My discovery flight

DavidWhite

DavidWhite

Final Approach
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
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7,132
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Olympic Peninsula
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Display name:
DW
I was in California this last week and thought it would be fun to take a discovery flight and pretend I know nothing about airplanes outside of my copious FSXperience. I mean, I fly a 747 online, how hard could a 172 be IRL? (Just an FYI, this was the tone of the entire flight)

My partner in crime, Meliss (PoAs very own), set me up for a discovery flight with the Orange County Flight Center at SNA (John Wayne) in a Cessna 172SP. We showed up for the flight and after following the instructor around the plane while he did the preflight we hopped in. At some point in the journey it was revealed that the instructor took his first flight in November of 2011, and had about 230 hours of flight time (half of what I've got)

He did the taxi, takeoff, and most of the climb but gave me the controls at the top of the climb. We flew down to Oceanside and back - I got to fly the whole way. He complemented me on my altitude holding ability (I was within 20' - when you fly an airplane without an autopilot for almost 500 hours you get pretty good at it) and after using the term "Just like Flight Sim" about 100 times and some coaxing I got the instructor to let me try landing - and I actually landed an airplane on my discovery flight! Just like flight sim!

He taxiied back to the flight school and I ran and got my logbook. I asked if he would sign it, and he did. We chatted for a minute or so and he went to his next student.

Meliss took some pretty good pictures while we were up, too.

This is looking out towards what I'm fairly sure is Catalina Island
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FSXpert at the helm, no need to worry.
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Dana Point, between Laguna Beach and San Clemente
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Just like flight sim!
 
You always have some great experiences David. Love it. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming.
 
I assume you had him sign your real logbook? Sounds like fun :) You could start a website that reviews flight schools on their discovery flight experience, kinda like "undercover shopper".
 
What's even more fun is pretending you have no idea what you're doing. :)
 
DavidWhite said:
I was in California this last week and thought it would be fun to take a discovery flight and pretend I know nothing about airplanes outside of my copious FSXperience. I mean, I fly a 747 online, how hard could a 172 be IRL? (Just an FYI, this was the tone of the entire flight)

My partner in crime, Meliss (PoAs very own), set me up for a discovery flight with the Orange County Flight Center at SNA (John Wayne) in a Cessna 172SP. We showed up for the flight and after following the instructor around the plane while he did the preflight we hopped in. At some point in the journey it was revealed that the instructor took his first flight in November of 2011, and had about 230 hours of flight time (half of what I've got)

He did the taxi, takeoff, and most of the climb but gave me the controls at the top of the climb. We flew down to Oceanside and back - I got to fly the whole way. He complemented me on my altitude holding ability (I was within 20' - when you fly an airplane without an autopilot for almost 500 hours you get pretty good at it) and after using the term "Just like Flight Sim" about 100 times and some coaxing I got the instructor to let me try landing - and I actually landed an airplane on my discovery flight! Just like flight sim!


89a6df4e.jpg
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Heres a tip: if you're going to boast about holding altitudes within 20 feet don't post a picture of yourself over 40 feet off.

Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students. You playing dumb could very well be costing someone money.
 
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Captain said:
Heres a tip: if you're going to boast about holding altitudes withing 20 feet don't post a picture of yourself over 40 feet off.

Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students. You playing dumb could very well be costing someone money.
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I'm sure he owned up and offered to pay the guy the full CFI rate and plane rental and they had a good laugh about it. :wink2:
 
Captain said:
Heres a tip: if you're going to boast about holding altitudes withing 20 feet don't post a picture of yourself over 40 feet off.

Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students. You playing dumb could very well be costing someone money.
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You know I was kind of wondering about this myself. Among pilots is there any unwritten rule about merely going to random airports, claiming you have zero experience, and taking non-stop discovery flights? If I was a CFI and someone did this to me I would be a little ****ed off.
 
Captain said:
Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students. You playing dumb could very well be costing someone money.
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As opposed to all of those people that do intro flights once, with no intention at all of persuing a license?
 
