What has been the one, absolute highlight of your flying so far?
The Original Whirly
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What has been the one, absolute highlight of your flying so far?
....it could be a particular flying experience, your first solo, achieving your PPL or a particular licence/rating, flying a new type or in a particular place, or practically anything else...I guess I'm interested in what turns us all on.
I thought about it for a bit, having done quite a lot...what REALLY stood out as making me feel great, as though flying was the best thing in the world? And it's an absolute tie between my first solo cross country, and flying through a completely circular rainbow a few years ago. Both gave me the same feeling of wonder, of disbelief. That seat next to me just couldn't be empty as I flew all round the country, talked on the radio, made my own decisions, could it? And this natural phenomenon was impossible, rainbows weren't complete circles, and here I was in the middle of it in my own little world that no-one else could experience.
Well, that's me anyway. Now over to the rest of you...
I thought about it for a bit, having done quite a lot...what REALLY stood out as making me feel great, as though flying was the best thing in the world? And it's an absolute tie between my first solo cross country, and flying through a completely circular rainbow a few years ago. Both gave me the same feeling of wonder, of disbelief. That seat next to me just couldn't be empty as I flew all round the country, talked on the radio, made my own decisions, could it? And this natural phenomenon was impossible, rainbows weren't complete circles, and here I was in the middle of it in my own little world that no-one else could experience.
Well, that's me anyway. Now over to the rest of you...
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Oh boy, that's a hard one. So many memorable flights that picking just one is a real struggle.
Well, I've thought about it, and I reserve the right to change my mind later, but:
It was the first time I strung a couple of aerobatic manoevres together. Each manoevre itself was fun, but doing one after the other gave me a real buzz. Can't even remember what it was I did, I'm pretty sure it was a full Cuban 8 followed by something else, possibly a loop.
Pity I can't afford the time or the money to get into aeros properly. Oh well, at least I have the memories
FFF
---------------
Well, I've thought about it, and I reserve the right to change my mind later, but:
It was the first time I strung a couple of aerobatic manoevres together. Each manoevre itself was fun, but doing one after the other gave me a real buzz. Can't even remember what it was I did, I'm pretty sure it was a full Cuban 8 followed by something else, possibly a loop.
Pity I can't afford the time or the money to get into aeros properly. Oh well, at least I have the memories
FFF
---------------
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FL300, over Devon, RHS in a Citation EGGW - EGDG.
My interest in flying had started to wane a bit as I thought I'd gone as far as I would. That experience kick-started the enthusiasm again - I now spend my spare time studying for a CPL/IR!
My interest in flying had started to wane a bit as I thought I'd gone as far as I would. That experience kick-started the enthusiasm again - I now spend my spare time studying for a CPL/IR!
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I think it must have been my first flight after a 35 year break, when I decided to regain my PPL. I found myself at a busy 2nd level airport, between the RJ100s, in an aeroplane I had never flown before. The instructor let me to do the take off (he had to be both daft and brave 
), and as I pushed the throttle forward I couldn't really believe it.
After the take off and climb out, I turned away to the south, all a little clumsily, but I realised I could still do it - wonderful!
Love to find a circular rainbow though - that must have been spectacular!
), and as I pushed the throttle forward I couldn't really believe it. After the take off and climb out, I turned away to the south, all a little clumsily, but I realised I could still do it - wonderful!
Love to find a circular rainbow though - that must have been spectacular!
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Probably my first solo out of the circuit - flying along the coast at 4000 feet with perfect blue sky and unlimited visibility was wonderful after hours of circuit bashing. The first solo navex was also memorable, but on the first local solo there was nothing to do but look out of the window and enjoy. On the navex the workload got in the way a bit
Another good'un was sitting on the wing of a PA-28 at Bournemouth after the first leg of my QXC, watching the the Red Arrows run and break overhead, land, taxi past and park up just across the grass from me (hearing the tower say "Ryanair xxx, follow the PA-28 to..." as I was departing was kind of cool too )
D'oh - the title says "what's the one, absolute highlight..." and I've put two
Another good'un was sitting on the wing of a PA-28 at Bournemouth after the first leg of my QXC, watching the the Red Arrows run and break overhead, land, taxi past and park up just across the grass from me
(hearing the tower say "Ryanair xxx, follow the PA-28 to..." as I was departing was kind of cool too )D'oh - the title says "what's the one, absolute highlight..." and I've put two
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Can't limit it to just one, sorry about this:
First solo - I was having a ball, not at all bothered until I turned base, saw the runway, and thought sh1t, they want me to land this!
