1.4 hours of something I've waited for a long time

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flightmedic

Pre-takeoff checklist
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flightmedic
Just a little background. I am a flightmedic on a fire department based helicopter. I have always had a desire to get my PPL. I thought this was going to start much later but the oppertunity came and I jumped all over it. I have a friend who is a helicopter pilot for Uncle Sam and recently came home from his deployment. Well, surprise, surprise, he is a CFI and we talked about it and he offered to train me for the cost of a plane rental. I bought Sportys Complete Private Pilot Course several months ago as a head start.

Finally after a long time waiting I received my first flight lesson. After 3 hours of ground lessons, we climbed into a Cessna 172R and the world as I knew changed for ever. After a through pre-flight, we started with what can only be described as a feeble attempt to taxi down to runway 6. My CFI then did the run up while describing what he was doing. I had very little do here but he described everything and showed me exactly what he was doing. then he took off, again with a detailed description of what was done.

Once in the air he gave me control and had me level off at 1000 feet. From this point we did some turns and some level flight which I realized is far harder than it looks. When I began to descend when I was supposed to stay level, I figured it was easy enough as saying "we're descending!!!" What a surprise when he said "so fix it." That's when it hit me, I was really flying and needed to learn this stuff. Holy crap!

So after a westerly flight consisting of following a heading, climbing to 2000 feet then 3000 feet with the obligatory turns and level flight training we descended into the pattern of 28J and he did the landing where we came to a full stop long enough for me to take the controls for some taxiing and then he said "OK, take off." luckily for the both of us, we talked about it and he helped me as we took off and climbed to 200 feet.

As we skirted two thunderstorms, we headed back to the beach where I made my biggest mistake. As we approached the beach from due west I made a coordinated turn but suddenly we began to loose altitude. It all happened so fast it is hard to describe it. I guess I was supposed pull back on the yoke but didn't. I thought we were dead. But obviously my CFI talked me through it and in the end it worked out, albeit, 500 feet lower but we lived for another day.

We then flew back to XFL with my usual unsteady flight and he again took the controls to make an uneventful landing. I brought the plane home with a decent taxiing back to it's hanger where I was allowed to take a full breath and call it a day.

It was a "Holy Crap" day that I will never forget. I realized how many things you need to coordinate just to make a simple turn or to climb. I have to say it was crazy as it could be but I can't wait for second lesson. Sorry for such a long read, but I'm a bit high on life right now and drunk on Absolute so I tend to ramble. Thanks for listening.
 
We've all been there. It does seem like a lot to take in when you're starting out but once you develop "your scan" of the instruments, it comes to you rather quickly. My advice would be to really study the panel of 172 to get into your head what instrument is where. Work on moving your eyes from outside the airplane, to inside the airplane (AI, VSI, Altimeter, etc). Once you become more comfortable with that, you can actually take the time to enjoy flying.
 
You are experiencing what it's all about! Congrats and enjoy. It only gets better and better from here. Wait until you solo and do your cross countries. Fun times ahead.
 
Thanks all for the words of encouragement. I am going to bed because I'm a bit drunk and will so much enjoy this tomorrow as well. Thanks again.
 
PBristolJr said:
Sweet, keep on it. Remember the horizontal component of lift makes the plane turn!
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And is subtracted from the vertical component. (Kinda have to add that for someone really really new. He will eventually see it on his ground school books... we take it for granted... Can't turn without losing some vertical lift... Have to either trade airspeed for lift by increasing angle of attack (pulling) or adding more power...)

Great write-up. Looking forward to hearing more as the "ah-ha! Moments" start to pile up. ;)
 
Great writeup. It takes me back to when I was first learning myself! After a while, you will find that you don't need to put as much conscious thought into all of this. Eventually, it will become second nature. That's a good time to look at starting the instrument training, where it can start all over again! :)
 
I remember my intro flight. I thought I was hot stuff because I thought I had the basics down since I played flight sim for years.

Well, I wasn't. Could barely land the darn thing. I did okay, but I've come a looooonnnng way.

Keep at it and don't give up!
 
One of the components of any training is student overload. Don't become discouraged if it seems overwhelming at times. Man in not designed to fly, it is a learned skill for everyone, except Henning. :rofl:

Be patient, study hard, and most important.... try and relax and enjoy the process.
 
Nice job telling us about your experience. Took me back to around this time last year when I was just starting learning how to fly and your struggles were some of the same stuff I struggled with. Now a year later I have my PPL and am still loving every second of it!

