I've just flown a plane!

[Globalti]

...at Blackpool airport. There are several private schools who will give you a 1 hour taster lesson for around £145. I sat beside the instructor and swerved the plane around the sky for an hour then lined it up with the runway. The amazing thing was how sensitive and light the controls were - you could feel the air pushing against the flaps and you could make the plane react with only the gentlest pressure. We didn't crash, in fact I felt pretty relaxed and enjoyed the whole experience. Got another flight booked for June because my wife and I had both secretly booked the same treat for each other's birthday!

The other amazing thing was how much you see from 2000 ft that you hadn't imagined existed, even in an area you thought you knew pretty well.

 

[spandex]

Nice I dont wish to fly a plane I just wish to jump out of one

 

[Aperitif]

Nice one RR. Your ears are going to be useful, very useful...

 

[Night Train]

I got a flying experience too, a few years back, and it was great fun. It was a lot simpler then I thought and, even being scared of heights, there wasn't anything scary about it. I want to do it again but then I would end up taking lessons and I couldn't afford that.

 

[Cathryn]

The name is Raider. Rigid Raider.

How very James Bond. Am enormously impressed.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I did this in the States many years ago... mucho fun! It's the kind of thing everybody should do once.

 

[Melvil]

That sounds really cool - even, absurdly, to an aerophobe like me! Nice one, RR!

 

[Horace Goes Skiing]

Flying is awesome! It's very intuitive and you can really fly "seat of the pants". Try gliders if you want a pure flying experience.

Unbelievable acceleration at take-off, 30 degree climbout, then floating on wisps of air. You don't fly a glider, it just does what you want.

Landing is fun - point it at the ground and pull out at the last minute. Cracking!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Excellent!

My son first flew a Piper at age 11, he flew about 10 times and the instructor mostly only took over on the final approaches. he is pretty good in flight sim as well. Since then his enthusiasm has cooled off. Shame becuase he was all set to start building up his PPL hours at 16...but now it looks like that will never happen.

 

[Creamcrackered]

I teach gliding and it's amazing how quickly young kids pick it up - they just have no fear. Anyone over 20 is a bit more interested in staying alive.
<shameless plug>Our club does one day gliding courses for £165. So if you live anywhere near Cheltenham and want to have a go, PM me and I'll fix it up.</Shameless plug>

 

[Fnaar]

I had a go at a lesson like that about 15yrs ago... great fun! Though (pointlessly) I felt more iffy when we went over the sea than over land...
The intructor also told me "Try not to give it so much white-knuckle"...

 

[Maz]

Nice I dont wish to fly a plane I just wish to jump out of one

Go for it. It's tremendous fun!

I did a static line jump (I was attached by a cord to the plane...when I jumped the tension in the line pulled the parachute release cord). Great feeling. When I landed, my first thought was to get back up there and jump again.

 

[Fnaar]

Go for it. It's tremendous fun!

I did a static line jump (I was attached by a cord to the plane...when I jumped the tension in the line pulled the parachute release cord). Great feeling. When I landed, my first thought was to get back up there and jump again.

I did 3 of those in 1985... treeeeeeemendous fun! They had circular parachutes back then, too, none of this fancy rectangular stuff....

 

[ChrisKH]

Well done RR! My brother did that for a birthday present - always fancied himself as an RAF fighter pilot, but he couldn't get into the RAF because of too many defects (hay fever, eyes not quite 20:20). He got bitten by the bug and is now part owner of a plane. He took me up a few times, but as an elder sibling I could never quite get over the fact that my youngest baby brother was in control and I wasn't (brown underpant gripping my seat and clenching teeth sort of thing)!!!!!

Always wanted a go in a glider, I must admit.

 

[Maz]

Always wanted a go in a glider, I must admit.

Mate, go for it. You won't regret it. They are great fun and very serene creatures, these gliders. Take plenty of pictures whilst you're up there.