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Flying Lesson 1
My first flying lesson was memorable to say the very least. This was actually my first time in a single engine prop driven plane. I actually didn't know what to expect. After some short prep time including getting situated with a headset, we were off down the runway. My instructor gave me a brief overview of the controls and the gauges. It was lot to absorb but I felt I had many questions answered that I hadn't even asked yet. Takeoff was smooth, he was at the controls of course. We climbed to about 3000 feet initially. Once we leveled off he instructed me to take the yoke. This is a dual yoke aircraft which makes matters much easier. This was quite a rush. I was trying to sightsee while I was trying to fly. The experience had me on the edge of my seat. It was a warm humid day and the air was a bit turbulent. It didn't affect us in any way that was troubling.
We decided to take a heading toward my hometown. I flew the craft with his guidance of course making some slight rolls to the left and right as well as making some practice ascents and descents. We also made some adjustments to the throttle. This was basically a crash course in aviation controls. He also had me get some practice with the pedals. The pedals control the rutter and make it much easier to turn rather than trying to roll the plane without them. They also help to straight the plane following a turn. We eventually descended to about 1200 ft above the surface and took some arial pictures of my home and my neighborhood. It was quite a sight I had never seen before. There is also a wind farm near my home, we then proceede to fly along the windmills for a few more scenic pictures.
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When the sightseeing was finished, we began an ascent back to about 3000 ft and headed back to the airport. My instructor noted that we were in free airspace and we had total control over our elevation and our heading. It is similar to being on a four lane highway with no other cars in sight. Plenty of room and plenty of open air. As we neared the airport the instructor took the controls as we readied to land. As we neared the runway he then radioed our final approach. Our landing was smooth and as we rolled to a stop, I knew I had a great first lesson. I had logged my first 0.8 hours in the air and it felt good.
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The instructor parked and tied the plane down. After a short debriefing and a rundown of the required manuals and some other basics, I got into my Jeep and headed for home. It was a good first lesson, lots of information and other things to absorb from our short time in the air.
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