QXC - still a great highlight. Little old me, flying along the edge of Birmingham's airspace getting a flight info service from them (don't believe a word you hear - those guys are great) and a good luck message. How did they know?
First spin - wow! Got to do aerobatics one day soon.
First XC following my PPL. Flight to Caernarvon and overhead Bangor I was treated to the sight of Anthony Hodgson's Spitfire doing an impromptu display close by, and then beating me to the airfield by an indecent margin.
Recently on a beautiful day climbing to 6,000' above the Welsh hills (close to you Whirly) seeing the shadow of my C172 on a nearby cloud and a circular rainbow closeby. A passenger tried to take a photo but it didn't come out
Now if anyone starts a thread on really bad moments, I've got a couple of those too.
First solo - I was having a ball, not at all bothered until I turned base, saw the runway, and thought sh1t, they want me to land this!
QXC - still a great highlight. Little old me, flying along the edge of Birmingham's airspace getting a flight info service from them (don't believe a word you hear - those guys are great) and a good luck message. How did they know?
First spin - wow! Got to do aerobatics one day soon.
First XC following my PPL. Flight to Caernarvon and overhead Bangor I was treated to the sight of Anthony Hodgson's Spitfire doing an impromptu display close by, and then beating me to the airfield by an indecent margin.
Recently on a beautiful day climbing to 6,000' above the Welsh hills (close to you Whirly) seeing the shadow of my C172 on a nearby cloud and a circular rainbow closeby. A passenger tried to take a photo but it didn't come out
Now if anyone starts a thread on really bad moments, I've got a couple of those too.
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So far, it's got to be my first solo land-away, White Waltham to Thruxton (EGLM – EGHO).
It was a beautiful sunny day in mid April 2003 when I took G-BSPM
off from runway 03 and headed 215 degrees to junction 10 of the M4 to log my first waypoint and time. I remember when I got to the west of Woodley, the visibility was so bad that I couldn't see the ground for about 30 seconds and I had to focus on the instruments as taught in my limited instrument lessons; Thank God.
When I got to Thruxton, parked and jumped out, I walked around the aircraft and shook my head in disbelief that I took this massive piece of metal 36 miles away, all by myself.
I still can’t believe I did it.
It was a beautiful sunny day in mid April 2003 when I took G-BSPM
off from runway 03 and headed 215 degrees to junction 10 of the M4 to log my first waypoint and time. I remember when I got to the west of Woodley, the visibility was so bad that I couldn't see the ground for about 30 seconds and I had to focus on the instruments as taught in my limited instrument lessons; Thank God.
When I got to Thruxton, parked and jumped out, I walked around the aircraft and shook my head in disbelief that I took this massive piece of metal 36 miles away, all by myself.
I still can’t believe I did it.
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A colleague and I flew our Arrow at low level retracing the flight of the Dambusters from Lincolnshire across the North Sea via Southwold in Suffolk to Holland and then finished it off with a visit to Texel for a leisurely lunch. I even manged to say "Enemy Coast ahead" as the Dutch coast came into view!.
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In the jumpseat of Concorde G-BOAD, late summer 3 years ago, for the entire flight - pushback, 60,000 feet at mach 2.02, and descent and landing. An absolutely unforgettable experience.
When flying as P1? Crickey, there are so many, including, as someone else said, first aeros sequence - in both Chippy and Yak.
But there are so many others........ I can't off hand think of one absolute highlight among so many super experiences, so here is a description of a flight that encapsulates for me the joy of what we do. I posted it elsewhere (not on PPRuNe) a while back. It describes a winter Chippy outing. It's a 'nothing special' flight, as many are, but pretty enjoyable despite that:-
Well cold at Barton this morning; the Chippy, always a reliable starter, wouldn't. After 40 minutes of priming, swinging, electric start, impulse mag checking, blowing out, priming again - we eventually prevailed upon the Engineers for help, and Tom (the chief spanner man) said "hold up the tail". With some difficulty, two of us raised the tail to the flying (level) attitude, Tom primed the engine, we put the tail down, and she started first swing. "Prime was only reaching the back cylinder" said Tom as he walked off.
