First Flight!!!!!

[ecosse]

Well got my first trial/lesson @ Cumbernauld booked for Sunday, hopefully, weather permitting.

Going to take my wife with me too!!! and maybe my daughter, so should be fun.:ok:

[Dak Man]

Don't put all your eggs in 1 basket.

[ecosse]

Thanks dak that made me feel lots better :uhoh:

[tmmorris]

I dunno, why leave them bereft?

Tim

[ecosse]

Have decided to stay indoors, going to have a game of scrabble lol!!! :)

[fernytickles]

Good luck, have fun, enjoy it & be aware that combining a trial lesson with a family flight may be distracting. Perhaps save that for another time?

Hope the weather cooperates!

[ecosse]

I was looking for the fun factor, and to get my wife to understand how fun it can be, the lessons will start afterwards. :cool:

[Flyaways]

How about you don't let them in the plane until you can fly it? I reckon they'd be much more impressed if they saw you flying it than watching someone else fly it!

[fisbangwollop]

Enjoy....you may even hear my dulcet tones if you speak to Scottish Information when airborne. :cool:

[ecosse]

Will let you all know how it goes:):) if the weather is good that is :ok:

[ecosse]

(http://youtu.be/GDXz8YWT3SI)first solo microlighting - YouTube (http://youtu.be/GDXz8YWT3SI)

Heres my first solo flight on m/light :)

Thats exciting!!!!!

[localflighteast]

Say hello to flying and goodbye to your cash
More addictive than heroin and probably more expensive

I love every minute !

[Pilot DAR]

ecosse,

If your wife bought the trial lesson, and wants to fly, than you'd better take her. Otherwise, tell her to meet you back in an hour, and photo you as you get out of the plane. You are paying lots for the experience, don't dilute it by having your loved ones in the back. Take them later, and show them what you have learned, and your confidence.

If you have a scare, will your wife ever be happy again that you are flying? If she does not like it, and wants down, do you want to cut your flight short?

The ear to ear grim you'll have for days is enough for her to enjoy for now. If she simply MUST go, have the instructor take her for her own circuit.

[India Four Two]

ecosse,

I'm sure Pilot DAR meant "ear to ear grin" but that is otherwise excellent advice. ;)

If it's a trial lesson, do not take ANY passengers.

[fisbangwollop]

Who are you flying with?......Border AT or Leading Edge?

[mary meagher]

ecosse, you confuse me; is that you flying a microlite? If so you are not a virgin pilot.....

And advice given here by all the other old grizzled experienced posters should be heeded. Passengers frequently get airsick and throw up. Which would spoil your jolly adventure, wouldn't it?

[cats_five]

I was looking for the fun factor, and to get my wife to understand how fun it can be, the lessons will start afterwards. :cool:

It doesn't work that way. You don't 'get' someone to 'understand how fun it can be', they make their own minds up.

[ecosse]

I'm not a virgin to flying, and yes that was me, flying the flexwing micro-light,(3 years ago ish?) thanks again for the advice and I will try to make it on my own, as it is a trial "LESSON" after all.

The flight is with AC/Leading edge as PFC hasn't got back to me yet, neither has border air, after mailing them.

Prestwick flying school did, but I await a call from their CFI, whom I have been informed is going to call me asap.

[fernytickles]

My concern was, as passengers sitting in the back, the chances of one or both of them starting to feel queezy is possible. For so many reasons, this would put a damper on the flight. Hence suggesting taking them up at a separate time.

[ecosse]

Neearly time to go weather looking good here's hoping!!!

[mad_jock]

I have never had a problem with the intial trial flight with friends/family in the back.

I wouldn't advise taking them on any of the rest of the syllabus though. It would be quite boring for them.

I did once take someones grandad on some nav exercises but he used to be a tail gunner in lancasters and had done his training in the local area. He was happy looking at the hills and it was good experence for the student to have a few circuits at close to max weight in a C172.

[ecosse]

Well here and ready will see how it goes!!!

[airpolice]

C'mon then, ah'm oan the edge ae ma chair here!

Howdjgitoan well?

[fisbangwollop]

Well you would nt have heard my dulcet tones as I finished my shift at 1300 :cool:

[ecosse]

Flight went fantastic!!! considering its the first time, ever flying something other than a flex wing:ok:

Managed to taxi, take off, fly straight and level, do some nice turns without help from the instructor,or without loosing altitude, Not by any means perfect I'm sure, but thought i done not too bad.

All my microlight training certainly helped,i noticed this when i found myself monitoring my speed, hight , climb and descent, temps and pressures etc.

We just flew some big circuits, as the weather wasn't to good elsewhere, we met with some frozen water here and there. made some turns to avoid it, then time to fly back!!

The landing was very.... mum!!! rough!!! i managed it with very little help from the instructor, he took care off the throttle, i was far to busy to do that too!!!

55 minutes later The PA38 is still in one piece though and next time I'm sure i can handle the landing a bit better.

Too sum it up both school and instructor were very professional, he was easy to talk too, the aircraft was very good, though next time i will give the 152 a shot.

:cool:

[Steve6443]

Was just wondering how you were thinking of taking your wife and daughter up with you in a P38 / C152 ;-)

[fernytickles]

You got to fly a P38???? :ok:


http://johnnycat.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/p38-lightning.jpg

[ecosse]

Was just wondering how you were thinking of taking your wife and daughter up
with you in a P38 / C152 ;-)


I was going to take them up in the 172, though as they decided not to come with me, we took the pa38 instead. simples:ok:

[ecosse]

dohhh!!! pa38 :ugh:

I have flown a p38, though it was made out of balsa wood its up in my loft somewhere :)

Relay need to think before posting.

