Flying A Small Plane

oldman

oldman

Well-known Member
Location
PA
Last Saturday, I went to a small local airport near where I live. At this airport, they arrange for sky diving lessons and flying lessons. Inside the one large building, they have a simulator for a a small 165 Cessna plane. The fellow at the airport knew that I used to fly the big jets, so he invited me to take a ride in the simulator.

I did really well on take offs, but crashed two out of my three attempts at landing. Big difference between a big jet with all the technology and advanced avionics onboard and a small plane where the pilot has to do all the work. I would have done alright, but I stalled just before landing.
 

Flying is one game where close just isn't good enough.

When I was in my 30s, I worked for an international wood products company. During the summer, the company initiated fire flights to make sure no fires had broken out in our logging sites after the crews left for the day. We hired small planes and local pilots for the job and my task was to read the operating maps and guide the pilot to the sites so we could take a good look at each one.

One pilot was a guy I had gone to college with and a couple of times he let me take the controls for a bit. I caught the bug and took a few lessons but it was just too expensive for me at that time. Enjoyed the little bit I did though. My hat is off to you fellows who fly those big ships.
 
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I've been up in a small plane twice. The first was when I was a teenager. A friend of the family paid for a short flight out of Compton airport in a Piper Tripacer. We flew out over Long Beach and the pilot let me handle the wheel for a couple minutes. That was my first time in the air and I loved it.

The second time was about 25 years ago. A friend from work had a Cessna and he took me for a ride from Fullerton airport out over lake Elsinore and back. That was neat too.

I also worked with a guy who flew gliders. He offered to take me for a ride, but I never took him up on it. I still regret that I missed that opportunity.

I have Microsoft's flight simulator on my PC. Your crashing makes me feel better. I do that a lot.

Don
 

My dad flew small planes and was building a Volksplane. My mother said she would divorce him if he ever completed it and attempted to fly it. I'm not sure about now, but back then he said that they were considered experimental aircraft.
 
Gardenlover said:
My dad flew small planes and was building a Volksplane. My mother said she would divorce him if he ever completed it and attempted to fly it. I'm not sure about now, but back then he said that they were considered experimental aircraft.
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Your post reminds me of John Denver. Isn't that how he died, by crashing the small plane he built? So, your mom was the sensible one, and your dad the dreamer?
 
Pepper said:
Your post reminds me of John Denver. Isn't that how he died, by crashing the small plane he built? So, your mom was the sensible one, and your dad the dreamer?
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My mom was the homebody, my father not so much. Life is funny, you give up your dreams sometimes for loved ones fears or short comings. It's sad to think about sometimes, perhaps even shallow. Why couldn't it have gone the other way? A mystery I cannot solve, but haunts me still.

To go in glory or go in mediocrity. Is it better to burn out or just fade away*.

*When somebody burns out it means they put all their energy into something until they reach a point where they can no longer continue and so stop. When something/somebody fades away, it means that they once had a presence but then their importance/what they "give" gradually diminishes.
 
I've had a private pilot's license since 1967 the summer I earned it. I was 18 and was thrilled with the whole concept of flying. Loosing the bonds of gravity and soaring into the heavens is almost indescribable.

The aircraft I've flown: Cessna 152, Cessna 182, Piper Cub, Mooney, and sailplanes Schweizer 2-33, Schweizer 1-26. The Mooney was the sweetest ride and so economical.

Now I am restricted to piloting only ground transportation, but I am so glad I have those fond memories to recall.

I do enjoy seeing the A-10 "Warthogs" flying over the lake practicing their CSAR maneuvers and the occasional glimpse of a B-2 bomber when driving close to Whiteman AFB. And I really enjoyed their airshow last summer and look forward to going again this next summer. Just glimpsing the might and power of our Air Force is reassuring. Thank God we have a president who supports our military.

...
 
TravelinMan said:
I've had a private pilot's license since 1967 the summer I earned it. I was 18 and was thrilled with the whole concept of flying. Loosing the bonds of gravity and soaring into the heavens is almost indescribable.

The aircraft I've flown: Cessna 152, Cessna 182, Piper Cub, Mooney, and sailplanes Schweizer 2-33, Schweizer 1-26. The Mooney was the sweetest ride and so economical.

Now I am restricted to piloting only ground transportation, but I am so glad I have those fond memories to recall.

I do enjoy seeing the A-10 "Warthogs" flying over the lake practicing their CSAR maneuvers and the occasional glimpse of a B-2 bomber when driving close to Whiteman AFB. And I really enjoyed their airshow last summer and look forward to going again this next summer. Just glimpsing the might and power of our Air Force is reassuring. Thank God we have a president who supports our military.

...
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Wow - 18, you were are a go getter. Congrats!
 
TravelinMan said:
I've had a private pilot's license since 1967 the summer I earned it. I was 18 and was thrilled with the whole concept of flying. Loosing the bonds of gravity and soaring into the heavens is almost indescribable.

The aircraft I've flown: Cessna 152, Cessna 182, Piper Cub, Mooney, and sailplanes Schweizer 2-33, Schweizer 1-26. The Mooney was the sweetest ride and so economical.

Now I am restricted to piloting only ground transportation, but I am so glad I have those fond memories to recall.

I do enjoy seeing the A-10 "Warthogs" flying over the lake practicing their CSAR maneuvers and the occasional glimpse of a B-2 bomber when driving close to Whiteman AFB. And I really enjoyed their airshow last summer and look forward to going again this next summer. Just glimpsing the might and power of our Air Force is reassuring. Thank God we have a president who supports our military.

...
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Where I had the problem was on landing and the accelerator is a pull/push knob on the dash. Meanwhile, the pilot also has to operate the elevators and keep the speed up, so as not to stall.

I found it a lot easier to lock onto the ILS and allow the plane to drift down onto the runway. If the ILS was down (inoperative) and we had to land using VFR, it was still a lot easier than trying to remember to keep adjusting 3 or 4 things as the plane was descending.

On small planes, the pilot cannot point the nose down, unless he wants to push the plane into the runway. So, he has to keep the nose pointed up while also keeping the speed up while controlling the pitch. Way too much work for an old salt like me to have to think about.
 


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