Mrs. Zebra found a place that gives an ‘inductory flight lesson’ and last Saturday I got to use it.
Basically me and a real pilot hoped into a Cessena ‘Skyhawk’. (IIRC) and we went for a spin.
But…
You see for most of the flight I handled the yoke. He worked the rudder pedals. So we taxi out to the runway and he tells me to watch the airspeed indicator and when it got 55 I pulled back on the yoke. At this point he had one hand lightly on his set of controls. He told me when to stop pulling back and to hold it. Then he put his hands in his lap and told me to keep it at about 10 degrees climb and to level off at 800. I did. Then it was like. Oh point the plane at that bridge and fly over it. Then I could climb to about climbed to about 1400 feet He had me push the throttle all the way in and pull back. We did some turns and then headed back. He took over near the airstrip. There was a bit of a cross wind kicking up then so he handled the landing all by himself.
Basically you can see if flying is for you. Of course I’ve know that flying for was for me since I was about ahem cough cougn and I watched Neil and Buzz walk on the moon. I wanted to do that and eveyone told me that to do that you had to be a military pilot. When I later got glasses it crushed my flight dreams and I was just a shell of my former self for many years.
Now flight lessons would cost about $8,000. So does anybody want to buy one of my kidneys?
Sorry, in order to get through all my airplane and helicopter ratings, I had to sell both kidneys, my liver, and a pancreas. So I don’t have many organs to spare.
But, let me be the first to goad you on. Quitting my job and becoming a pilot was the best thing I ever did. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it…
I’ll trade you an appendix, tonsils, and 3 wisdom teeth for a kidney. I’ll even autograph them.
But woohoo on flying a plane (sorta)! The last time I tried to fly a plane the stewardesses wrestled me to the ground and I spent the rest of the flight in a comfy straightjacket in the lavatory. I’d do it again just to be at the bottom of a pile of stewardesses. Hooters Airlines, here I come!
Remember, the FIRST rule of flying is “Landings must equal takeoffs”
Zebra I hate to burst your bubble, but you can’t sell your organs. Its kinda like the donorcycle helmet laws and the seatbelt laws. You know, protecting you from yourself?
On a brighter note, if you sold your house and maybe the neighbor’s house, you’d have almost enough. Of course, you’d be living on the street, and I think you need an address to get a licence.
Congratulations! I’m a flight instructor and I love giving introductory lessons like the one you took. Good luck if you continue, which you probably will because now you’re addicted!!!
You may be interested in reading about a pretty cool flight lesson I took a few weeks ago.
I took an introductory flight on a whim. I was hooked. I wasn’t a great pilot - it took me 21 hours to solo (once I started sitting on an extra cushion, I could see better to land - what a concept!)
I got my license on my 21st birthday - in 1975. I eventually got my instrument rating and was within a few hours of completing my commercial lessons when I had a bit of a scare, so I grounded myself. Temporarily. It was October of 1978. Somehow, I doubt that I’ll fly again…
Sorry for the hijack. Flying is great, but it’s not a hobby for the poor. Good luck with that kidney thing!
I hear crack dealers make good money, maybe I could get into that as a weekend job.
Plus I want to fly really fast. Much faster than I did on Saturday. So not only do I need cash for flight lessons but I need a P-51 Mustang. (D series of course) I’d settle for a Spitfire.
You could always quit your job and work for the FAA like me. They will send you to ground school for free! Then after that they will let you take whatever you want. I haven’t taken them up on the offer yet though, maybe in the fall.
I am not about to knock flying a Mustang. I’d love to. But sometimes flying slower can be good. I’d rather be in a helicopter flying below the treeline, than in a really fast plane at 12,000 feet. Just MHO.
Zebra, not only can you have one of my kidneys, but half a lung, part of a liver and whatever is left over from a breast reduction.
that is, if you are willing to pay for the breast reduction.