[marcus1290]

Ecosse,

Glad to hear you went with Leading Edge, they're a good bunch of lads. Who did you fly with? How did you like the tomahawk? I've only flown it a few times myself and it can be quite unforgiving. You really have to fly that thing to the ground to get it down so i wouldn't be too worried about a rough landing.

Hopefully see you round the club and cafe soon.

[ecosse]

Who did you fly with? How did you like the tomahawk?


Josh was the instructor and very good, though think he is going to be part time soon,:{

The tomahawk felt very good to me, i didn't think it was unforgiving,maybe due to the fact that ive flown a flex wing microlight before, and in some rough weather too :eek:

Def has to be flown right down to the last second, just like my old peggy q.

[mad_jock]

Stick with the tommy it has loads of room in it.

And you won't have any problems at all flying any of the other common training aircraft.

Its designed to be a training aircraft and by the request of instructors it designed not to have all the nastys dampened out.

Its a bit like marmite though some people hate them and others love them.

After 700 plus instructing in them I think they are a cracking aircraft to learn in and teach in.

[ecosse]

I will def give the 152 a go though and go from there:ok:

Didnt have any issues flying the tommy, though i dont have anything to compare other than a microlight:)

[Potential]

On the Border Air website, they are now offering 45 hour package including exams and books for £7500. Seems like a very good deal!

[piperboy84]

Managed to taxi, take off, fly straight and level, do some nice turns without help from the instructor,or without loosing altitude

What did you say the number for that place was?

[Heston]

Never ever pay up front for flight training...

[Steve6443]

On the Border Air website, they are now offering 45 hour package including exams and books for £7500. Seems like a very good deal!

But if you look at the deal, you'd see that they offer two schemes - one with a one off up front payment of £7500 or two equal instalments of £3500, the second due after 20 hours of flight.

And as we all know, there are two rules you should never ignore when learning to fly:

The first rule of learning to fly is never to pay anything up front, the second rule of learning to fly is never to pay anything up front.......

[TriBeCa]

That's pretty odd. So if those figures are right, it's like they are discouraging you from paying up front for a 45hr block. I believe Border Air are a pretty solid outfit and own all their own a/c. Leading Edge do too (well ACS Aviation anyway) but for some reason the majority of their fleet are for sale. Not sure why.

[marcus1290]

TriBeCa,

I'm a member of ACS and the a/c have never been for sale. Can you confirm where you got your info from?

[TriBeCa]

Marcus,

'ere we go:

http://www.acsaviation.com/index.php/aircraft-sales

I have just looked at this link and it seems that the acs aviation website is down. The above link is where I saw the aircraft for sale anyway

[ecosse]

Managed to taxi, take off, fly straight and level, do some nice turns without
help from the instructor,or without loosing altitude





What did you say the number for that place was?


Not sure what your getting @ ?? Piperboy.

Border air is £7500 up front or 2 installments of £3900 :ok:

[mary meagher]

ecosse, well done on your tomahawk flight, PA whatever it is! Your experience of microlite flying turned out to be useful. good show.

Only one suggestion now, and that would be DON'T change at this point to the Cessna, stick to the one type and master it. You will progress much more quickly to solo. And then having the low wing types under your belt, the Cessna highwings are very very easy to fly by comparison. The 172 may not be glamorous but you can take up the family, and they can see the ground more easily sitting in the back seat of a l72.

Once having spent all that money, the next step might be instrument flying, that should be useful and challenging. Keep us posted with your progress!

[Heston]

Border air is £7500 up front or 2 installments of £3900 http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

Alright I'll say it again. Do not pay up front for flight training, even if it looks like a good deal. Or perhaps especially if it looks like a good deal. I don't know Border Air, they may be the most financially secure flight school in the UK for all I know. But don't pay up front - this and other forums are littered with horror stories from people who did that and lost their money.

[RTN11]

Alright I'll say it again. Do not pay up front for flight training, even if it looks like a good deal. Or perhaps especially if it looks like a good deal. I don't know Border Air, they may be the most financially secure flight school in the UK for all I know. But don't pay up front - this and other forums are littered with horror stories from people who did that and lost their money.

Indeed. Even the biggest and seemingly most secure schools of all, ie Cabair, can go under and take a lot of people's money with them.

Don't ever pay up front. Book a lesson, after it's flown settle up at the desk on the way out and book the next lesson. Best and safest way to go with your money.

[ecosse]

Thanks for the advice people:ok:

I think i will stick with the tomahawk, more of a challenge

And i wont pay up front in full, but will maybe book in 5's or 10's, and use quickly to save a little money,:) cause i plan on doing it quite quick i can pay and use on the day:ok:

[India Four Two]

ecosse,

Sounds like you had a good time. I agree with mad jock, stick to the Tomahawk - it will make a better pilot of you and then you can always convert to a 172 later (give the 152 a miss).

Concerning paying up front, I would do so, IF I could pay by credit card.

[mad_jock]

Just don't pay what you can't afford to loose. And use a credit card not a debt card.

You will have no problems transfering to the C172 from the tommy

enjoy your training

[AberdeenAngus]

If you have a Visa debit card you get similar protection as with a credit card. The system is called Chargeback.

[ecosse]

Thanks for the input again,

I was up for a flight today in the 172, which i didn't much like, compared too the tommy, good to get experience in another aircraft though, will def be trying to stick too the tommy.:cool: