Texas's newest student pilot!!

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phyregod

!!YTINASNI
Texas’s newest student pilot!



Well, I went to flight school today and got a "crash course".
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It turns out that the local flight school is very cheap! But, you have to pay per hour to use the airplane. Its a C-152, a two seat plane that is incredibly basic. It has a set of insturments, fuel management, and a radio system. Other than that, it is the airplane version of an old volkswagon beetle. Very purpose built. No frills whatsoever.
I told him the instructor that I was interested in becoming a career pilot, and we talked about this and that.. The larger transporters are trying to get away from gigantic cargo planes and they are going with many smaller planes instead, so pilots are in high demand right now, and will be for the next several years. Eventually he said "Well, lets go fuel up the plane."
So, I figured he was going to show me how to put gas in it.. Boy was I wrong. I sat in the pilot's seat and he showed me what controls to use to taxi over to the gas pump, and how to start the plane up. What a first day of school! Got to taxi an airplane!. I taxied over to the gas pumps and we filled it up. Went over a very long pre-flight check list.. and hopped in. We taxied to the runway, learning what various signs and colors meant on the way down the runway. We lined up with the wind, did pre-takeoff checks, and took off! He controlled the plane during take off, got us to altitude and handed me the controls, explaining this and that, how to work all the flaps in unison, how to bank and turn properly, then he did a touch and go landing.. We went around again, and he did another touch and go landing. Then he said "Your turn!" Now I'm sweating bullets. First day in school and I'm not only flying, but he wants me to land?!?! Turns out, even though its terrifying as heck, its not that hard. I was able to land and take off by myself twice! I'd call that a good day of training! I also learned how to fly a "landing pattern" and how and when to radio the tower while performing said manuver.
I officially logged 1.1 hours of flight in my book today. 19 more hours and I can drop the instructor and fly solo for 20 more hours. After that, I'll have my private pilot's license. When I hit 250 hours and pass numerous tests, I'll recieve my commercial license, and can start a career flying cargo, etc. What an amazing thing. No manual labor, no heavy lifting, no boss breathing down your neck, just soaring across the sky for a living. I think I can handle that.
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mental note...flaps are automatic...they are set to the degrees for take off and landing...one flap does not dominate the other.. If he is setting the flaps to make one stronger than the other...then you better find a better instructor.
 
grats on your new "courses"!

welcome to my world.....

and mine :) although i just work on lil helicopter engines :)

mental note...flaps are automatic...they are set to the degrees for take off and landing...one flap does not dominate the other.. If he is setting the flaps to make one stronger than the other...then you better find a better instructor.

i was thinking the same thing :) i think the name you were striving for is aileron :)


did they have you do any ground school at all? steering the plane, while on the ground, with your feet is tough to get used to :)
 
The only "ground school" I recieved was how to fuel it up and preflight inspection. And a "this is this, that" is that tutorial. That lasted about 15 minutes.

And yeah, he let me taxi it around.. Steering with your feet is very unnatural, especially with a "steering wheel" in your hands. I weave around like a drunk, but I can get from point A to point B.

I was very impressed with the stability of the plane while in flight though. Felt very solid, like a car going down the road. As a matter of fact, it was exactly like driving a car for the very first time. I was overcorrecting and overcontrolling it, but it felt very easy to control.. I just need to get more practice and take it easier.

One thing that really surprised me is I though it would be scary as hell being 3000 foot in the air in a little tiny plane, but it was actually very calming. Not a hint of fear from the height.

Looks like I'm going to be out about $4,700 by the time I've got my private license. Not bad! Comercial Licensing is stupid expensive, so I'm just going to take it one step at a time.
 
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I know it might be out of your price range...but if your going to get the com pilot lic, then you might as well dip into debt and hit ERAU for a few years... I was in Avtec/Flight...got all the courses done except the flying part. A damn DUI knocked me out of the sky and my hopes of being a com pile it vanished.

Ohh well...

I'm still on flight status at work, I can go riding around in helicopters all day long if I want, or work at a small airport and work and fly puddle jumpers and butt bangers as well...

But I'm actually happy just collecting a paycheck working and I'll buy my own plane later when I get the saving at a decent range. I still want a damn PBY Catalina. Seaplanes>Cessna's. :)
 
I love flying, too. If I could afford a plane, then maybe I could charter. I'd love to be a jumper for the islands in Tahiti.
 
It'd be great fun to be a bush pilot in alaska.. Incredible views everywhere you go, and you'd be your own boss.

Or being a helicopter charter for snowboarders / skiers..

Right now, I'm thinking about flying for Fedex or something. I don't want to fly huge aircraft at the moment, but that might change, who knows..

What I need to do is hit the lotto and buy a private jet with a cargo hold big enough to hold a CBR 1000rr. Then I could travel the world and I'd never have to rent a car when I got to my destination!
 
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Second lesson incoming tomorrow at 10:00 am.

So if I suddenly stop posting, you'll know it didn't go well. :D

Nighty night, folks!
 
I'm alive!

Had a great second lesson. I was much more at ease at the controls this time, Loosened up the death grip, coordinated my turns a little better, and made them sharper. Taxied very well this time, too. Last time the instructor just kinda shook my hand and let me wander off. This time he told me I did very well for my second lesson, and that he was impressed. (first flight, I was very sloppy at everything, it was like night and day..)

I wonder if playing microsoft flight sim so much between flights helped?? If you put it on "hard" setting with no computer help, it is very much like the real thing.

Anyway, I had 100x more fun this time than last time. And I was able to take off and do touch and go's (Land completely, go full throttle, and take off again) 9 times in the hour of flight I got in.

I'm absolutely loving this pilot stuff =D
 
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