Word of advice, don't stare at the instruments when you are learning. You have to be able to develop a sight picture of what level flight looks like by comparing the nose of the plane with the horizon. My instructors drilled this into my head and I'm so glad they did because once you get accustomed to knowing if you are decending simply by looking outside everything will get easier. Most important thing is to just eat up everything your CFI has to tell you and enjoy the journey, it's certainly an amazing one!
 
Because we grow up in a transportation world - bikes/cars/buses/trains/airlines - we have this expectation that using a machine to move about is easy, relaxed, second nature, ho-hum... We live in a safe world where the crossing lights control the traffic and the only danger is from some idiot breaking the traffic rules...

And that first time at the yoke when the little person inside of your head suddenly realizes that Mother Nature is uncaring and impersonal and that 'yes, you can die right here', comes as a shock...

Good luck to you....
 
I think I remember some of your posts last year. I'm really happy for you that you're flying now. It will humble you and make you feel like a klutz at first, but before you know it, you will be wondering why that guy had to be sitting in that other seat.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted.
 
Ah, ready for another "Dime Bag" soon I guess. ;) Congrats on your first logable flight in an airplane. Glad you had the time that you expected it to be. Have fun and keep me updated.

Your friendly "Crack Dealer" in NJ
 
Congrats, FlightMedic! Good write-up - reminds me of my first "small airplane" flight. It was about 13 years ago, Went to the airport and said I wanted to learn to fly. As we walked to the plane, I told the CFI that I am scared to death of heights, but love flying in the big jets, so want to try it in the small planes.

He did the take off, then gave it to me. I white-knuckled the yoke. He told me relax, I told him I was. ;) He told me one hand. I put my left hand on the armrest of the C-152 door. He said no, need right hand for throttle. White-knuckled left hand on yoke and right hand on throttle. He told me sit on my hands, his airplane.

I sat on my hands, and he put his hands on the panel, as we climbed, and kept them there for a good two minutes while he was convincing me how stable the airplane is. Once we got up and leveled off, I took it again. I loved it after that.

Divorce killed my chances of affording to continue. Then in 2007 I started taking Sport Pilot lessons, and after two lessons logging 3 hours, my second wife decided she was done, and the lawyers got the money. Next time I start lessons, there will be no stopping me.
 
OK. Sober now. Thanks again for all the kind words and making me realize I am not the only one that has ever struggled in the beginning. I sometimes forget I was a new paramedic once and how it felt to care for my first true emergency. Flying that plane yesterday was a lot like that nearly 25 years ago.

As stated above, I was told several times to look out the window and don't stare at the gauges. I would push the throttle in when I was supposed to pull it out and the same for the trim; I would turn it the wrong way. I thought several times that I will never be able to do this. But, I know it will get easier just as it did those many years ago and one day I will be as comfortable in the plane as I am in the ambulance. For now, I can't wait until my next flight.
 
I almost dropped out when I first started and am very glad I didnt. Its just a matter of getting comfortable in the pit and building a feel for the plane.
 
flightmedic said:
OK. Sober now. Thanks again for all the kind words and making me realize I am not the only one that has ever struggled in the beginning. I sometimes forget I was a new paramedic once and how it felt to care for my first true emergency. Flying that plane yesterday was a lot like that nearly 25 years ago.
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Wow, does that bring back memories. One of my first EMS jobs was in an ER (had done transfers on ambo, but never had a trauma prior), and the first trauma that I dealt with was on midnights... If it weren't for the X-ray tech who was on that night, who had moved up from ER after going to X-ray school, I don't know what I'd have done. That patient died, though, and I will never. Ever. Forget his name. That was in 1992.
 
flightmedic said:
OK. Sober now. Thanks again for all the kind words and making me realize I am not the only one that has ever struggled in the beginning. I sometimes forget I was a new paramedic once and how it felt to care for my first true emergency. Flying that plane yesterday was a lot like that nearly 25 years ago.

As stated above, I was told several times to look out the window and don't stare at the gauges. I would push the throttle in when I was supposed to pull it out and the same for the trim; I would turn it the wrong way. I thought several times that I will never be able to do this. But, I know it will get easier just as it did those many years ago and one day I will be as comfortable in the plane as I am in the ambulance. For now, I can't wait until my next flight.
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Here I am, been flying single engine fixed wing some 22 years, just venturing into helicopter flying. The intro was just a few trips around the patch with the instructor at the controls close to the ground and me taking over at 100'. That was some nice flying. Fast forward to actual training and trying to hover. I damned near quit that day. Helicopters weren't meant to do the things it did that day.
I'm still at it and trying to figure out how best to fund the next 20 hours or so to get my rotor add on.
We've all been rookies at some time in our life. Good write up and stay at it. You'll do fine.
 
