1st flight ever

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AdamSte81

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AdamSte81
Hi,

My wife has scheduled a 30 minute discovery flight for me for Father's Day, I can't wait. I am a little nervous, I guess it's normal, and super excited. I guess I was just wondering what to expect and how much control they usually give you of the aircraft (I know all schools are different, but in general). I believe (not sure) that I am going to be flying in a Diamond Star DA-20, I have youtubed some videos of them and it looks like a great plane for a first flight. Anyway, glad to be a member here and can't wait for my first flight and hopefully many more in the future!!

Adam
 
You'll probably get a pre-flight lesson - a little about what the different parts of the airplane do, how it works, and how to do a pre-flight inspection. You'll probably be allowed to taxi, and probably be allowed to do the takeoff. You'll control the airplane in flight - and end up looking at all the gauges and bells and whistles instead of enjoying the view outside. Then you'll probably be allowed to touch the controls while the instructor lands the plane.

My advice - don't do it. Go to a water park and spend the day on the paddle boat instead. Otherwise you'll get sucked into flying, take lessons, get your Private, spend all day on forums, forget to shave ( and THAT's just the women! ), fly every chance you have a couple extra bucks in your wallet, forget your kid's birthdays, ... It's vicious!

Oh - and welcome to the board!
 
AdamSte81 said:
Hi,

My wife has scheduled a 30 minute discovery flight for me for Father's Day, I can't wait. I am a little nervous, I guess it's normal, and super excited. I guess I was just wondering what to expect and how much control they usually give you of the aircraft (I know all schools are different, but in general). I believe (not sure) that I am going to be flying in a Diamond Star DA-20, I have youtubed some videos of them and it looks like a great plane for a first flight. Anyway, glad to be a member here and can't wait for my first flight and hopefully many more in the future!!

Adam
Click to expand...

The DA-20 is an awesome airplane. Perfect for learning the basics of flight. My advice would be to try to enjoy the flight rather than trying to retain everything that you are told. The instructor will likely go over a bunch of stuff and it will seem overwhelming to you. Some instructors will let you go through the motions of takeoff and landing while others will do it almost entirely to themselves. Once airborne, however, you should be doing most of the flying by yourself. (With the instructors guidance and example, obviously) If you are so focused on trying to remember every little thing he tells you, you will miss the magic of flight that is happening right in front of you. The discovery flight is about getting a feel for everything and seeing if it is in your best interest to continue the training. Don't sweat it, just go out and have fun. And welcome to PoA.
 
Just relax and enjoy the flight ! Welcome and happy fathers day .
 
You will almost certainly be controlling the airplane 100 feet off the ground or higher. Beyond that varies. You are very unlikely to land, but you might do some combination of taxi, takeoff, or radio work. It's all according to the instructor's judgment.

I'd suggest a bit more than 30 minutes. You won't get to fly around much if it's less than an hour.

I'd suggest a less technically sophisticated aircraft to start, like a Cessna 152. Flashy panels can easily become distractions, and the fundamentals are the same for all airplanes. Many of us have done some training with the electrical system turned off (they will fly just fine that way!).
 
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I can only echo what's already been said: Enjoy the flight and don't worry too much about learning every little bit of it. You'll have plenty of time for that later so just look outside and take it all in. Have fun!
 
Welcome Adam. I''m curious as to what part of the country you're in? If it's anywhere really warm, you may want to try and schedule the flight for either very early in the morning, or perhaps just before sunset. This will help to maximize comfort and really allow you to enjoy the flight. I decided to take a lesson, on a whim, nearly 3 years ago and I'm now on my second airplane, it's been a wonderful experience. Let us know how it goes.
 
:no::no: DON'T DO IT :no::no:

The Surgeon General has determined that discovery flights are a gateway drug. Be forewarned. :sosp:

Seriously, it's called a discovery flight for a reason. You'll either love it or hate it. If you hate it, well it's over. If you love it, well it's never over.....and I mean never.

One things for sure, I've never known anyone come back from one indifferent.
 
