A little taste of flying today

Deschodt · 07:06 PM

Today was a good day for me... Not only did the kids let me sleep in for the first time since 2007, but I finally got to use my wife's gift certificate for a flying lesson (Xmas gift, she was getting on my case to use it).

First was the drive to the FBO on a lovely day, after a quick rain shower...

I had not set foot in the pilot seat of a small plane in 25 years, when as a teenager, I was trying to get a pilot license by washing cars and making pizzas for the neighborhood (wasn't successful, shocking!). Needless to say I was rusty, despite some simulator fun over the years !

Based on the fact that I had soloed 25y ago (but done nothing more then, or since) this crazy instructor (old enough to be my kid if I'd had a precocious start) let me handle the plane from the start... My taxiing sucked big time, I expected to be pulled over for drunk driving, zig-zagging all over the center line ;-) On top of it all, back then I flew a low wing plane with a stick and slats like a Messerschmidt. This thing was a high wing Cessna with a yoke, no slats as I noticed during preflight, and open windows - which stayed open - cool !

Take off was nice and smooth if I say so myself, largely because he did the rudders, and we probably lost the center line the minute we were off the ground - if I cared to look back, which I did not (I remember what I'm doing wrong, but I lost the skills to correct it).

To be honest, I did not like the first 15 minutes much... The 172 was all over the sky - not me, cross wind, turbulence, lots of updrafts followed by unpleasant downdrafts - or the stoppage of the updrafts, I didn't jump out to check ;-) I had forgotten quite how much those damn light planes move around the sky. I was not enjoying that bit too much, and using the "grip of death" (TM) on the yoke. That and I could not see squat over the high dashboard top in a climb, and the plane had way more fuel in one wing than the other, and I was having to put some left ailerons just to keep it level - I felt like I was driving a car with crappy alignment..

Grip of death here:

Breakthrough at minute 16: I found the seat back adjuster, and finally got some back support. Instead of using the yoke as something to hold me in place, imagine the lower back and abs strain, all of a sudden I was effing com-for-ta-ble !! I started to fly with 2 fingers only, I could even see in front of me since we weren't climbing anymore...and flying over water as we were by then, the bumps in the air smoothed out considerably! All of a sudden, I realized I was enjoying myself... I stopped chasing the altimeter (I stopped giving a $hit to be honest, as long as I stayed within 50 ft of 1000), and enjoyed the scenery a little...

Skyway bridge:

1000 ft incidentally seemed a heck of a lot higher than I remembered. That's because 25y ago I was flying from an airport that was higher than sea level ;-) Doh ! Anyway, by then we turned around, and I pretty much flew the entire time, from take off to the last turn before final, practicing turns ( I gain 100 ft each time dammit), discovering how sensitive a Cessna rudder is (my turns without rudders are much smother right now), and generally enjoying uncontrolled airspace and the scenery....

He landed, and I was quite happy for him to do so, because a) crosswinds and b) honestly my mental picture of the approach angle was WRONG. We seemed way too high to make the runway in my head, but apparently the flaps on a 172 will drop you 900 ft like a brick and the damn thing only stalls at 40 kts, which is a speed at which I might be able to jump out of the plane and and roll on the ground, worst case - that was comforting ;-)

Good fun ! Punctuated by another cool P-car drive home, and a great steak later... My wife mentioned she had not seen such a large $hit-eatin' grin on my face in a while, so I guess I must now find the time to do this seriously... It may be a few months (2 kids incl. 1 y old baby), I know how this works and I wanna make sure I have the free time lined up so Ii don't waste time and money... but that looks promising... All in all, I had a hell of a good day !!! Thanks to you guys who posted your PP progress on the board, look what you did to me !!!

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Sweet!

tevake · 07-28-2012, 07:35 PM

Good write up and nice pics. Sounds like you are well on your way back into the good feel of being in the pilots seat and in the sky. Will be looking forward to hearing about your next flights.

Cheers Richard

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

Great story!

HardDrive · 07-28-2012, 08:14 PM

Great report! Thanks for sharing. I've been meaning to try it.....

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

Awesome. It is addicting for sure.

motion · 07-29-2012, 05:42 AM

Nice story and pics. Awesome to hear your enthusiasm!

Joeaksa · 07-29-2012, 05:45 AM

Good to see and spend more time getting in a comfortable position before starting the engine. Once you are there, it just feels right and lots easier then.

I fly all the time with two fingers.... anymore and you just "do not have the feel" of the airplane. Get it trimmed out and feeling nice so that two fingers is all you need. It is a lot more enjoyable then.

Joe A

Joeaksa · 07-29-2012, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

Nice story and pics. Awesome to hear your enthusiasm!

When are you going to take the plunge and get up in the air!!!