Captain said:
Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students.
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All of the FBOs in my area charge their standard rent and instruction rates on discovery flights. In my humble opinion anyone operating intro flights at a loss is using a bad business practice.
 
None of the flight schools in my area offer any sort of discount for discovery flights. They just charge the regular rental and instructor fee.
 
Well, if it's not for the cheaper rate of an intro flight why bother to misrepresent yourself?
 
Dave, this is POA... If you set yourself up by posting pictures so the eagle eyes can compare your statements to the panel - well guess what... You are gonna take flak on your bombing run...

I make lots of statements ...
I post no pictures - you see, I don't have camera (nervously pushing about 20 pounds of Nikon and Nikkor behind me)
 
DavidWhite said:
20' 40' whatever....still to ATP standards
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David, you have a lot to learn about CYA.

Him: "If you're going to boast about holding altitudes within 20 feet don't post a picture of yourself over 40 feet off."

You: "Oh, that picture was taken just as we'd started a climb. I'd been holding 2000 for a while before that. See? The VSI is still lagging."

:wink2:
 
Jim Logajan said:
All of the FBOs in my area charge their standard rent and instruction rates on discovery flights. In my humble opinion anyone operating intro flights at a loss is using a bad business practice.
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That is true and I think more schools are wising up to that now. It wasn't that way in the past, however.
 
When I think back to when I started training, the discovery flight was advertised at $45, but that was for 30 minutes of flight. Calculated out, that was the hourly cost of the aircraft. I assume the flight school just paid the instructor out of pocket.
 
DaleB said:
David, you have a lot to learn about CYA.

Him: "If you're going to boast about holding altitudes within 20 feet don't post a picture of yourself over 40 feet off."

You: "Oh, that picture was taken just as we'd started a climb. I'd been holding 2000 for a while before that. See? The VSI is still lagging."

:wink2:
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You have a future in politics Dale......... :D
 
Threefingeredjack said:
You have a future in politics Dale......... :D
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Nah. Just management.

Once you reach politics, you lie and say you did it in spite of any evidence to the contrary, and never admit or equivocate.

You wouldn't say, "Oh well, ATP standards." or make up a story about a climb. That's middle-management stuff.

You'd just say, "I did not have sex with that woman."

;)
 
Politics? Not me, not ever. No way in hell. Why? Because I don't want every single thing I have ever done or said in my entire life dragged out and second-guessed by every newspaper and idiot TV hack on the planet. No sane, reasonable person ever would.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, explains why we have the government we do today.
 
DaleB said:
Politics? Not me, not ever. No way in hell. Why? Because I don't want every single thing I have ever done or said in my entire life dragged out and second-guessed by every newspaper and idiot TV hack on the planet. No sane, reasonable person ever would.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, explains why we have the government we do today.
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No, it's the internets fault.
 
Captain said:
Also, FBOs these days are on razor thin budgets. Those introductory flights are often operated at a loss as a means to entice new students. You playing dumb could very well be costing someone money.
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I know people who've done this for introductory helicopter flights, and lost a ton of money doing it.

I think my bigger question would be "What's the point?" But I'm old.
 
David,

I guess you have a little prankster in you.:D

When I started reading your post I was thinking about what Chuck Yeager told about Bob Hoover when he was a young single guy. He had seen a really nice looking young lady instructor that he wanted to meet. He got in the plane with her and started weaving all over the sky breaking into aerobatic maneuvers until she finally figured out she'd been had. I don't remember if the relationship went any farther than that. Made a good story for Chuck's book though.:)

Thanks for the pictures. They're great! I've been to Dana Point, but I don't remember ever seeing it from the air.
 
Well, if he was after a girl then I'd be MUCH more supportive.

; )
 
David, you're a smart aleck kid. Keep doing this kind of thing and we'll have to sick some British guys on you.

Nice photos though.
 
MBDiagMan said:
David,

I guess you have a little prankster in you.:D

When I started reading your post I was thinking about what Chuck Yeager told about Bob Hoover when he was a young single guy. He had seen a really nice looking young lady instructor that he wanted to meet. He got in the plane with her and started weaving all over the sky breaking into aerobatic maneuvers until she finally figured out she'd been had. I don't remember if the relationship went any farther than that. Made a good story for Chuck's book though.:)

Thanks for the pictures. They're great! I've been to Dana Point, but I don't remember ever seeing it from the air.
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Yep I remember this, in the book "Forever Flying."
 