Thanks for all the replies! I live about 30 min NE of Atlanta and we will be taking off around 3:30pm. The entire lesson is an hour but they said to allot 20-30 min for pre-flight check, etc....and so we'll be up there for around 30-40 minutes. The DA-20 looks like a great plane, only heard good things about it so far......I have a feeling my next hurdle is going to be financing $7,000 for my lessons and private pilot licence. :lol:
 
MAKG1 said:
You will almost certainly be controlling the airplane 100 feet off the ground or higher. Beyond that varies. You are very unlikely to land, but you might do some combination of taxi, takeoff, or radio work. It's all according to the instructor's judgment.

I'd suggest a bit more than 30 minutes. You won't get to fly around much if it's less than an hour.

I'd suggest a less technically sophisticated aircraft to start, like a Cessna 152. Flashy panels can easily become distractions, and the fundamentals are the same for all airplanes. Many of us have done some training with the electrical system turned off (they will fly just fine that way!).
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say the DA-20 is more sophisticated than the 152 per se. I don't think a fuel injected engine really adds to the overall complexity and other than that, the features are basically the same. (assuming we're not talking about an Aspen avionics upgrade on this 20)
 
Matthew said:
You'll probably get a pre-flight lesson - a little about what the different parts of the airplane do, how it works, and how to do a pre-flight inspection. You'll probably be allowed to taxi, and probably be allowed to do the takeoff. You'll control the airplane in flight - and end up looking at all the gauges and bells and whistles instead of enjoying the view outside. Then you'll probably be allowed to touch the controls while the instructor lands the plane.

My advice - don't do it. Go to a water park and spend the day on the paddle boat instead. Otherwise you'll get sucked into flying, take lessons, get your Private, spend all day on forums, forget to shave ( and THAT's just the women! ), fly every chance you have a couple extra bucks in your wallet, forget your kid's birthdays, ... It's vicious!

Oh - and welcome to the board!
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
AdamSte81 said:
Thanks for all the replies! I live about 30 min NE of Atlanta and we will be taking off around 3:30pm. The entire lesson is an hour but they said to allot 20-30 min for pre-flight check, etc....and so we'll be up there for around 30-40 minutes. The DA-20 looks like a great plane, only heard good things about it so far......I have a feeling my next hurdle is going to be financing $7,000 for my lessons and private pilot licence. :lol:
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$7000 sounds somewhat low. Don't assume 40 hours; that's usually unrealistic.

It's gonna be bumpy that time of day. Not unsafe unless there are thunderstorms going by, but it does add variables to a first flight. I recommend doing this as early as possible. Sunrise is best, but you'll never get an instructor to roll out of bed that early.
 
AdamSte81 said:
Hi,

My wife has scheduled a 30 minute discovery flight for me for Father's Day, I can't wait. I am a little nervous, I guess it's normal, and super excited. I guess I was just wondering what to expect and how much control they usually give you of the aircraft (I know all schools are different, but in general). I believe (not sure) that I am going to be flying in a Diamond Star DA-20, I have youtubed some videos of them and it looks like a great plane for a first flight. Anyway, glad to be a member here and can't wait for my first flight and hopefully many more in the future!!

Adam
Click to expand...

You'll probably get a lot of time flying and you should enjoy every second! Only tip is look outside while flying and don't stare at the insturmant panel. During my intro flight, I was literally looking at the panel so much that when people asked me how pretty it was up there I had to say, " well its nice but I was trying to not crash the plane and just looked at the instruments!" Nearly 125 hours later, I've realized to look outside and enjoy the view! :)
 
MAKG1 said:
I'd suggest a less technically sophisticated aircraft to start, like a Cessna 152. Flashy panels can easily become distractions, and the fundamentals are the same for all airplanes. Many of us have done some training with the electrical system turned off (they will fly just fine that way!).
Click to expand...

Depends. I finished up my private in a DA20 (started in brand spanking awesome 180hp C172S) - and I LOVED THAT PLANE.

