I had back to back lessons this weekend, after 4 of the last lessons were cancelled due to weather. Was very happy to be up in the air.
Both take offs where more right down the runway…still more right rudder…seriously WTF!
What is the big learning from this past weekend? Well…when one wheel is on asphalt and one is on grass, and you are near other parked aircraft: Shutdown and get out and push.
I took a turn a bit tight and one wheel was on the wet grass and it did not want to come off. Even the instructor could not power it out. So, shutdown and hop out and push. And there was a plane behind me too, man I felt dumb. I don’t think that will be my only time to be dumb…but seriously! At least it was that and not something more serious.
The wind this weekend was interesting…our altitude was changing plus/minus 300 ft with some gusts. Not sure if that was actually altitude or pressure changes but I did feel a lot of motion. I was joking with my instructor that we never have a nice clear, calm day.
2.3 this weekend, 7.1 total
Sadly I have nothing booked until Oct 27th. Booking aircraft at CNC3 has been challenging to say the least.
WTF, I still need more right rudder. Taxiing was a lot more consistent, but full power…more right rudder. I saw a lot of people on reddit joking about right rudder. They are not really joking…more right rudder.
Go up to the apartment and Pat the dog. APT and PAT: Climbs adjust Attitude, Power and Trim. Descents, Power, Attitude and Trim. That was the big take away for climbing and descending.
We did do some best rate and best angle climbs, I was surprised at the best angle and how steep it was.
Changing winds from left to right cross wind, more right rudder, 1.1 hours, 4.8 total.
So my walk around time was a bit better, not that i am rushing or in a rush but the first time I did the walk around was close to 30 mins. The instructor aims for 15 more if necessary.
My taxiing needs work, I was use to Bobcat pedals (bucket up and dump). The centre line is for captains, clearly I’m not..yet. It was like a games of snakes and ladders, well more snakes. Left, right and no where on the centre line.
The take off was better, I made it farther down the runway before drifting left. The instructor did say it was a quite a string cross wind, but I was still left.
Today was compass errors, basically it is only right during straight, level flight and a consistent airspeed. Who knew?!
Toady I was told I am running the checklists. Oh and I was taxiing, oh and since you are on the runway you can take off. Sheer terror…I did take off, but I did not anticipate HOW MUCH RIGHT RUDDER you need. So, I was very left on the runway, centre line…what centre line.
I had no idea of the speed, at which point we left the ground, or if the instructor said words to me. I was going left and it was all i could think of was to get off more right and up. That is about all I remember for this take off, first time jitters.
We worked on exercise 6 Straight and Level Flight from the Flight Training manual. In comparison to what I felt on take off that lesson was easy.
Clearish day, gusty. Slow checklist kept flight hours to 0.8 Hours 2.5 Total
It has begun! Ground School kit in hand I headed off to my first lesson. Not knowing what to bring, I brought everything I was given; I even brought my confusion. Showing up for the first lesson was more of a figure it out as you go.
Sure I booked a flight but what does that really mean, I had a time to show up. There was paper work to fill out and head to a counter to hand in a form…get handed a bag of stuff and waiting for my instructor. The guy behind the counter was at least helpful on my first form. Basically, I needed my name, instructor and the date.
The lesson was booked for two hours about 30 mins was sitting talking about flight attitudes. Not like a z-snap ‘Oh no she didn’t’ but pitch, roll and yaw. We used a small plane, from the Planes movie too, to go over the attitudes. Then out to the plane.
My instructor did a walk around as I furiously made notes. We hopped in and started on a checklist to get it started. The seat belt is my nemesis, pull it too fast and it locks up, too slow – IT LOCKS UP! It needs to be the 3rd bowl of porridge, just right.
Taxi, take off and off to the practice area. Controls were demonstrated and then I had control to try out the different movements. I was in control back to the pattern and my instructor put us on the ground and back to the parking area. That hour went by fast!
Back into the office for the last bit of paper work and then to pay up. Here please take my Vi-za (Simpsons Kid) Visa. Overall, happy and excited to keep up in the air.
The weather was clear but very gusty, 1.1 hours 1.7 total.
Sometimes I think I am funny. I recently saw Wicked for the first time, even though I know a few of the songs. Well, really only one, the others are not as memorable to me. I think it fits, I am not sure of the aerodynamic qualities of a broomstick, but she was defying gravity. See what I did there?
I needed to choose where I was going to learn to fly. I had done intro flights to get familiar with the schools and now onto additional questions. Well, not really additional, as at the first intro flight there was not time for questions. I had done my online review searches, and well some people like both and some people don’t.
Here where the questions I reviewed when I called the schools: Are there any extras in the hourly cost? instructor, headset, insurance, fuel, tax? Both: Headset rental extra and nothing else if using the school’s rental fleet.
Will you have a principal instructor or will your bookings dictate who you fly with? Both: You will have a primary, however we cannot guarantee you will have the same one throughout all your training. They both cited changes in the aviation industry and instructors heading to airlines.