Runway 27N in use, so off I went west, then down the LLR noting the high groundspeed readout on the Pilot111 once southbound. Out over Shropshire into a very bright low sun and up to 4000 feet to catch the tailwind and do a few loops and rolls - magic! Shawbury unmanned, so no hassle of vectors around military helos - just keep a good lookout and enjoy! North of Telford
let the height bleed off, down to 1500, call Sherlowe Strip. Bob answers on the handheld. Feather off the power for a nimby-friendly steepish glide from wide downwind around the farms and scattered houses (Bob's got anti-flyer problems in the vicinity) to a silky touchdown onto 33, then power on to keep it rolling up the grass slope to the clubhouse. Swing around, switches off, prop clanks around a few revolutions flickering in the glare of the
sun. Then silence; just the whining of the gyros and the tinking and plinking of cooling metal.
A warm welcome from Bob. A cup of tea in the clubhouse and a chat about his campaign for survival of this glorious rural haven in the shadow of the Wrekin - and then we're roaring up 33 again, airborne before the level section of the runway and immediate neighbour-friendly steepish left turnout over the western boundary, waving to Bob by the clubhouse. Up to 3000 feet
past Sleap, then some more aeros, letting it come down low by Rednal to see if Roger is there (he isn't) to cruise home on a low level sight-seeing tour. From 800 feet and looking downsun the beech woods cast long shadows across frosty-white Shropshire fields. Every hill and undulation is side-lit and picked out in relief in the golden winter sun - even the sheep each cast a shadow several times the length of the animal. Sleeping villages with
golden stone churches, flashes and meres, the lonely remote Whixal Moss, secret pools in the middle of a wood, grand country houses and estates, lonely farms, occasional main roads with beetling traffic, white finger posts at remote country lane junctions all sweep under the Chippy's wings.
Around the Peckforton hills and past the castle with a couple of sightseers looking up at this graceful red aeroplane. Around the end of Beeston hill with its castle, across to Oulton Park racing circuit, its cars no doubt roaring and squealing their way around the track but looking ludicrously slow and confined from the freedom of SL's speeding cockpit. A familiar voice from Manch Approach as we enter the LLR a clearance direct from Northwich to Barton gives us some unfamiliar countryside to look at from
above. Left base join for 32 at Barton, taxy in for fuel, then a nice hot cuppa and some all-day breakfast in the clubhouse (first food of the day) to thaw out. I love that Chippy - but a heater would be nice.
Aren't we lucky to be able to do this? Beats gardening or DIY (ugh!) any day.
SSD
When flying as P1? Crickey, there are so many, including, as someone else said, first aeros sequence - in both Chippy and Yak.
But there are so many others........ I can't off hand think of one absolute highlight among so many super experiences, so here is a description of a flight that encapsulates for me the joy of what we do. I posted it elsewhere (not on PPRuNe) a while back. It describes a winter Chippy outing. It's a 'nothing special' flight, as many are, but pretty enjoyable despite that:-
Well cold at Barton this morning; the Chippy, always a reliable starter, wouldn't. After 40 minutes of priming, swinging, electric start, impulse mag checking, blowing out, priming again - we eventually prevailed upon the Engineers for help, and Tom (the chief spanner man) said "hold up the tail". With some difficulty, two of us raised the tail to the flying (level) attitude, Tom primed the engine, we put the tail down, and she started first swing. "Prime was only reaching the back cylinder" said Tom as he walked off.
Runway 27N in use, so off I went west, then down the LLR noting the high groundspeed readout on the Pilot111 once southbound. Out over Shropshire into a very bright low sun and up to 4000 feet to catch the tailwind and do a few loops and rolls - magic! Shawbury unmanned, so no hassle of vectors around military helos - just keep a good lookout and enjoy! North of Telford
let the height bleed off, down to 1500, call Sherlowe Strip. Bob answers on the handheld. Feather off the power for a nimby-friendly steepish glide from wide downwind around the farms and scattered houses (Bob's got anti-flyer problems in the vicinity) to a silky touchdown onto 33, then power on to keep it rolling up the grass slope to the clubhouse. Swing around, switches off, prop clanks around a few revolutions flickering in the glare of the
sun. Then silence; just the whining of the gyros and the tinking and plinking of cooling metal.