C'mon, you don't do intro rides in a C150 unless that's the only ride in the school.

Adam - you'll love it!

PS Ah the memories... Long solo xc - UGN-OSH-SUE-UGN
 

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LandSickness said:
:no::no: DON'T DO IT :no::no:

The Surgeon General has determined that discovery flights are a gateway drug. Be forewarned. :sosp:

Seriously, it's called a discovery flight for a reason. You'll either love it or hate it. If you hate it, well it's over. If you love it, well it's never over.....and I mean never.

One things for sure, I've never known anyone come back from one indifferent.
Click to expand...

Spot on. Even after having my right hand and parts of both feet, I still thirst for flight.
 
AdamSte81 said:
I have a feeling my next hurdle is going to be financing $7,000 for my lessons and private pilot licence. :lol:
Click to expand...

This seems to be on the steep side, but maybe that is the cost at doing it all in a DA-20. I'm living in one of the most expensive places in the US to live, and I went from 0 - PPL for WELL under that pricetag you mentioned. Heck, using those numbers, I would have $$ left over for the wife to go get another Louis Vuitton purse...... and we know we can't let our wives know there is that type of extra $ just laying around!!
 
My wife bought me a discovery flight a few years ago for Christmas. If she had realized that would lead to us owning a plane six months later, I bet she would have had second thoughts :)

I call it "our" plane. She calls it my plane.
 
AdamSte81 said:
Hi,

My wife has scheduled a 30 minute discovery flight for me for Father's Day, I can't wait. I am a little nervous, I guess it's normal, and super excited. I guess I was just wondering what to expect and how much control they usually give you of the aircraft (I know all schools are different, but in general). I believe (not sure) that I am going to be flying in a Diamond Star DA-20, I have youtubed some videos of them and it looks like a great plane for a first flight. Anyway, glad to be a member here and can't wait for my first flight and hopefully many more in the future!!

Adam
Click to expand...

With me you'd be controlling it 95% of the flight, with a little assistance from me where needed. Enjoy it! Then prepare to figure out where to sneak the $8K to get your license. The intro flight will count towards your hours.
 
KeyWestPhotog said:
This seems to be on the steep side, but maybe that is the cost at doing it all in a DA-20. I'm living in one of the most expensive places in the US to live, and I went from 0 - PPL for WELL under that pricetag you mentioned. Heck, using those numbers, I would have $$ left over for the wife to go get another Louis Vuitton purse...... and we know we can't let our wives know there is that type of extra $ just laying around!!
Click to expand...

It can be less, but better to prepare for the outside number. My kid paid $1,500 for his PPL...but he was able to con his way into a free airplane and free instructor!
 
LDJones said:
It can be less, but better to prepare for the outside number. My kid paid $1,500 for his PPL...but he was able to con his way into a free airplane and free instructor!
Click to expand...

I would like to volunteer to be your son for the duration of my IR training. Does that work for you?
 
david0tey said:
I would like to volunteer to be your son for the duration of my IR training. Does that work for you?
Click to expand...
I already have that, but I volunteer be your brother for the ME, CFI, CFII and MEI
 
I too did the bulk of my training in the DA20. Things I liked about it...

* Out climbing the C150 that just took off ahead of us on a hot August day
* The view out the wrap around canopy
* The ultra sophisticated way of measuring the amount of fuel in the tank before departure.
* Learning with a stick versus the yoke (more natural to me).
* The speed for the small HP and fuel burn)

If you continue your training in the DA20, just keep in mind that that glider designed wing likes to fly. Learn your approach speeds and stick with them. If you come in faster, that wing will not want to land and will float you down the runway a bit further than you were planning for.

But it is a great trainer plane and you'll have a great time.
 
Don' t get mezmerized by the magic on the panel in front of you, whatever it may be. Look outside, enjoy the view, observe the relationship between the nose and the horizon, and the wingtips and the horizon, with only an occasional glance at the panel to observe airspeed and rate of climb.
 
