Why did you learn to fly?
Pompey till I die
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Guildford
Age: 51
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Coincidence
Funnily enough I had a similar experience. Girlfriend at the time said I could either marry her or do my ppl.
I now have a ppl. And a new wife.
I now have a ppl. And a new wife.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 32°55'22"S 151°46'56"E
Age: 39
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Grew up around aviation, and spent many weekends at the old Doncaster Aero Club. Got involved in the Air Cadets as I got older and flew from Church Fenton. Flew here and there with friends, and then eventually did half the PPL at Sandtoft and finished it off intensively in Newcastle.
Did consider at one time going further commercially, but felt it was too much of a risk to throw away a job I currently enjoy and thoroughly enjoy flying for fun and have in the last few years managed to work around aircraft as well.
Would love to do something long distance, intra continental!
Did consider at one time going further commercially, but felt it was too much of a risk to throw away a job I currently enjoy and thoroughly enjoy flying for fun and have in the last few years managed to work around aircraft as well.
Would love to do something long distance, intra continental!
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Croydon
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I always wanted to be a train driver but with the demise of steam (yes I'm really that old) decided I wanted to be a pilot. tried the RAF but my eyesight was not good enough, then found booze & partying and other silliness took over, followed by domestic bliss until my wife came into some money and suggested a trial lesson, bit of research later and turned up at Redhill, and never looked back, co-incidentally solo'd on my birthday and got the PPL in 1998
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK
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As is common for a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut or pilot. I mentioned this to my careers "advisor" at school but I unfortunately also let slip that I thought I had a minor heart problem (It's very benign and no-one actually believed me for 5 years until I was eighteen when I spent a week in St Barts getting a proper diagnosis). Of course he just laughed at me and said "No chance - think about doing something else". The whole concept of private aviation was completely foreign to me and, coming from a "poorer" background with no friends or family even remotely connected with aviation, I soon forgot about the idea.
I still really enjoyed flying as a passenger on the big jets though and was lucky enough to get a cockpit visit on a Trident when I was ten. It was night-time and my overriding memory is that of the odometer clicking the miles off at the rate of about one every ten seconds or so!
Fast forward twenty years or so, I had an air experience flight in a K13 aero-towed to 2000' from PNGC at Lee. I was really looking forward to it, but when I finally got strapped in, I realised that I was absolutely bloody terrified. It was a really tame evening flight with no lift and only very gentle turns, but I was <i>so</i> glad to get back on the ground afterwards. Of course, I didn't bother to pursue it any further for that reason and that, at the time, PNGC was a typical forces club that was hard to get membership in.
Roll forward another 10 years to 2009 and I found myself working at a large aircraft evaluation company in Wiltshire (long story). This company offers, each year, sponsorship for ten employees to learn to fly to solo at the local gliding club to "gain an appreciation of the workload in the cockpit". It didn't take imagination to realise that this was probably going to be my only serious chance to gain my wings and I jumped at the chance!
I was still <s>bloody terrified</s> nervous though, and it took me about 30-40 (winch) launches before I could even stop giggling like a loon at every slight bit of turbulence. All I can say is that my instructors were patient. Very patient indeed. Anyways, after about a year and more flights than I'd care to say here, the DCFI finally told me to get in and then proceeded to close the rear canopy of the K21 from the OUTSIDE. I'd done it, and they still let me fly by myself now!
So, to finally get to the point, I learnt to fly for two reasons, in no particular order of importance: It was a childhood dream; and I wanted to over come my fear of actually flying!
I still really enjoyed flying as a passenger on the big jets though and was lucky enough to get a cockpit visit on a Trident when I was ten. It was night-time and my overriding memory is that of the odometer clicking the miles off at the rate of about one every ten seconds or so!
Fast forward twenty years or so, I had an air experience flight in a K13 aero-towed to 2000' from PNGC at Lee. I was really looking forward to it, but when I finally got strapped in, I realised that I was absolutely bloody terrified. It was a really tame evening flight with no lift and only very gentle turns, but I was <i>so</i> glad to get back on the ground afterwards. Of course, I didn't bother to pursue it any further for that reason and that, at the time, PNGC was a typical forces club that was hard to get membership in.
Roll forward another 10 years to 2009 and I found myself working at a large aircraft evaluation company in Wiltshire (long story). This company offers, each year, sponsorship for ten employees to learn to fly to solo at the local gliding club to "gain an appreciation of the workload in the cockpit". It didn't take imagination to realise that this was probably going to be my only serious chance to gain my wings and I jumped at the chance!