A warm welcome from Bob. A cup of tea in the clubhouse and a chat about his campaign for survival of this glorious rural haven in the shadow of the Wrekin - and then we're roaring up 33 again, airborne before the level section of the runway and immediate neighbour-friendly steepish left turnout over the western boundary, waving to Bob by the clubhouse. Up to 3000 feet
past Sleap, then some more aeros, letting it come down low by Rednal to see if Roger is there (he isn't) to cruise home on a low level sight-seeing tour. From 800 feet and looking downsun the beech woods cast long shadows across frosty-white Shropshire fields. Every hill and undulation is side-lit and picked out in relief in the golden winter sun - even the sheep each cast a shadow several times the length of the animal. Sleeping villages with
golden stone churches, flashes and meres, the lonely remote Whixal Moss, secret pools in the middle of a wood, grand country houses and estates, lonely farms, occasional main roads with beetling traffic, white finger posts at remote country lane junctions all sweep under the Chippy's wings.
Around the Peckforton hills and past the castle with a couple of sightseers looking up at this graceful red aeroplane. Around the end of Beeston hill with its castle, across to Oulton Park racing circuit, its cars no doubt roaring and squealing their way around the track but looking ludicrously slow and confined from the freedom of SL's speeding cockpit. A familiar voice from Manch Approach as we enter the LLR a clearance direct from Northwich to Barton gives us some unfamiliar countryside to look at from
above. Left base join for 32 at Barton, taxy in for fuel, then a nice hot cuppa and some all-day breakfast in the clubhouse (first food of the day) to thaw out. I love that Chippy - but a heater would be nice.
Aren't we lucky to be able to do this? Beats gardening or DIY (ugh!) any day.
SSD
Flying is so full of highlights it is a difficult choice. Is it the QXC, the JP flight, formation flying in Stearmans? All brilliant! However, the one that gives me the most pleasure and satisfaction is quite a simple one really.
It was last Summer when Mrs P wanted to go to a barbeque in Cheltenham. It was a perfect day, and we flew, just the two of us for the first time. Even the GPS packing up on the way to Staverton didn't spoil it.
It was the most expensive barbeque of all time but I'm sure, when I look back on my flying, it will be the highlight.
It was last Summer when Mrs P wanted to go to a barbeque in Cheltenham. It was a perfect day, and we flew, just the two of us for the first time. Even the GPS packing up on the way to Staverton didn't spoil it.
It was the most expensive barbeque of all time but I'm sure, when I look back on my flying, it will be the highlight.
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All true, there are so many great moments when you learn to fly, and I've had a few already : 1st solo, QXC, 1st solo XC, first view of the white cliffs of Dover coming back over the channel etc etc.
But for me, the best things are often simply the emotions experienced by people I take flying : usually ranges through trepidation, growing confidence, amzement, delight and then if I'm really lucky, beaming grins to shame a lighthouse ;-)
Whatever happens in life, we're lucky people to be able to give a gift like that - and receive the rewards !
FF
But for me, the best things are often simply the emotions experienced by people I take flying : usually ranges through trepidation, growing confidence, amzement, delight and then if I'm really lucky, beaming grins to shame a lighthouse ;-)
Whatever happens in life, we're lucky people to be able to give a gift like that - and receive the rewards !
FF
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So far, it's got to be passing overhead Brighton on second leg of my QXC. Coasting along outbound from IOW Sandown to Lydd, passed through Shoreham zone (felt like proper pilot doing proper RT) and looked down at the Palace and West piers, thinking - now THIS is proper flying!
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And I thought he was going to say 'looking down on the nudist beach'... 
Not got started with actual lessons yet but have done a few hours this year and they've all been one highlight after another - first landing (Jodel, might as well start in a proper tailwheel aeroplane eh), first cross country navigation (Grob 109 - fascinating finding flying in sunny weather over cars stored on old airfields is just like driving over cobbles), first aeros (Extra 300 - expected to
but was 
instead)... if I wasn't getting married in August my big pot of savings would have disappeared instantly into one of those 'have a holiday somewhere sunny and learn to fly while you're at it' things.
Not got started with actual lessons yet but have done a few hours this year and they've all been one highlight after another - first landing (Jodel, might as well start in a proper tailwheel aeroplane eh), first cross country navigation (Grob 109 - fascinating finding flying in sunny weather over cars stored on old airfields is just like driving over cobbles), first aeros (Extra 300 - expected to
but was instead)... if I wasn't getting married in August my big pot of savings would have disappeared instantly into one of those 'have a holiday somewhere sunny and learn to fly while you're at it' things.
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As pilot - 1st solo, no question. When I finally landed, I couldn’t walk or talk properly for nearly an hour.
As pax – my first j/s ride. Buzz 146, STN > AMS, from pushback to brakes on. Took off in freezing fog one dark january morning, burst out into fabulous sunshine, then descended back into it for a CAT III landing. It felt like all my birthdays and Christmases, plus getting on ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ at the same time.