Congratulations on your first lesson! Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) you described is something most if not all of us experienced on our first flights, too... right down to the "wait, you mean I have to fix this?" sensation.

Also nice to see Palatka and Flagler mentioned here. Those were my solo CC airports! (My avatar pic was taken on the ramp at XFL, complete with my "I just flew into a busy, unfamiliar airport ALL BY MYSELF" grin. Just wait 'til you're able to do the same!)
 
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Been down to XFL a bunch. If you fly outta Flagler you must be in their Astar. You need to get up front on that sometime. That will open your eyes to just how hard it is to control a helicopter. I've often wished our paramedics could get an intro up front in our helicopter. They'd stop making fun of my landings if they did!
 
Great write up and look forward to reading about more of your experiences.
 
Geico266 said:
One of the components of any training is student overload. Don't become discouraged if it seems overwhelming at times. Man in not designed to fly, it is a learned skill for everyone, except Henning. :rofl:

Be patient, study hard, and most important.... try and relax and enjoy the process.
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Nah, I had to learn it, learning stuff like this is just faster and easier if you're not afraid to die.
 
Dude, I thought I took off all by myself on my very first lesson, only to find out - SEVEN LESSONS LATER - that my seventh lesson was my very first unassisted takeoff (and I only found out because I asked why we went left and right and up and down all at once during takeoff).

You are doing great, trust me! And it took me forever to stop taxi'ing with my hands. I don't think I did my first landing unassisted for about 12-15 lessons.
 
LJS1993 said:
Man that is hardcore Henning......freakin hardcore man. :D
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Welcome to reality when you realize that the purpose of life is the experience and the though it creates information with. Thought is the only thing we emit to the universe, and the more intense the experience the greater brain wave energy we emit (I figured this part out when I was 4 hooked up to an EEG machine:rofl:). When we die, our only lasting legacy really is the information that our thoughts produced that was reordered through space time into the universe. The phrase that we live in the world we create is more true than most imagine.
 
Henning said:
Welcome to reality when you realize that the purpose of life is the experience and the though it creates information with. Thought is the only thing we emit to the universe, and the more intense the experience the greater brain wave energy we emit (I figured this part out when I was 4 hooked up to an EEG machine:rofl:). When we die, our only lasting legacy really is the information that our thoughts produced that was reordered through space time into the universe. The phrase that we live in the world we create is more true than most imagine.
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Why does Bob Dillon come mind.
 
Henning said:
Nah, I had to learn it, learning stuff like this is just faster and easier if you're not afraid to die.
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I agree 100%. I don't have a death wish, and I'm sure I'd p*** my pants if I was staring it in the face, but it's not something I worry about. Makes flying airplanes and riding motorcycles so much easier. Some of my friends think I'm nuts, but I'm just busy having fun and enjoying life while it lasts.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Dude, I thought I took off all by myself on my very first lesson, only to find out - SEVEN LESSONS LATER - that my seventh lesson was my very first unassisted takeoff (and I only found out because I asked why we went left and right and up and down all at once during takeoff).

You are doing great, trust me! And it took me forever to stop taxi'ing with my hands. I don't think I did my first landing unassisted for about 12-15 lessons.
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I think it comes down to how willing your CFI is to let you push it. My CFI was the type to let you bounce the plane 10 feet in the air and land in a crab with sideways drift so we started squealing tires and swerving all over the runway. It was great for me, because I quickly learned the consequences of messing up. He wouldn't take over unless absolutely necessary. I've flown with other CFI's that grab the controls much earlier, and I can't blame them.

I did the takeoff on my first lesson, and I'm assuming that my CFI added some right rudder (although I'm not sure). Other than that he let me pull the nose up way to high and just said "not so high". I don't think he touched the control wheel the entire lesson until we turned base to final.
 
Henning said:
Welcome to reality when you realize that the purpose of life is the experience and the though it creates information with. Thought is the only thing we emit to the universe, and the more intense the experience the greater brain wave energy we emit (I figured this part out when I was 4 hooked up to an EEG machine:rofl:). When we die, our only lasting legacy really is the information that our thoughts produced that was reordered through space time into the universe. The phrase that we live in the world we create is more true than most imagine.
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Nice, very nice. I believe I get what you mean.
 
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