How is the training scheduled? Both: Online
How are cancellations due to weather or maintenance dealt with? Both: No Charge if they cancel, or cancellation fees within 24hrs of booking.
How does the school’s insurance cover you as a student from both personal protection and personal liability perspectives? Both: they have the insurances but you can buy your own supplemental if you wish.
How are the rental/instructors booked…in bulk or pay per flight? Both: There was no group or bulk rates for students. You could put money on account with the first school I visited.
Are you open to recording the in flight for my review after? 1st School: yes absolutely we encourage it and often instructors use it to review after flights. 2nd School: Weeelllll….it is an instructor by instructor thing. Then changed the subject.
What is the average time it takes students to complete their license? Both said 60 to 70 hours as an average.
What is your first attempt pass ratio? 1st School didn’t know and had never been asked that question. 2nd School: didn’t know but said they need to write recommendation letters for the flight test and if the student is not ready it looks poorly on them.
How do I makeup a missed ground school class? 1st School: Basically said don’t. They have a 1 year limit and track what classes you attend. 2nd School: Said take them when you want as long as you are a member you can take as many and in any order you want. Just take navigation I,II,III and weather I,II,III in order.
Are there any issues booking aircraft or instructors? Both: Generally not and if you book a couple weeks out you should be fine.
Total cost was about the same for both schools, within a hundred bucks. That included the hours, ground school course, kit, and estimated license fees.
Overall, they were very close, and they are both within 25 minutes of where I live (18 for one and 25 the other). What it came down to for my decision was a flying club or not. I chose the club feel and the fact there was a restaurant and a nice place for my wife to sit, if she ever ended up needing to hang out while I was flying.
Introductory flight number 2 is in the books. It was a great experience too, but it felt different than the first one. For both flights I wanted the full 1 hour intro, not the shortened 20 min flight. This flight I did book the full 1 hour and was expecting about $230. I was told to arrive 30 minutes before the flight to take care of the paperwork.
When I arrived at the desk, again, not a pleasant greeting, but not a bad one. I would say it was a quiet and distracted greeting, then I was sent to another person. This person seemed confused as to why I was sent to him, but a third person stepped in and knew exactly what to do.
He took my ID and came by 10 minutes later with a photocopy. He wrote $113 on it. I inquired about the charge and said i was expecting $230 for the 1 hour. He said I may have been looking at something else on the website. In the end what i got was OK and if that was the $230 it would have been a disappointment. After I did review the website and it does have a 1 hour for $230 (non-sightseeing).
I then sat outside to wait for my pilot and watch the activity. A guy came back from his lesson and went to get someone who was also waiting outside. On their way past me his friend asked which plane he was in, was he in the good take off, or the really shaky awkward one? I felt for him at that moment, he said nothing until he got out of earshot. Shortly that will be me in his shoes.
My pilot came up and greeted me and we were off to the plane. We did a bit of a pre-check, he mentioned several times that normally there is a bit longer of a check but he just landed and we are going right back up. We walked around looking for dents on the propeller, looking to see the hinges were free form obstructions, the wired nuts were still wired. This was a much more immersive intro than the first.
We got in the plane, a 1980s Cessna 172, and did the passenger briefing: Exits, fire extinguisher, how to put on the seat belt and then into the checklists. Engine start and taxi to the run up area, Paul was explaining the why behind what he was doing and the checklists all the time. Off to the end of the runway to wait to take off.
We took off and he was explaining that we had to climb to 1900′ before a turn could be made, mostly to do with people buying houses near the airport and then forgetting they bought a house near an airport. That is my commentary not my instructor.
The trip was short, maybe 20 to 25 minutes, just out 10 to 12 minutes a 180 and headed back to the airport. On the way back I saw a stunning, very traditional English looking estate with full English garden. We turned to land, touched down and taxied back to parking.
This time the instructor came inside and started to go over the ground school, pricing and flight instruction. Then, unexpectedly to him, he had to go back up. Someone cancelled on him but someone else slipped in that spot and he said goodbye and he was off. I took the papers he gave me and I headed home.
When I got home I built a short list of questions for both schools to help with the decision process. That will be the next entry is the questions and answers from the schools.
What do you think is better? The longer flight with less info for pre-flight and walk-around or a much shorter flight with more details. Let me know.
First intro flight complete; it was a terrific experience. The instructor that took me up for a 1 hour flight was excellent. He shared a lot of what he was doing and talked through the flight. He explained local land marks students use for reference and training. He showed me where they practice for floats as well as the grass strip at a local private field. I saw the Super Cub FlightChops highlights in some of his videos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVhtOMeiZ4M
My flight was in a Cessna 172, it is the one in the picture. While I didn’t want the flight to end I am glad it did. I was very nervouscited (a term only a kid could come up with) and the adrenaline did not like an empty stomach. I never felt like I was going to be sick, it was starting to just get overwhelming.
