Discovery Flight- Sunday afternoon

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wdewg88

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WDEwg88
Long time reader- first time poster.

I just took my first discovery flight a couple of nights ago. Everything went really well- I handled the radios on the ground, taxied to the runway, got clearance, and took off. I don't think I had a ton of control input from the instructor. Years of flight simulator on the computer and watching 100's of Youtube videos came in handy. We flew around, circled my house and then headed back- entered the pattern, and I did most of the landing. I'm sure he was helping some.

But, the disconcerting thing was that I was pretty nervous on the take off roll and very shaky/uncomfortable on climb out. Granted, there was a 7-10 kt crosswind so as soon as we rotated we sort of bounced sideways as we climbed. Same thing on the descent as the buffeting around by the wind currents made me uneasy. I knew I should expect it, and that the plane wouldn't out of the sky in my head, but my body was sending different signals.

The question is- does that anxious feeling dissipate over time the more you do it? Or was that a good sign that flying GA aircraft is something better left for the computer/daydreaming?

Thanks for the help!
 
Man is terrestrial....can't hack it in the air or beneath the seas without outside help. Perfectly normal reaction, which will disappear in no time as you continue to explore the wonders of flight. If you stay at it long enough it can become just another job: "Ho hum, here I am at 20,000 feet without a cloud in the sky above (but maybe some below). Wonder what's for lunch."

Bob
 
wdewg88 said:
does that anxious feeling dissipate over time the more you do it?
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How nervous were you (or your kids) the first time they rode a bicycle?

Then 10 rides later, how normal did it feel feel to just hop on and go?

So yes... the anxiety is soon replace by the thrill and excitement.
 
bobmrg said:
Man is terrestrial....can't hack it in the air or beneath the seas without outside help. Perfectly normal reaction, which will disappear in no time as you continue to explore the wonders of flight. If you stay at it long enough it can become just another job: "Ho hum, here I am at 20,000 feet without a cloud in the sky above (but maybe some below). Wonder what's for lunch."

Bob
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Yup. Nothing in our evolution prepared humans for flying. The "instincts" don't apply. Much of what you learn is overcoming basic earthbound survival instincts. A little repetition and it starts becoming a little more natural. Sounds to me like you had a great first flight.
 
Completely normal, your brain is sending signals that's what u r doing is not normal and u can get hurt. Do it enough times, and it becomes the new normal. When I started training I was terrified of banking. I knew very week the plane would just not fall out of the sky, but every time I banked, I got this uncanny feeling that the door would open, the seat belt would rip off and I will fall. With enough practice it went away and not it feels normal and pulling 2g is lot of fun. Oh, I also ended up buying a piper, so there is no chance if the door opening...there ain't any door on the left

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Thanks all. I feel a lot better about it. Now to find the time and money!


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The feeling will start going away the more you fly. Then once your solo it comes back a bit just because you don't have that person on the right seat to save your ass lol. But I enjoy the bumps and thermals now.
 
Every once in a while, I get a little panic attack thinking the wings might snap off.

But it goes away quickly. :D

Seriously, though, the tensions will ease as the Hobbs hours pile up. One of my favorite aspects of flight is making all the little corrections on final approach....so much more involving than when you're stabilized for cruise.

Enjoy the process!
 
wdewg88 said:
Long time reader- first time poster.

I just took my first discovery flight a couple of nights ago. Everything went really well- I handled the radios on the ground, taxied to the runway, got clearance, and took off. I don't think I had a ton of control input from the instructor. Years of flight simulator on the computer and watching 100's of Youtube videos came in handy. We flew around, circled my house and then headed back- entered the pattern, and I did most of the landing. I'm sure he was helping some.

But, the disconcerting thing was that I was pretty nervous on the take off roll and very shaky/uncomfortable on climb out. Granted, there was a 7-10 kt crosswind so as soon as we rotated we sort of bounced sideways as we climbed. Same thing on the descent as the buffeting around by the wind currents made me uneasy. I knew I should expect it, and that the plane wouldn't out of the sky in my head, but my body was sending different signals.

The question is- does that anxious feeling dissipate over time the more you do it? Or was that a good sign that flying GA aircraft is something better left for the computer/daydreaming?

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
You probably just picked a bad day for a first flight. You get used to the mild bumps but for first timers it can be alarming. Go again on a calmer day, earlier in the morning or late.
 
exncsurfer said:
You probably just picked a bad day for a first flight. You get used to the mild bumps but for first timers it can be alarming. Go again on a calmer day, earlier in the morning or late.
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I doubt it. Sounds like a pretty modest crosswind.

Some locations are more prone to bumps than others, particularly if there is some transition in the terrain nearby (like a lakeshore or forest edge). But even those end up being second nature after a bit.
 
Yes- we had to scrub the flight 2 times that weekend due to weather (trop storm coming through)- so although it clear to fly, there was a 12-13 knot crosswind. I think that was what I felt right after rotation.


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Your pretty lucky...if you feel any turbulence at all you should turn back. Could of ripped the wings right off that thing.





Just kidding :p I still have a bit of fear of turbulence myself
 
CC268 said:
Your pretty lucky...if you feel any turbulence at all you should turn back. Could of ripped the wings right off that thing.
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It's not nice to scare new pilots.

The wings (and the rest of the airplane) are rated to 3.8G at maximum weight. That's a hell of a lot. For turbulence to get that nasty, you would be thrown around the cockpit, and anything loose would be flying violently.