Its cheaper than that damm yellow car you have!

dmcummins · 07-29-2012, 05:33 PM

Nice, I remember the feeling like it was only a few months ago. Oh wait, it was. I really enjoy it and have just now started to use my plane.

Good luck.

Deschodt · 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcummins

Nice, I remember the feeling like it was only a few months ago. Oh wait, it was. I really enjoy it and have just now started to use my plane.

Good luck.

It's you!!! Your posts are largely responsible for my current state of affairs ;-) Actually you serve as a warning at the same time.. I know myself, I would be likely to do as you did and find me a nice plane, which may or may not make sense financially... I just don't like to rent and fly/drive someone else's machine. But for now I think it'll do.

I was surprised when my instructor mentioned you could fly a 172 to Bimini or Grand Cayman from FL, thought you needed 2 engines to fly over serious water. Also he mentioned most of the Tampa bay water is shallow, and given the slow stall speed of a 172, a water landing would probably be survivable and you wouldn't have to swim much;-) good to hear !

I capped my aviation w/e by taking my 5y old to Fantasy of flight the next day, where they added a lovely C-47, and I could see and touch an up close restoration on a MkXV Spit and a P40 !

Great place to visit if you haven't gone - someone was also demoing a Fieseler Storch (surprisingly big wingspan and fuselage length), very cool low speed WW2 aircraft, it was almost flying backwards against the wind ;-) The also have a constellation up front which is IMO the sexiest airliner ever built. If you are in the area, it's between Tampa and Orlando, worth a stop, the milkshakes are great too !

dmcummins · 07-30-2012, 03:39 AM

No matter how you do the math, a private plane does not make sense financially. Its just a toy or hobby. Its no different than a boat, racing, sports cars, ect. But I like the fact that I know how its being maintained, flown, and its there when I want it.

But the price of entry is lower than its been in the past. You just need to be aware of the cost.

I started out figuring that a 172 was what I wanted, they are everywhere and I was familiar with it. But the wife wanted something faster and wanted to carry 4. I looked at Mooneys and Beech's. I ended up with the Beech.

dmcummins · 07-30-2012, 03:41 AM

And keep us posted.

Deschodt · 07-30-2012, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcummins

No matter how you do the math, a private plane does not make sense financially. Its just a toy or hobby. Its no different than a boat, racing, sports cars, ect. But I like the fact that I know how its being maintained, flown, and its there when I want it.

Those are exactly my thoughts and my personality flaws ;-) That's why I'm trying to stay away for now. On top of it all, I have a crazy (and rich) friend who keeps wanting to buy a DC3 and would need a copilot ;-) Talk about your dream on a platter, though it probably will never happen... But that is way far in the future... My bucket list includes flying a warbird, so I better get cranking with the PP stuff !

gshase · 07-30-2012, 04:42 AM

I was partners in a Fieseler Storch back in 86 and rented a hanger from my wife's dad. If there was no Stork in my life I would never would have met my wife. Good things can happen at an airport.

romad · romad's Garage

As mentioned, the first thing I noticed also was your two fisted grip on the wheel .. Its is a yoke but two fingers and thumb is all you'll need. Just relax, properly trimed the thing will fly it self, have fun.

Deschodt · 07-30-2012, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romad

As mentioned, the first thing I noticed also was your two fisted grip on the wheel .. Its is a yoke but two fingers and thumb is all you'll need. Just relax, properly trimed the thing will fly it self, have fun.

Well, I'm not ashamed of "the grip of death"... it was my first flight in 25y, and we were getting bounced around quite a bit initially... That was before I found my seat adjuster, too ;-) I flew the last 45 minutes with 2 or 3 fingers, occasionally using the other hand in turbulence or when I got tired of compensating for the heavier fuel tank... Getting re-acclimated to being bounced around was the biggest deal honestly... I'm not 100% back, either ;-)

I must say I don't hate the yoke but I *much* prefered the stick I had before - there's only room for one hand on a stick anyway !

motion · 07-30-2012, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

When are you going to take the plunge and get up in the air!!!

Its cheaper than that damm yellow car you have!

I think I've come to the realization that flying private is a non-starter for me. Its just not compatible with my life style. We just travel around too much. Maybe one of these days, when we end up in a grass hut on a beach somewhere...

recycled sixtie · recycled sixtie's Garage

From what I have experienced it is cheaper in the longrun to rent an aircraft. After you are done flying you can walk away, no hangarage, no maintenance etc. However for those with the $$$$ then ownership is acceptable but u have all the associated costs plus u end up with the same a/c all the time. It is surprising how little these private a/c get used once the novelty has worn off for the owner. Way back I did lease a private a/c for three weeks at a reasonable rate because the owner was not using his a/c much. It all depends how much u want to spend. Your Beech does look like a lot of fun though

If you can afford to run a Beech, then as suggested above an instrument rating should be the next project. At this point in time if u have serious weather ahead then a 180 turn is advisable