The weather the past few weeks has been challenging, rain, thunderstorms and cloud. Trying to book with a couple days’ notice has been hard as cancelled flights have been pushed and there have been limited times that line up with my schedule. It did get booked and away I went. The person booking the flight said I just needed to be there 5 minutes before the scheduled flight, I was 30 minutes early.
I walked in went to the counter and told them why I was there. I then sat in the waiting area and just watched, that’s when I saw the Super Cub. There was a student who looked like he was studying; he had his From the Ground Up book and a thick book on Canadian Aviation Regulations. Mostly he was watching the activity of behind the counter. I was watching the take offs and landings and listening to liveatc. One of my concerns about learning to fly is the radio work, so I listen when I can to get a feel for it.
Finally it is my turn; we head out to the plane with headset in hand. I am told how to get in the plane and shown how to use the door. He then gets in and starts his ground briefing and startup procedures. A few minutes later we are taxing to the runway. A few more procedures and a run up then wait for a couple of others to land, and then we are off the ground. We were in the air for 5 minutes or so and I got the control and the first task was to keep the wings level and keep an altitude. I guess I did ok and we moved on to changing the direction we were going and I was told to turn to a specified direction.
It started with a shallow turn 10 to 15 degrees of bank then in other turns we tried 45 degrees of bank. We saw some local sights and a glider club or school, apparently there was a competition that day. We flew over the field and saw some of the tow-planes taking off so we headed to another area. More turns, more keep on a heading, and then started to descend. Descent means one thing; in this case anyway, it is over.
We head back to the airport and enter the pattern to land. Once off the runway there were a few more procedures and back to the parking area. The rampie guided us to the fuel pump and the engine shuts off. The rampie said something to the pilot, something to do with scheduling, and then the pilot said Goodbye and headed off. I don’t think he liked what was said and the rampie took me back into the office to pay.
I am not sure what I expected but after I paid but the person who took my payment said goodbye and was also gone. I guess I expected to talk to someone about my questions about the school and facilities. So I do need to call back and get those answered before picking my school for learning.
I have another discovery flight booked at another school near me and so far the weather is cooperating. I am exactly 25 minutes from each of the airports so distance to the schools is not a factor in the decision.
All in all, I am hooked. What was your first intro flight like?
I have always enjoyed aviation. It started in grade 6 where there was an at lunch program to build balsa wood model. They did fly with a wind up propeller and a rubber band. I still remember the smell of the dope as we covered the model with tissue paper. That moved to R/C both fixed wing and rotary wing. There was no introductory kit…went right to a Super Chipmunk flaps and retractable gear.
The intent was to get my private license after high school, but that is all it was…intent. There was a number of excuses that got in the way, college, jobs, family, money. Pick…they were just excuses for not following a dream. It is interesting that when you ignore something long enough it gets locked away, it is never gone, it lingers, but not top of mind. Twenty five years later I met someone, who also became my business coach, who shared a passion for anything that would get our feet off the ground.
He knocked the lock off the box that dream was stored and it became top of mind once again. In the past few months I have been getting ready to get flying. And by get ready I mean get rid of the fear and thoughts holding me back. One is from the outside, the aviation world is not very inviting, or at least seems that way. Another was health, would I even pass a medical. My concern would be diabetes, not that I know I would be denied for that or not but I am not a small guy and weight may have played a factor in the diagnosis. So before I even sign up for ground school, time to get a medical.
I picked someone from the Transport Canada Civil Aviation Medical Examiners List – http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/2/came-meac/l.aspx?lang=eng It was someone along a route I take to the office. Nothing more, nothing less. In hind sight I should have asked more questions, but I did manage to get in, to the person booking my appointment, that it was my first appointment and exam.
I showed up to the appointment early, filled out a few forms and waited. I watched quite an interesting person leave the office kind of angry, and then he returns, with cash. He hands it over to the receptionist and is clearly upset that he needed to pay cash for something. He then says something quite sarcastic and bordering on offensive and leaves.
I finish filling out a form and then head to the washroom to fill up a cup. Back to the waiting room, to wait; hey it is a Doctor’s office. The Doctor brings me to his office and we start the exam. He is an English gentleman, possible an English Lord. He walks me through the exam and even imparts some classic dry English humor. Hearing, sight, and EKG tests are administered over the next hour or so; Even a test to listen to the femoral artery to listen for a constriction. Apparently you can hear that sort of thing, who knew?
I am now done and need to pay for my exam…cash only. Like the other guy who was there I head over the cash machine and head back. I was less upset as I should have asked about methods of payment before I got there.
In the end the Doctor didn’t indicate any possible issues and the diabetes test came back negative, so I am proceeding to the next step and continuing on one other. I have already purchased From the Ground Up (I think I got it from VIPPilot) and am about half way through it, and will continue to read it over the next two weeks. The next step is to book introductory flights at the two local flights schools near me.
If you have anything you would like to share about your introduction to flying or your first medical please leave a comment.
