FIRST IN FLIGHT

NORTH CAROLINA IS A GREAT STATE TO BE FLYING IN AND OVER.

Early Beginnings:

These is some of my early thinking about flying. As I went through the process of learning and moving to diffrent aircraft, I finally settled on a 1974 Piper Warrior PA 28-151 that needed a bunch of work. Webpage for N40842 is at http://www.ibiblio.org/leja/N40842/index.htm

With a basic C-150 or C-152, you have enough range to make the mountains or the beach. The best time to fly is late fall to early winter. Clear conditions with very little turbulence. No, I'm not talking New Mexico or Arizona 50 mile visibility but its 10+ most of that time. The summer has a number of pea soup days and many old timers bitch about the pollution that has ruined summer flying and they are right.

Anyway, my first dream plane was a basic 172 or if I could come-up with the money a Cessna 177 or even maybe a 185, fixed gear and robust.

There are many links available for general aviation and you can find what you need on your own. I will provide some experiences and lessons learned during my learning to fly phase, which is ongoing and seems never ending.

I started to learn at the Chapel Hill Flying Club and flying never came easy to me. Distractions such as work, extended travel and the need to make money always interfered with flying. It took me longer than normal to solo and I'm now into the distance cross-country phase. The FAA will wait until spring of 98 and by than I will be much better prepared to pass the checkride.

Can I say FOCUS and RELAX, after all learning to fly is supposed to be fun and for the most part it can be. Some rules do apply and first among them is, "make sure you know who you will be spending time with in the cockpit and that your styles are somewhat compatible" and "be brave enough to question, get advice and if necessary change instructors early if you are uncomfortable or not learning." Many students, and me among them respect and look up to the instructor as the knowledge giver and our savior when we screw up a power-on stall or retract flaps on short final. Still, you have hired the instructor to give you flying lessons, not to have you pay off their flying school loans or the mortgage on a condo. Second rule about here is "get your moneys worth."

Money and flying, well it will always cost more than you are quoted and the training planes will always be at the bottom of the leader in the sense of upkeep and glitches. The planes will be safe and get you through learning how to fly, but don't take your date out in one unless you wash it, clean and polish it and don't forget to hang the deodorizer in a convenient location.

Rainy days can be the best for your training- just don't fly the plane, instead go to the field and get into the cockpit and do all your maneuvers, memorize all the switches so that with a blindfold you know what is what and daydream. Please remove the wind gust lock first and don't turn the master switch on or put the key in the ignition. You can practice your communication by talking with the imaginary UNICOM, or local CTAF or step up the ladder and contact tower. Free practice makes perfect.

 

Well, I am still doing practice flying and have not bought a plane or traveled cross the US, to the major fly-ins or the islands. Still reading allot, Aviation Safety at the top of the list, looking at Internet sites and still dreaming about plane ownership. The job and lack of funds have taken a big bite out of time for flying and I feel the rust building up. I have made myself a small promise to find time in the summer and do some distance cross country flights. My plane research has me trapped in the below $30K and would prefer a perfect flyer in the $20s. Have seen some Grumman AA5 Travelers in my price range and the usual C-150, 152 line which would be a great hobby plane for local fun flights.

 

More to come....