Matthew said:
....
My advice - don't do it. Go to a water park and spend the day on the paddle boat instead. Otherwise you'll get sucked into flying, take lessons, get your Private, spend all day on forums, forget to shave ( and THAT's just the women! ), fly every chance you have a couple extra bucks in your wallet, forget your kid's birthdays, ... It's vicious!

Oh - and welcome to the board!
Click to expand...

Yeah..He is right..DON'T do it!!! Since my first flight I would gladly trade 2 weekS eating instant oatmeal for 2 hours of HOBBS time!!!!!:yikes:
 
It is an okay experience.... Ah I can't do it, you are going to get hooked man, hooked i tell you. It is an experience you'll never forget and will want more and go for it and don't back down if its what you want.

Have a great day and good luck.
 
itll run you anywhere from 7500 - 10k depending on where you live and what your flying and how long it takes you maybe more.. im in the middle of my process right now getting my ppl

Written - $140.0
Checkride - $500 for DPE and at least 2 hours of plane.. $700 day but hell well worth it at the end
$headset depending on what you get 100 - $1100.00 for Bose.
Insurance roughly $300.00 -400.00
Log Book fuel tester.. and written prep stuff about 150.00 i did gleim online for 99.99
$140.00 an hour for 152 and an instructor. at least 20 hours of that then 10 solo and whatever else you need..
 
MAKG1 said:
You will almost certainly be controlling the airplane 100 feet off the ground or higher. Beyond that varies. You are very unlikely to land, but you might do some combination of taxi, takeoff, or radio work. It's all according to the instructor's judgment.
Click to expand...

On my discovery flight the instructor must be a fan of the sink-or-swim method. :) He had me taxi, and basically control yoke/rudder for the entire flight (he handled throttle, and a little bit of steering when I went a bit too far off-center). I don't think he even had his hands on the yoke. It was great though, and now I'm up to 3 hours and practically checking the TAF hourly just to see when the next flight conditions are up!

Oh, and hello all - I just signed up on the board.
 
There isn't much point checking the TAF hourly when they only change every six hours. Do you mean the METAR? Big difference.
 
MAKG1 said:
There isn't much point checking the TAF hourly when they only change every six hours. Do you mean the METAR? Big difference.
Click to expand...

Suppose you could let stuff like that slide?

A guy has 3 flights and a ton of enthusiasm. Celebrate and welcome. Don't condescend and criticize.

If you really cared, you could write a simple definition and use of the terms. You did not care to share knowledge, just to try and make a budding pilot feel unworthy.
 
My first flight I spent most of the time looking out the window, which is exactly what I wanted and I told the CFI that and even though he was urging me to take the controls more I wanted a "sight-seeing flight" (I wanted to finally be able to look out the windshield of an airplane through all phases of flight)...my second flight I did do most of the flying...

...and I got hooked
 
MAKG1 said:
There isn't much point checking the TAF hourly when they only change every six hours. Do you mean the METAR? Big difference.
Click to expand...

Not sure why I'd check a METAR to see if weather will be good for the next day's flight...

Besides, if I didn't check the TAF hourly I'd have to check my watch every five minutes to see if the next TAF should be up! :)
 
Enjoy your flight, I have a few hours in a DA20 and it is a great little plane. Comfortable, flys well and flying with a stick as opposed to a yoke is fun as well.

The good news is you will see how well a plane can glide, if I remember correctly you virtually cut power at the numbers to get the plane to come out of the air, the DA20 loves to fly and will try to keep you in the air all day long. It will be obvious that they have the heritage of a glider.

I enjoyed the time I spent in the DA20, hope you do too.

Good luck
Rick

BTW, I also refer to the Tiger as "our" plane and my wife calls it "my" plane. Silly wives.
 
rich0 said:
Not sure why I'd check a METAR to see if weather will be good for the next day's flight...

Besides, if I didn't check the TAF hourly I'd have to check my watch every five minutes to see if the next TAF should be up! :)
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:rofl::rofl:
Welcome !
 
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