As pax – my first j/s ride. Buzz 146, STN > AMS, from pushback to brakes on. Took off in freezing fog one dark january morning, burst out into fabulous sunshine, then descended back into it for a CAT III landing. It felt like all my birthdays and Christmases, plus getting on ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ at the same time.
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Flying a Spitfire Tr9. Every pilot's dream. Doing aeros around the big fluffy white clouds at 5,000 feet near Newmarket and seeing that gorgeous wing shape against the clouds. Those rolls just seem to go on forever.
Subsequently getting my logbook autographed by one of the pilots who flew it operationally in the war.
Still got the big grin weeks later.
RD
Subsequently getting my logbook autographed by one of the pilots who flew it operationally in the war.
Still got the big grin weeks later.
RD
The Original Whirly
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Ah yes, I forgot about my first view of the white cliffs of Dover on a beautiful sunny day on my first (and so far, only) trip back from France.
Oops, and I was the one who started this thread and said only ONE!!!
Oops, and I was the one who started this thread and said only ONE!!!
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The best flying experience I have is everyday when I open the doors to my hangar and know that I have students who will take a step closer to their dream with every lesson. Sharing their first solo, passing the PPL and I think the very bestest day will be when my first CPL student reaches that level. The wings dinner when I give my students their wings and give out the awards that I deciede. No I am not an instructor, nor do I have a PPL, but I have my own school with two aircraft online, a cherokee140 & C172. I not only love all things aviation, I live it every day, there is always a cup of coffee for the freight pilot even if it is midnight. There is always a friendly face to welcome them.
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Highlights in a flying career
You ask for one, so be it, must just say there are three including that first solo, however in deference to Whirly here goes.
After flying as a PPL well into the 4th decade I turned to the helicopter and the challenge of a PPL(H), all went well for several hours, flying in the cruise and in the circuit requires similar positional awareness as in a fixed wing and when it flies, well it flies like a fixed wing, but Oh My God, the HOVER after 5 hours of all sorts of flying the instructor said "not a problem, if you are not hovering at 10 hours then there is a problem".
Came lesson eight and I asked to concentrate on the hover, well good people of Pprune I can tell you at the end of the lesson I was hovering that aircraft within a metre circle for 5 minutes at a time.
The secret formula, which I can only state on Jet Blast, really worked, and I did indeed feel ten feet tall when we got back to the pad.
The memory of this flight will stay with me for a long time.
Sultan Ismail
You ask for one, so be it, must just say there are three including that first solo, however in deference to Whirly here goes.
After flying as a PPL well into the 4th decade I turned to the helicopter and the challenge of a PPL(H), all went well for several hours, flying in the cruise and in the circuit requires similar positional awareness as in a fixed wing and when it flies, well it flies like a fixed wing, but Oh My God, the HOVER
after 5 hours of all sorts of flying the instructor said "not a problem, if you are not hovering at 10 hours then there is a problem".Came lesson eight and I asked to concentrate on the hover, well good people of Pprune I can tell you at the end of the lesson I was hovering that aircraft within a metre circle for 5 minutes at a time.
The secret formula, which I can only state on Jet Blast, really worked, and I did indeed feel ten feet tall when we got back to the pad.
The memory of this flight will stay with me for a long time.
Sultan Ismail
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Might sound a bit tame, but ...
For me it was the first flight, post-qualification, with a passenger. I.e. I'd set myself a goal of taking my wife flying, and, after checking out the aeroplane, and checking everything else I could think of, finally took off with her in the right seat.
Tracked east from Sherburn to the Humber Bridge, NE to Hornsea, up to Scarborough, W to Kirkbymoorside (orbiting over our house enroute) and south past Wombleton, Castle Howard, York and back to Sherburn via Selby.
Flight enjoyed greatly by both of us, and the sense of achievement was amazing.
For me it was the first flight, post-qualification, with a passenger. I.e. I'd set myself a goal of taking my wife flying, and, after checking out the aeroplane, and checking everything else I could think of, finally took off with her in the right seat.
Tracked east from Sherburn to the Humber Bridge, NE to Hornsea, up to Scarborough, W to Kirkbymoorside (orbiting over our house enroute) and south past Wombleton, Castle Howard, York and back to Sherburn via Selby.
Flight enjoyed greatly by both of us, and the sense of achievement was amazing.