienced driving into an active aerodrome for the first time (scary that!), met my pilot/instructor, and took off in a Cessna 152 Aerobat (he promised no aerobatics, thanks for that ), and WOW.
Finally I was flying a plane I've flown so many times in simulators (I know, what a cliché). The experience was amazing. The physicality of it, the feeling of sitting in a tin can but actually nimble and so light is nothing that can be simulated. I was in love!
Queue 2 weeks later, and bam, Lesson 1.
Lesson 1
My instructor was the same as for my Trial flight, which I didn't expect but I was very happy. He seems like a great instructor and person.
We started off in the office with some overview of what we were about to do in the air. Instructor tells me he'll give me lots to do as he knows what I can do from the trial flight.. I'm keen, but slightly scared.
Once in the plane, another C152 Aerobat, my FI went through the pre-startup checklist with me from memory (he didn't have the physical checklist with him.. oops!), and let me do most of the steps.
My instructor let me on the controls as soon as the engine was on, while he managed the radio.
To my surprise I was told to line up on the runway and take off. I was not expecting that level of control at my first lesson! Honestly, I loved it.
I followed along as the instructor told me, was far too slow with the throttle (he kept telling me to go full throttle but I took my sweet time....), but otherwise took off reasonably well I think!
And then it was a whirlwind of exercises! My FI was not kidding when he said he was going to give me lots to do. We tried all different ways I can imagine you can manipulate the controls, going up, down, left, right, yaw, slips and even slow flight and flaps. At this point I was starting to feel a bit nauseous, I admit I hate roller coasters and get pretty nauseous in them, and this felt awfully familiar.
We were reaching the end of the lesson after many turns and dips and at this point, as much as I was loving the experience I was really getting nauseous. We were on our way back to the airfield, and I was still in control, my instructor telling me instructions on how you enter a circuit, what to say on radio and I'm sure other things I can't recall right now, when I had to tell him I was holding my lunch down by sheer force .
He quickly apologized for giving me so much and said we only needed to get back in the circuit and land. I reassured him I really appreciated the high pace, just needed to get a bit of breathing going if we didn't want my lunch on the floor of the Cessna..
I was relieved to be on solid ground, but elated to have had a great first lesson.
On our way back to the school he told me I was doing fantastic and was absolutely confident I would do my PPL in the minimum hours. That was great to hear, although I'm in no rush and happy to take my time, it was great to hear at least lesson 1 went well!
Homework
- Recap Straight & Level and Stalls from Pooley's APM vol 1
- Skim through CAP 413 radiotelephony manual - heavy read but good to skim
My next Lesson is tomorrow morning. I can't wait.
PS. Wow.. I've written a bloody book. If you managed to read all the way I'm sorry.