I was still <s>bloody terrified</s> nervous though, and it took me about 30-40 (winch) launches before I could even stop giggling like a loon at every slight bit of turbulence. All I can say is that my instructors were patient. Very patient indeed. Anyways, after about a year and more flights than I'd care to say here, the DCFI finally told me to get in and then proceeded to close the rear canopy of the K21 from the OUTSIDE. I'd done it, and they still let me fly by myself now!
So, to finally get to the point, I learnt to fly for two reasons, in no particular order of importance: It was a childhood dream; and I wanted to over come my fear of actually flying!
My dad used to take me to Ringway and Barton when I was kid, just watching the planes.
Was a great day when I finally took him up myself. Even if I did have to do a few go-arounds.
Haven't been PIC for 4 years now, and I daren't go back, as I know I'd be overcome by an overwhelming desire to fly again.
Was a great day when I finally took him up myself. Even if I did have to do a few go-arounds.
Haven't been PIC for 4 years now, and I daren't go back, as I know I'd be overcome by an overwhelming desire to fly again.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Australia
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Bit strange that I would start to learn to fly really.
I have absolutely no aviation background whatsoever and can remember the first flight I ever took, a 737 to Fiji. I was absolutely terrified and I also was too scared to ask to visit the flight deck, pity really because those 2 flights were my only two flights pre 9/11 so the chance of visiting the flight deck of a jet in flight is now more or less lost.
I live under a fairly active bit of airspace and so constantly watching Piper Warriors, Cessnas, Jabirus and the odd metroliner whizz past overheard kind of made me think I will do that one day. Tried RC planes but kept destroying them so gave up on that.
Couple of years ago I was on a flight back from Cairns to Brisbane and we hit a small air pocket on takeoff and I was a nervous wreck for the whole flight. After that I thought that's it, enough of this fear of flying. I went and bought Flight Simulator game and taught myself how to fly on that.
Then late in 2010 I decided it was time to start flying for real and took a TIF. I really enjoyed it but still hated the turbulence. Took another TIF after that with another school and loved the flying but hated the experience with the unmotivated and clearly sick of his job instructor. Turned my back on that school and halfway through last year started lessons at the first school I flew with.
Didn't take long for all fear of flying and turbulence to disappear, even having things fly around the cockpit doesn't phase me now.
Went solo on the 11th of January this year with less than 10 hours of lessons and coincidentally pulled off the best landing I had ever done when no one was there to see it, but I got it on video
Halfway towards a certificate now, although seeing as I have just been accepted into Med School flying will not be a high priority for the next 5 years
My goal is to get my certificate, then get a PPL and somewhere in between star gliding and go solo in a glider (Love the idea of having no noisy engine when up there, just you and the air. Also like the cost benefit). Another goal is to start paragliding!
Might try get a CPL one day and search for a weekend job dropping skydivers or flying joy flights, but whether that happens or not is another story.
I have absolutely no aviation background whatsoever and can remember the first flight I ever took, a 737 to Fiji. I was absolutely terrified and I also was too scared to ask to visit the flight deck, pity really because those 2 flights were my only two flights pre 9/11 so the chance of visiting the flight deck of a jet in flight is now more or less lost.
I live under a fairly active bit of airspace and so constantly watching Piper Warriors, Cessnas, Jabirus and the odd metroliner whizz past overheard kind of made me think I will do that one day. Tried RC planes but kept destroying them so gave up on that.
Couple of years ago I was on a flight back from Cairns to Brisbane and we hit a small air pocket on takeoff and I was a nervous wreck for the whole flight. After that I thought that's it, enough of this fear of flying. I went and bought Flight Simulator game and taught myself how to fly on that.
Then late in 2010 I decided it was time to start flying for real and took a TIF. I really enjoyed it but still hated the turbulence. Took another TIF after that with another school and loved the flying but hated the experience with the unmotivated and clearly sick of his job instructor. Turned my back on that school and halfway through last year started lessons at the first school I flew with.
Didn't take long for all fear of flying and turbulence to disappear, even having things fly around the cockpit doesn't phase me now.
Went solo on the 11th of January this year with less than 10 hours of lessons and coincidentally pulled off the best landing I had ever done when no one was there to see it, but I got it on video
Halfway towards a certificate now, although seeing as I have just been accepted into Med School flying will not be a high priority for the next 5 years
My goal is to get my certificate, then get a PPL and somewhere in between star gliding and go solo in a glider (Love the idea of having no noisy engine when up there, just you and the air. Also like the cost benefit). Another goal is to start paragliding!Might try get a CPL one day and search for a weekend job dropping skydivers or flying joy flights, but whether that happens or not is another story.
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK
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Didn't take long for all fear of flying and turbulence to disappear, even having things fly around the cockpit doesn't phase me now.