The worst turbulence I've encountered IRL is classified as "moderate," meaning just enough to whack my head on the ceiling. It takes significant winds interacting with terrain, or weather, to do that. That's the practical limit for flying as it gets really uncomfortable, but it's still nowhere near the airplane's limits. The number of times this has happened is in the single digits.

Most of us will never exceed 2G ever, outside of aerobatics.
 
No worries MAKG1- I knew it was a joke. However, that does touch on the thing that bugged me (less so now after reading all these replies)- -is that in my head, I logically knew that the wings would stay on/we'd fly and climb no problem. But when we pitched a little sideways and bumped along up to cruise-- I was disconcerted that my brain was having trouble convincing the rest of my gut and body that it was all fine. The "riding a bike" analogy probably hits the nail on the head. It's just the lack of doing it previously, and with time and experiencing it over and over- it will get better or just go away altogether.
 
MAKG1 said:
It's not nice to scare new pilots.

The wings (and the rest of the airplane) are rated to 3.8G at maximum weight. That's a hell of a lot. For turbulence to get that nasty, you would be thrown around the cockpit, and anything loose would be flying.

The worst turbulence I've encountered IRL is classified as "moderate," meaning just enough to whack my head on the ceiling. It takes significant winds interacting with terrain, or weather, to do that. That's the practical limit for flying as it gets really uncomfortable, but it's still nowhere near the airplane's limits.

Most of us will never exceed 2G ever, outside of aerobatics.
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Cmon MAK I was just kidding...

I've hit my head once in a 172 but it was a brief encounter.

And yep...I experienced a few Gs during my aerobatic course in the Great Lakes...it was a good time
 
CC268 said:
I've hit my head once in a 172 but it was a brief encounter.
Click to expand...

I'll bet THAT will teach you not to wear an unmodified ball cap....

I just had it happen a few days ago on approach to Reno. I flew into the wake of Mt. Rose in 20 knot winds (stupid -- I knew what the wind was doing) trying unnecessarily to stay off the extended centerlines for departing traffic. Reno just isn't that busy, so I should have just not worried about it.
 
wdewg88 said:
No worries MAKG1- I knew it was a joke. However, that does touch on the thing that bugged me (less so now after reading all these replies)- -is that in my head, I logically knew that the wings would stay on/we'd fly and climb no problem. But when we pitched a little sideways and bumped along up to cruise-- I was disconcerted that my brain was having trouble convincing the rest of my gut and body that it was all fine. The "riding a bike" analogy probably hits the nail on the head. It's just the lack of doing it previously, and with time and experiencing it over and over- it will get better or just go away altogether.
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a bumpy ride is not enjoyable. no one enjoys bumping around in the air. when I first hit alight turbulence it was pretty scary experience. my fear of fall all came back and it took me a while to get adjusted to it. do I like it now? NO. does it bother me anymore? NO. its like driving on gravel, its annoying as hell. get another ride in smooth air, early morning or late evening. a sunset flight will take all your fears away. its majestic. when you start training, talk to your CFI and choose some bumpy days to get used to turbulence with chops. the safety net of CFI will help till u get used to it. I spend quite a bit of time doing that flying in 22G30 winds with moderate chops. I also tried to learn to land in that, that was a bad decision, it needs a lot of skill to land when winds are strong. I am switching to morning flights now and will then get back to mid afternoon flights for x-wind landing.
 
Actually, I kinda enjoyed LIGHT turbulence, from the start, at least at reasonable altitudes. I still do when I get free lift. I fly around mountains a lot, and orographic lift can really make your airplane perform. Once, I climbed in a 172 at over 120 knots. Just Monday, flying around the Sierra near Lake Tahoe, I pegged the VSI a few times climbing at 100 MPH, around 9000 feet indicated altitude (probably 12000 density altitude) in a 182. Of course I went specifically looking for that lift with big rocks like that.

Moderate turbulence is as fun as (and rather similar to) whacking yourself in the head repeatedly with a board.
 
MAKG1 said:
Actually, I kinda enjoyed LIGHT turbulence, from the start, at least at reasonable altitudes. I still do when I get free lift. I fly around mountains a lot, and orographic lift can really make your airplane perform. Once, I climbed in a 172 at over 120 knots. Just Monday, flying around the Sierra near Lake Tahoe, I pegged the VSI a few times climbing at 100 MPH, around 9000 feet indicated altitude (probably 12000 density altitude) in a 182. Of course I went specifically looking for that lift with big rocks like that.

Moderate turbulence is as fun as (and rather similar to) whacking yourself in the head repeatedly with a board.
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Monday I was flying around on a just ploughed field at 500 AGL, that was not fun, whole lot of updrafts . Climb to 3000 included 900 fpm upward vertical speed followed by 400 fpm downdraft. Felt like I was on a really fast elevator, it was pretty fun initially but gets annoying when u have to turn around a point and get bumped around in all directions. I think my CFI wanted to see if I stay engaged or not, which I did, so he said next flight in the morning so u can enjoy a bit as well.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
wdewg88 said:
Years of flight simulator on the computer and watching 100's of Youtube videos came in handy.
Click to expand...
Ha, that made me laugh. As a longtime flightsimmer myself (no Youtube videos back in the 90's), that was one of my biggest eye openers when I took my discovery flight and started lessons. How much these things bounce around and how uncomfortable I was at first. Took me awhile to get used to it enough to really focus on the lesson/task I was learning. Flight simulator had me thinking the air was always smooth o_O.
As others have said, it gets better as your brain accepts the new norm. Some basic aerobatics helped as well.
 
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