I don't do intro flights at a loss. I can tell you before the intro flight if the person will pursue additional lessons. It's pretty obvious.
 
jesse said:
I don't do intro flights at a loss. I can tell you before the intro flight if the person will pursue additional lessons. It's pretty obvious.
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How can you tell?
 
saracelica said:
How can you tell?
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Part of being a good salesman - you learn which customers are going to waste your time and which ones are going to be good customers.
 
jesse said:
I don't do intro flights at a loss. I can tell you before the intro flight if the person will pursue additional lessons. It's pretty obvious.
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That's becoming my experience as well...

Ryan
 
Gordon Baxter wrote a great column about doing this (in the broader context of lamenting about how many airports and flight schools were insular and unwelcoming to newcomers - some things never change). He introduced himself as Hank Snee.

One time, at a place he found welcoming with an instructor he enjoyed, he persuaded the instructor to allow him to land, and really nailed it- painted it on. Instructor said something like, "Hey, what's going on here?". Bad introduced himself and they had a good chuckle about it.
 
The Island on the right was Catalina, the airport is to the right of the tallest hill, the one on the left is San Clemente.
 
Being at paramedic / pre-med level, I enjoy taking CPR classes taught by non-medical members.
 
SCCutler said:
Gordon Baxter wrote a great column about doing this (in the broader context of lamenting about how many airports and flight schools were insular and unwelcoming to newcomers - some things never change). He introduced himself as Hank Snee.

One time, at a place he found welcoming with an instructor he enjoyed, he persuaded the instructor to allow him to land, and really nailed it- painted it on. Instructor said something like, "Hey, what's going on here?". Bad introduced himself and they had a good chuckle about it.
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I'm interested in this. Link?
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Part of being a good salesman - you learn which customers are going to waste your time and which ones are going to be good customers.
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This is very true. Some people have a knack for this. My brother owned a security alarm company, installing mainly in houses and small businesses. He always said he could tell in the first 3 minutes of conversation if the customer was seriously considering his services.
 
Jim Logajan said:
All of the FBOs in my area charge their standard rent and instruction rates on discovery flights. In my humble opinion anyone operating intro flights at a loss is using a bad business practice.
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Loss leaders are a great business tool, when used properly.

Now if you're not making up the financial difference out of your advertising budget then your books won't like it.

Maybe people should take some business 101 classes before starting a flight school :dunno:
 
Theres a reason I told Groupon where to shove it when they tried to get me to offer intro-rides for a 70% loss.....hope they have fun in court going CHP7
 
I took a discovery flight on a deal from Living Social for a $69 (I think). Seeing the smile on my face when I climbed out of the plane at the end of the ride was what made her finally get over her fears and agree to me starting my training.

A month later I was taking PPL lessons... at a different school than my $69 discovery flight...

ETA: I used discovery flights at a few different schools before I settled on my CFI. I think another valid use of discovery flights is to "kick the wheels" of the entire package: FBO, school, instructor, plane. I told every single one of the 4 that I auditioned exactly what I was doing, and none of them had a problem doing a discovery flight at the discounted rate - or signing my logbook afterward.
 
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livitup said:
I took a discovery flight on a deal from Living Social for a $69 (I think). Seeing the smile on my face when I climbed out of the plane at the end of the ride was what made her finally get over her fears and agree to me starting my training.

A month later I was taking PPL lessons... at a different school than my $69 discovery flight...

ETA: I used discovery flights at a few different schools before I settled on my CFI. I think another valid use of discovery flights is to "kick the wheels" of the entire package: FBO, school, instructor, plane. I told every single one of the 4 that I auditioned exactly what I was doing, and none of them had a problem doing a discovery flight at the discounted rate - or signing my logbook afterward.
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Thats cause the CFI's aren't taking a loss so they do not care.
 
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