First Trial Lesson

[liquidhockey]

can anyone tell me what i am likely to be doing in my trial flight lesson?
And dont say flying cos i know thats what you are thinking. lol
Thanks a lot
Dave

[Autofly]

Well, I took off, did some turns, flew back to the airport, flew down the approach to about 200 ft, went back the following day, enrolled, spent 6000 quid, got my ppl ..... I think i'll stop there.

The only problem with trial lessons is you just want to go back for more, rather like ............ well, whatever else you go back for lots more of.

Liquidhockey, be prepare to part with your cash!

Autofly

[Pielander]

Mine was quite disappointing - when I realised I couldn't just jump into a plane and be an instant Chuck Yeager, FS98 style.

Just gotta keep at it. It only getsbetter (until the foggles come out :rolleyes:.)

[trolleydollylover]

Hi Pie

Sit myself and decided I need the rush ever since have met good blokes like the Pie and well the rest is history, play it again Sam.

[Luftwaffle]

Here's how I give a trial lesson:
I do the walkaround, telling you what I'm doing, and pointing out a few major components - wings, ailerons, fusilage, tail, elevator. I'll point out how you can get in without injuring or embarrassing yourself too badly and let your friend/mom take a 'before' picture. I'll get in my side, give you a standard passenger briefing, and then explain how the controls work, and how we'll exchange control. If you're keen I'll talk you through the start procedure. If you seem subdued I'll start the airplane myself, this time. I'll taxi away from other airplanes, and then give you a chance to try taxiing. I'll do the runup, to save time. If you can taxi in a straight line, I'll talk you through the takeoff, but if taxiing is a major adventure for you, I'll just have you follow along as I talk myself through the takeoff. Clear of the circuit and other traffic, I'll point out how to fly straight and level, and how to put the airplane in and out of a bank (I'll provide coordination for your turns on the rudders), and then give you control. I'll point out local landmarks. If you live nearby we can go fly over your house. By then it will be time to turn back to the circuit. I'll give you directions to fly back towards the airport. For the descent into the circuit, I'll take control for a moment. I'll reduce the power to idle, and set up for best glide. Then I'll point out to you that this is how well the airplane glides with no power. It doesn't fall out of the sky. I'll set up for a descent similar to final approach, and give you back control. I'll make the initial radio call to rejoin the circuit. The tower will tell us to "report XXX". I'll tell you when we're at XXX and let you make that call. If you're following instructions well and traffic isn't crazy, I might talk you almost to the flare before I touch the controls to help you through the landing. I'll let you taxi off and then take control to park and shut down. Then we go inside to book your first real lesson.

That's the most I'd have you do. Some people on their trial flight only fly for a couple of minutes at a time, because there is so much to take in. Some people have come up to SEE what flying is like, and they' rather look out the window while I fly. I have't had anyone be sick yet, but I was sick on MY trial flight, so I have a sick bag handy!
The intro flight is a sales pitch, so I'm trying to be receptive to what you want to do. And Autofly is absolutely right: we do make those trial lessons dirt cheap because we know you'll be hooked.

Wannabees: any suggestions what you'd rather do on an intro flight?

[Speed Racer]

.. dirty tactic it was.. sending me up for a trial lesson with quite a looker of an instructor, for a nice wee price, and i've been hooked ever since! :)
Did the walk around with her, she pointed out all the major components, and i helped her move the plane to refuel it. Got into the air where she let me fly it for about 40mins.. just banking, flying straight.. i even managed to con her into letting me stall it! She let me land it myself.. was great!

[Wrong Stuff]

Sounds like Luftwaffle has it licked. They're not all that good though LiquidHockey - mind you're not disappointed.

I've had three trial lessons - one for powered planes and two in gliders. One of the ones in a glider was excellent and the other was fine but the powered trial lesson was terrible. The instructor hardly said anything and I honestly hardly touched the controls. I think I followed through on a couple of turns. If anything, I took up flying despite my trial lesson rather than because of it.

[Whirlybird]

First trial lesson in a tomahawk:
A briefing on how the controls worked; he took off, some straight and level flying and a few gentle turns; I flew us back and he took over on final for the landing. Had a chat and he convinced me starting to learn in mid-winter was a great idea as I'd have my licence by the summer - no mention of all the cancellations I'd endure due to bad weather. But I've no complaints.

Second trial lesson in an R22:
Well, I only went because it was free and I wanted to try something different. I'd been happily flying f/w aircraft as a PPL for a couple of years, with no ambitions to go further. Straight and level, turns, and lots of hovering, during which the instructor convinced me I was a natural at rotary flying and should have been doing that from the start. A very good salesman. I was completely and utterly hooked, and have been ever since.

Third trial lesson, in a Thruster (3-axis microlight):
Taught how to climb in without breaking anything! Then the delights of learning to taxi a tailwheel aircraft on rough grass, getting thrown around the sky in the lightest aircraft I'd ever flown, and how to land something which seems to glide like a brick as soon as you flare. The instructor grudgingly told me I handled it better than most GA pilots - I think that was supposed to be a compliment!

Fourth trial lesson, in a gyroplane:
A cold March day, so first dress up, and put on helmet, gloves etc. Then followed through on the takeoff, which is quite complicated in a gyro. Then did just about everything, including circuits and landings. Great fun, but bloody cold!

Fifth trial lesson, in a glider, very recently:
The instructor knew I'd done quite a lot of flying, and let me do almost everything - but he did the landing since there was a nasty gusty wind. The bastard even persuaded me to do a couple of loops, first following him through, then alone, with me protesting feebly the whole time that I get airsick doing aerobatics. He said I'd be fine if I was doing it myself - fine is an exaggeration, but it was a lot of fun :)

I've yet to try weightshift microlights, airships, and balloons. I have tried hanggliding, but I think this post is long enough!

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Whirly

To fly is human, to hover, divine.

[This message has been edited by Whirlybird (edited 10 April 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Whirlybird (edited 10 April 2001).]

[Tiger_ Moth]

I have another suggestion for trial lessons: if your plane is aerobatic (eg: tiger moth) then why not do a few loops, rolls, spins.....great fun!

[Luftwaffle]

Apparently the top three things that make students afraid to come back are spins, stalls, and talking on the radio.

I wouldn't spin a student on a trial flight: too much risk of scaring them. If I'm going to teach them, I need their trust. If they're adventurous, I'll show them a steep turn, and let them try that.

I had a two hour trial flight myself, because the instructor was my buddy. I loved the steep turns, even though they made me sick, and he confessed to me later that mine were more like spiral dives.