Flying: A new addiction?

Vipergrün · 12-02-2005, 11:17 PM

Just had my first flying lesson yesterday.....looks like I'll be hooked

Starting off in the ubiquitous Cessna 172. Want to get licensed thru mult-engine. I was surprised how much time behind the stick they gave me on my first lesson...what a rush!

slodave · slodave's Garage

Loads of fun, but lots of work and money to get where you want to go.

Dave

slakjaw · 12-02-2005, 11:48 PM

Would like to try it someday. sounds like a hell of a time.

Joeaksa · 12-03-2005, 12:08 AM

Tell us how you feel after your first solo. You will never forget it and it is an addiction.

Now after you "think" you know how to fly an airplane, get some time in a "spam can" (C-172) THEN find someone in an old taildragger (where there is no nose wheel and the third wheel is at the back, like the DC-3) and it will teach you real fast that you have a lot to learn about flying!

This is a 1947 Aeronca and will teach you a lot about flying.

I fly a jet for a living and this old WW2 airplane is a handful on takeoff and landing. One thing though, when you taxi up in this old gal, especially if you have landed in a stiff crosswind, no one will ask you for a pilots license.

Keep at it, its well worth the time and expense!

JoeA

air-cool-me · 12-03-2005, 12:38 AM

its worth it.. in a few hours you will solo and really go for a loop...!(not actualy a loop... save that for later!)

Vipergrün · 12-03-2005, 12:47 AM

Thanks guys! I am feeling really good about the flight school I chose. They actually teach above and beyond the FAA requirements and teach stall and spin recovery, etc. Then, once I get a bit of time under my belt, they will take me out in their 1955 T-34A for some real flying

Joe, that little bird looks like fun. What makes her so difficult to fly? I figure about 40K to get to where I'd like to go, but I figure if yer gonna do it, you may as well do it big! I am also starting out at a class C airspace field, so that is cool too.

HardDrive · 12-03-2005, 12:58 AM

Sure wish my drunk loser uncle did not get my grandfathers Piper Cub when he died

Dantilla · 12-03-2005, 08:44 AM

Nothing is as challenging, yet relaxing, as flying. Just an hour or two above the rat race completely transformes my mental state.

widgeon13 · 12-03-2005, 08:59 AM

almost as good as a sunny day at the track

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

I'm a big time wanna-be pilot. Flown a Pitts S2-A in an aerobatic lesson - man, that was fun. I love everything about airplanes and can identify 80%+ of what I see. I still get giddy like a little boy every time I get near a plane.

But it looks like I'm making a track time / Flying lesson trade off for at least the next couple of years. One or the other, but not both. Not at least and still be a marginal Dad/Husband.

Enjoy!

ness · 12-03-2005, 09:41 AM

I've had a couple of lessons but still have along way to go...

Air combat looks like fun too:

http://www.racingschools.com/rs/home.php?cat=940

And then again, a lot of helo pilots have told me that is MUCH more fun than flying fixed wing...

86 911 · 86 911's Garage

Good job! You will love flying more and more after you begin. I also started out in a Cessna 172. Great plane, but I prefer the Piper Archer just a little better. Hopefully you'll get a chance to fly a few small aircrafts. If you need any instruction with ground school, "King Private Pilot Knowledge Test Course" is the way to go, IMHO. Keep it up!!

johnco · 12-03-2005, 12:03 PM

My first solo at 9 hrs... tried a stall, turned into a spin/spiral from 3500ft to 1500 ft before I figured out how to straighten up. Wow! Good thing there was sign on the dash explaining how to recover from a spin, because my instructor had not taught me yet. I had spun with another instructor a different time to see what it was like. Regular flying around just wasn't as exciting after that. Lost interest with one hour instruction to go before getting my license.

cashflyer · 12-03-2005, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
...THEN find someone in an old taildragger (where there is no nose wheel and the third wheel is at the back, like the DC-3) and it will teach you real fast that you have a lot to learn about flying!

The To&L and ground ops become a whole lot more important! A whole lot. For the most part, flying is flying. But to me there's just something special about being up in an old tube-n-fabric airplane like a Cub or an air-knocker. Personally, I would take a beat up old cub over a shiny new 172 any day.

Quote:

...I fly a jet for a living
JoeA

Wow... I didn't realize you were a pilot for a living. Charter or airline?

Quote:

I figure about 40K to get to where I'd like to go,...

That's about what I spent.

Quote:

But it looks like I'm making a track time / Flying lesson trade off for at least the next couple of years. One or the other, but not both.

That's sort of the trade-off I made. I could own and race a Porsche, or I could own a plane - but not both. I just find the Porsche and racing offers me more events to participate in, and more people who share the interest. Besides, people with airplanes are pretentious jerks.
Wait... that's exactly like Porsche owners!!!!

(kidding!)

air-cool-me · 12-03-2005, 01:19 PM

I'm at school to be a "bus driver of the sky" right now..

i have my private, multi, and im working on my instrument... i have a little over 100hours (9.5 jet multi!)

i have done the $300 fighter combat international thing and it was money well spent... no only did i shoot down my XX,000 hour dad... i learned a lot about unusual attitudes\spins..

if anyone end's up in central AZ or seattle Wa and wants to go flying.... send me a PM!

86 911 · 86 911's Garage

Nick, are you going to Arizona State University in Prescott? If so, that's one university I'm looking into.

air-cool-me · 12-03-2005, 02:19 PM

nope... going to ERAU in Prescott..

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

4 year... im getting a bachelors in Aerospace Science... and its kicking my ass..

flying out of kprc (love field)

off to study more for flight phys!

Joeaksa · 12-03-2005, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cashflyer
The To&L and ground ops become a whole lot more important! A whole lot. For the most part, flying is flying. But to me there's just something special about being up in an old tube-n-fabric airplane like a Cub or an air-knocker. Personally, I would take a beat up old cub over a shiny new 172 any day.
Wow... I didn't realize you were a pilot for a living. Charter or airline?
That's about what I spent.That's sort of the trade-off I made. I could own and race a Porsche, or I could own a plane - but not both. I just find the Porsche and racing offers me more events to participate in, and more people who share the interest. Besides, people with airplanes are pretentious jerks.
Wait... that's exactly like Porsche owners!!!! (kidding!)

The old taildraggers have a personality, where as the spam cans are just airplanes. Taildraggers are more difficult to taxi out, and can be much more difficult to land, especially when its windy.

Have pretty much done it all, from Boeings on down. Now fly a Challenger 604 after flying about every Learjet type made. Am doing a "round the world trip" for a private customer, in Beirut right now and back to Europe then home on the 26th.

I get to do my favourite thing in the world for work. That makes it a lot easier to do...

JoeA

GoodMojo · 12-03-2005, 04:31 PM

It's not a hobby. It's a disease for which there is no cure

Soon you'll be rotating $20 spark plugs on a vintage Lycoming engine in your cozy hanger and wondering where the money went.

Drago · Drago's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by GoodMojo
It's not a hobby. It's a disease for which there is no cure Soon you'll be rotating $20 spark plugs on a vintage Lycoming engine in your cozy hanger and wondering where the money went.

Is that on Orcas? If so I've slept in the grass next to the runway...don't ask....it was 4th of July and there was no way we we're going to make it back to the boat.