Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1694504
One bit of advice someone gave me before my first solo was on climb out to look over and pat the passenger/instructor seat. That way you'll always remember that!

t1m80 wrote:For me, my first cross country solo a couple of weeks ago was the best feeling - much more enjoyable than my first solo. You wait 'til that one hits :-)


I've always said that the first solo land away is the best bit, especially if it's at an airfield you've never been to before. You get out of the aeroplane in a strange place, knowing you flew yourself there with no other help or anyone to keep an eye on you.
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1694824
With Prestwick being the size it is, we stopped and instructor got out beneath the tower to go up there to watch rather than at our normal apron.
That was fine until I discovered that the tower couldn't hear me from that stopping place (radio antenna for COM1 was under the aircraft, and the receiver in the tower was blanked by the wing) so took me quite a while to work out the issue, switch to COM2 (top antenna) and get going!
Very enjoyable / memorable but don't push for it or compare yourself to others on time till it happens (as there are many factors which govern when it will happen).
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By David Wood
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1695536
t1m80 wrote:I wonder if anyone ever talks this way about their first IFR landing at minimums ? :D

Or:
First solo at night :D
First loop :o
First spin :mrgreen:
First engine failure :shock:
First puking pax :x
First time lost :oops:
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By Jim Jones
#1695554
First solo. I recall every second of it, including when I turned based to final and for a terrifying moment couldn’t see our (grass) runway amongst all the other fields!

First solo landaway, I agree, it’s great when you realise you got all the way here on your own., unlike everyone else in the terminal.
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By Dodo
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1695697
First Aeroplane solo C 152 G-BSDO 19/05/1992
First Helicopter solo Robinson 22 G-WIZR 08/08/2005
First Glider solo Schleicher K13 G-DCFA 27/09/2012
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By David Wood
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1696178
Johnny.b wrote:@David Wood

All firsts are welcome!

I'd sure like to hear some more of your stories!!!


Well, the worst (sadly not the first) passenger puking event was whilst returning from a 30min trial lesson in an AT3. My student had gone strangely quiet, always a good (or bad) indicator. It was a hot day and the sun was beating into the bubble canopy. As we neared Old Sarum I saw him dry-heave and prayed that he'd hold it in whilst I fumbled for the sick bag that I always carried for such eventualities. He saw me do so and in desperation he clamped both his hands over his mouth. It was a race against time. I lost it...

His firmly-clamped hands, whilst well meant, did not prevent ejection. Not at all. They merely distributed the ejected matter in a fine mist in all directions, like one of those fan-spray hosepipe thingies for the garden. Within a second or so it was literally running down the inside of the canopy, down my face, down the instruments, everywhere. The smell was something awful. Cleaning up took a while.

Top tip: alway have a bag handy. And always head for home at the first sign of trouble.
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By Johnny.b
#1696203
David Wood wrote:
Johnny.b wrote:@David Wood

All firsts are welcome!

I'd sure like to hear some more of your stories!!!


Well, the worst (sadly not the first) passenger puking event was whilst returning from a 30min trial lesson in an AT3. My student had gone strangely quiet, always a good (or bad) indicator. It was a hot day and the sun was beating into the bubble canopy. As we neared Old Sarum I saw him dry-heave and prayed that he'd hold it in whilst I fumbled for the sick bag that I always carried for such eventualities. He saw me do so and in desperation he clamped both his hands over his mouth. It was a race against time. I lost it...

His firmly-clamped hands, whilst well meant, did not prevent ejection. Not at all. They merely distributed the ejected matter in a fine mist in all directions, like one of those fan-spray hosepipe thingies for the garden. Within a second or so it was literally running down the inside of the canopy, down my face, down the instruments, everywhere. The smell was something awful. Cleaning up took a while.

Top tip: alway have a bag handy. And always head for home at the first sign of trouble.



Best story yet....thank you for sharing and I will take your advice!!!! :lol:
By Johnny.b
#1696205
Dodo wrote:First Aeroplane solo C 152 G-BSDO 19/05/1992
First Helicopter solo Robinson 22 G-WIZR 08/08/2005
First Glider solo Schleicher K13 G-DCFA 27/09/2012


So fixed, rotary or powerless?

What’s your preference?
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By Dodo
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1696208
So fixed, rotary or powerless?

What’s your preference?


I think fixed wing. If I had a larger retirement flying budget I might say helis but not if it meant I had to give up powered aeroplanes.

Gliders make me nervous. Although I did a few solo flights, as soon as I came off the aerotow I used to think:-

" I'm up here without an engine. There is a perfectly serviceable airfield beneath me. Why on earth should I want to fly away from it in the hope that there may be some lift somewhere?"
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By Johnny.b
#1696231
Dodo wrote:
So fixed, rotary or powerless?

What’s your preference?


I think fixed wing. If I had a larger retirement flying budget I might say helis but not if it meant I had to give up powered aeroplanes.

Gliders make me nervous. Although I did a few solo flights, as soon as I came off the aerotow I used to think:-

" I'm up here without an engine. There is a perfectly serviceable airfield beneath me. Why on earth should I want to fly away from it in the hope that there may be some lift somewhere?"



Interesting, helicopters don’t appeal to me at all, But I’m undecided on gliding, I’ve been on trail flight and seeing how happy it is in the air with plenty of thermals on a good day (which are few and far between here in the UK) is really impressive, but there’s just something missing, maybe the sound of the prop! :lol: I’m sure one day I’ll be persuaded!
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By Rob P
#1696265
The story as to why I have never completed the three leg Qualifying Cross Country flight is too well known here for me to recount in detail once again.

Suffice to say it was a mixture of "need to get the QXC completed before a holiday", the weather should be OK I think " and finding out the hard way that a forty hour solo student CAN fly ten minutes in full IMC in the middle of a snowstorm and live to tell the tale.

Rob P