First Flight!

[Sel94]

Hey guys, great news! I might be piloting for my first time ever in about a month or less! I can't wait to finally fly a plane, I've been dreaming about it for years! It's too early to know what I will fly, but I know it will either be a Cessna, Piper, or if I'm lucky, a Cirrus. Can't wait! Any tips, I've never flown a plane before:)

[EtherealN]

Make sure to rest a lot before, don't drink too much water (but not too little either) or caffeine/alcohol the day or day before (no toilet aboard), and when you take the controls - be very very gentle. Probe the controls carefully to get yourself a feel for what they do and how much control authority the controls really have. It's very easy to surprise yourself with a plane doing more than you first expected until you've grown used to the type.

 

And congrats. :)

[effte]

Not much to say but: Enjoy! Don't be scared of the plane. They're made to be easy to fly.

 

Bring bananas if it's a bumpy day. They do help! Empty stomach is guaranteed to make you queasy. :)

[MasterZelgadis]

Any tips, I've never flown a plane before:)

 

Every landing you can walk/run/crawl/get carried away from alive is a good landing :D

[BiPod]

Also, I recommend getting yourself an instructor. They may be expensive but they are worth the price. These forums will only take you so far :D

 

Don't forget your camera, you need to capture one of those "OMG I just did it" smiles.

 

Good luck!

[Sel94]

I will be flying with an instructor, I'd never go up myself for the first time :)

[walker450]

My biggest problem with my first few lessons was the strange feeling of "steering" on the ground with my feet! I quickly bought a set of rudder pedals and started practicing on sims and my next flying lesson was a snap!

 

And effte is right: Planes "want" to fly, just keep that in mind.

 

Another issue of mine was geting used to my instructor. At first he would say things like "RPM 1500 on approach", and I would set it, then laterfeel I should be adjusting it, and I wasn't sure if I should do it or ask him first. Just remember to ask questions and you'll be fine.

[Severum]

Taxiing is the part I think I had most trouble with in my flight training. It takes some time getting used to, don't hold down the brakes while taxiing at high RPM lol. Not a good idea, always watch for other planes, some people are assholes and do stupid things. If the air is rough, the plane will jump and sink, don't get scared, its normal. Chances are the plane you are going to be flying isn't aerobatic, so don't try to pull some fancy top gun moves in there lmao.All in all, have fun, enjoy it, flying irl is one of the greatest things in the world. I wish I could do it more.

[Succellus]

Yeah enjoy!!! i always looked with a dying will to be in control when i skydived...While other where concentrating, i was straining my neck at an almost 180 looking at the pilots do and panel.

I always tryed to enter first (last to jump) just t be there.

So enjoy it!

[Sel94]

I've been thinking about it a lot, starting to feel a little scared. I know I can handle the the plane fine in the air, but I'm not sure what to do on the ground. I don't know if I will be talking to the tower or the instructor, but if I am I have no idea what to say. It also doesn't help that I will be at the busiest general aviation airport in the world.

[StrongHarm]

Pedals for me too. On the ground and in the air. I was prone to way too much rudder. Get yourself some ginger pills and nasal spray. The ginger helps with motion sickness, and the nasal spray helps you to stay clear so your attention isn't diverted by clearing your ears.. it's just much more comfortable.. I never went up without it. I always chew gum too.

 

Cover your nervousness and apprehension with asking too many questions. Ask as many as you can. Make that instructor work for his money. :)

 

My first flight, first mission, first ocean dive, first freefall skydive, first good sex.. best moments of my life in that order. Get your head together and take it all in so you can re-live it later. Enjoy!

[EtherealN]

Regarding radio, don't worry. The Instructor will handle it. Generally speaking it requires a special license to talk on those radios, waived mainly for training only, and if you haven't started work on the license yet you'll get the support you need from the instructor.

 

Just remember to breathe and you'll be fine, and once you're done you'll have two feelings:

 

1) THAT WAS JUST EFFING AWESOME!

2) What the heck was I worried about?

 

I remember the first time I operated an aircraft very fondly - a friend brought me up and treated me to my first hands-on, and once that was complete a full aerobatics routine. I was nervous in the beginning, after takeoff I started to just be in awe of the view (bubble canopy FTW), and after that it was just pure fun all over. :) (Although my rudder coordination was disastrously off :P ) When I got home from that flight the first thing I did was find the local club and apply for membership and training for my certification. :)

[Bucic]

My few cents:

- don't fight yaw oscillations. You'll only make it worse. Don't waste your flight time - sort this issue out with your instructor before flight and decide what to do with it.

- know the locations and scales of the basic flight instruments

- do whatever you can to get a point of reference e.g. clouds, smoketrail etc. Flying without points of reference... almost sucks. You'll fell like you're just sitting there in the sky. Stationary. If the sky will be clear ask the instructor if you can do a simulated landing approach.

- note the weather conditions so you know what sensation of flight relate to what weather conditions and what type of aircraft

- try to do some flying close to stall speed

 

 

If you'll get your hands on a stunt plane or you will do stalls and spins on anything:

- fight the natural reflex to tilt your head and torso back on spin/stall entry. It causes nausea. It applies to many stunt maneuvers. Move your body as if you wanted to cause the aircraft to move in a way... it will move anyway. Hope it's clear ;)

- don't breath through your nose* The scent of exhaust gases and other fumes may cause nausea too

- don't waste your time on spirals. Do some easy and more rewarding maneuvers like hammer head

[Sel94]

Okay guys, looks like I will being flying in the Cirrus for my introductory flight, can't wait! One question though, what do I wear? Is there, like, a dress code for flying in planes? Because I usually wear jeans.

[Stretch]

Nope, I look like crap when I fly:

[Sel94]

Do you guys think I should bring sunglasses? I am in California.

[Fabri91]

Sunglasses are useful.

I did two flights in a glider, largely hands-on, which was awesome, with a short aerobatical routine flown by the instructor. Don't forget the rudder! Maybe on gliders adverse yaw is much stronger due to wingspan, but I remember that without rudder the plane would just bank and sort of slide down the plane of the wings.

[leafer]

SoCal? If you're flying out of Van Nuys airport then get there a little early and see if the P-51 is still there. It was massive and sooooo much more gorgeous in real life and It's not a replica either.

 

As for flying. My first time in a small plane, Piper Cherokee, scared the crap out of me. Even a little bank felt as if I was going to fall out the side window. I was so pissed off and disappointed with myself it was all I could think about the whole week leading to the next flight. It was like losing a street fight or something. My attitude that whole week was I didn't just want to suppress my fear; I wanted to beat it to submission. The 2nd flight was better but I still white-knuckled the control. The 3rd flight I was relaxed and enjoyed myself.

 

I gave the example above because there's a good chance that you'll experience the same thing. And it's possible that your initial response will be to run home and stay home.

 

Another thing is to talk to as many instructor as you can. Get an older guy that isn't in it to accumilate hours. I had an instructor that was a total dick. He was young and couldn't care less, and just wanted to get through the flight.

Edited February 24, 2011 by leafer

[Sel94]

Well, the time is finally here, I'm leaving soon! I'm actually starting to feel very nervous:(

[EtherealN]

Is there, like, a dress code for flying in planes? Because I usually wear jeans.

 

Unless you are of scottish descent, you should be fine. The only instance we've had of someone having issues with their attire was when a journalist was getting a ride, and oblivious to all things aviation she had decided to wear a relatively short skirt. This lead to some issues about her modesty when she was asked to wear a parachute. :P

[Bucic]

Is there, like, a dress code for flying in planes? Because I usually wear jeans.

One of my rules is to control every step a person who puts a parachute and harnesses on you make and make a crouching like moves every once in a while. This is to avoid a situation where instead of enjoying the flight you will have to breathe at 10% capacity and stand on the rudder pedals TO PREVENT YOUR BALLS FROM BEING CRUSHED. Such careless people are rare but they are out there, ready to put a death trap on you :)

 

P.S. During maneuvers your boots/feet can slip off the rudder pedals. :D

[Sel94]

Hey guys, just got back and it was awesome! I had so much fun, and I actually piloted almost the whole time, just not landing. I threw up about half way through, but I just kept on piloting, and I had tons of fun. I will need to find something to help me not get quezzy while flying. I'm also not going to eat lots of candy before I fly ever again. Anyway, it was really awesome, we flew over cool places, and the instructor was excellent. I can't wait to do it again!:thumbup:

Edited January 8, 2015 by Sel94

[Atomic978]

That's a good plane to fly there. I flew a cirrus sr22 g3 turbo for about 4 hours. They are great planes and easy to fly with the glass pit and the trim on the stick is nice compared to a wheel like in a Cessna.

 

Now that you got the first one out of the way you should be fine. I am still in process of getting my PL.

 

Good luck.

[Atomic978]

Oh and you get the motion sickness allot they got pills for that you can pic up with out a prescription.

 

Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as meclizine (Bonine), or one containing dimenhydrinate (Dramamine)

 

Or just eat bananas. They taste the same on the way back up. Lol

Edited April 4, 2011 by Atomic978