Flying by the seat of your pants.

[alkan]

I wanted to learn to fly. It wasn't an obsession or desperate need, but started when I was very young and was always something in the back of my mind while I was growing up. But I was late in coming to a position where taking lessons became practicable.

 

It soon became obvious that I had no natural gift for the physical act of controlling a plane. Much of the theory was easy to grasp or already there but actually flying, maintaining level flight during a turn, for example, I just found extremely difficult. So much so, that when I eventually managed some of these basic skills, my instructors and I agreed it would be very costly for me to carry on, with no great indications of final success. I gave up

 

I accepted the fact that it was not going to happen but it hasn't eradicated the, yearning is too strong a word, the feeling I have about planes. I cannot see a plane,

even today, without thinking myself into the pilot's seat. Some of you who can fly may recognise this. It is a feeling about soaring but also about coming to earth, it is a feeling about control but also about being controlled by natural forces, it is the sideslip and the bank. It is the thrust and the slowing. And for some reason, the feeling happens in the seat of your pants.

[MscleLovr]

Have you tried learning to fly a glider instead?

[mike carey]

Thanks for sharing this. Kudos for trying to do it even though it didn't work out. The alternative was to spend the rest of your life wishing that you had done it. At least you know it was never to be. I never had the urge even though I was in the air force. Once or twice I got to sit in a pilot's seat in a C130 and the pilot, who was a qualified flying instructor, said I seemed to have the feel for what to do. That may have been just talking me up, I don't know.

[Guest Calix_K]

Had the same feelings early, but for military service. Did some time in the CF and was right up my alley. If I was an Air Force guy, this clip would have got me hard for the job immediately.

 

[alkan]

Had the same feelings early, but for military service. Did some time in the CF and was right up my alley. If I was an Air Force guy, this clip would have got me hard for the job immediately.

 

I get the appeal of the clip, of course. My ambitions were much more modest.

 

Have you tried learning to fly a glider instead?

 

Somehow this didn't attract me. Besides, from what little I know of gliding, it is even more dependent on having the natural instinct.

 

Thanks for sharing this. Kudos for trying to do it even though it didn't work out. The alternative was to spend the rest of your life wishing that you had done it. At least you know it was never to be. I never had the urge even though I was in the air force. Once or twice I got to sit in a pilot's seat in a C130 and the pilot, who was a qualified flying instructor, said I seemed to have the feel for what to do. That may have been just talking me up, I don't know.

 

What a beast! I mean, the C130.

[David1024]

Have you thought about learning to sail? I’ve been told that many of the principles of flying and sailing are similar, but in a sail boat, you don’t have to think about altitude.

[alkan]

Have you thought about learning to sail? I’ve been told that many of the principles of flying and sailing are similar, but in a sail boat, you don’t have to think about altitude.

 

My obsession about sailing was much stronger than the flying thing. My brother and I made rafts and boats (sort of) from a very early age and were duly shipwrecked in all of them, as we deserved. We did manage to own a seaworthy boat or two as we grew up.

I have to say that the happiest time of my life was (I suppose aged 16 or 17), exploring some of Scotland's sea lochs, sailing and camping in a 12ft dinghy. You are right in that the sail and the wing operate on some of the same principles and perhaps that was part of the reason I had comparatively little trouble with the theory of flying.

 

We, my brother and I, both managed at some points in our lives to earn our livings afloat though in very different ways. As I say, I managed to get over the disappointment about flying while retaining the feelings as mentioned above. I would have been crushed if I hadn't been able to fulfil at least some of my watery desires.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I wanted to learn to fly. It wasn't an obsession or desperate need, but started when I was very young and was always something in the back of my mind while I was growing up. But I was late in coming to a position where taking lessons became practicable.

 

It soon became obvious that I had no natural gift for the physical act of controlling a plane. Much of the theory was easy to grasp or already there but actually flying, maintaining level flight during a turn, for example, I just found extremely difficult. So much so, that when I eventually managed some of these basic skills, my instructors and I agreed it would be very costly for me to carry on, with no great indications of final success. I gave up

 

I accepted the fact that it was not going to happen but it hasn't eradicated the, yearning is too strong a word, the feeling I have about planes. I cannot see a plane,

even today, without thinking myself into the pilot's seat. Some of you who can fly may recognise this. It is a feeling about soaring but also about coming to earth, it is a feeling about control but also about being controlled by natural forces, it is the sideslip and the bank. It is the thrust and the slowing. And for some reason, the feeling happens in the seat of your pants.

 

This sounds like an essay excerpt from The New York Times Magazine

 

But seriously, I get it. I've spent a considerable amount of time around pilots and they, verbatim, say the same thing. Flying (piloting) is a need, a yearning and something they knew they would do from a very young age. I find that really fascinating.

 

I mean, most people don't even know what they're doing for lunch tomorrow, much less learning to fly a plane.

 

Just remember, if you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter: You can always remain close to the industry by going to things like Oshkosh. A friend of mine who can no longer pass medicals to fly now hits all the big airshows in order to stay connected.

[Max]

I wanted to learn to fly. It wasn't an obsession or desperate need, but started when I was very young and was always something in the back of my mind while I was growing up. But I was late in coming to a position where taking lessons became practicable.

 

It soon became obvious that I had no natural gift for the physical act of controlling a plane. Much of the theory was easy to grasp or already there but actually flying, maintaining level flight during a turn, for example, I just found extremely difficult. So much so, that when I eventually managed some of these basic skills, my instructors and I agreed it would be very costly for me to carry on, with no great indications of final success. I gave up

 

I accepted the fact that it was not going to happen but it hasn't eradicated the, yearning is too strong a word, the feeling I have about planes. I cannot see a plane,

even today, without thinking myself into the pilot's seat. Some of you who can fly may recognise this. It is a feeling about soaring but also about coming to earth, it is a feeling about control but also about being controlled by natural forces, it is the sideslip and the bank. It is the thrust and the slowing. And for some reason, the feeling happens in the seat of your pants.

 

How many hours in a plane did you have total? Were you in steam gauge or glass cockpit?

[alkan]

How many hours in a plane did you have total? Were you in steam gauge or glass cockpit?

Old fashioned gauges and I think around twenty five hours in the air. They made me repeat some of the early lessons several times because I clearly wasn't getting it.

[Max]

Old fashioned gauges and I think around twenty five hours in the air. They made me repeat some of the early lessons several times because I clearly wasn't getting it.

 

I had a hell of a time with steep turns (45 degree bank angle). Probably spent ten hours trying to get that down and was killing me. I was flying with several instructors and I called the guy I thought was best at teaching and told him the problem. We went flying, turned off the PFD and MFD and he flew steep turns while I watched outside. Probably two in each direction. Then I did the same with eyes outside the plane. Never had trouble with them again.

 

And while you can legally get PPL in 40 hours or something, I had about 120 when I got mine. The DPE told me my flying was among the best he had seen for a PPL check ride; similar feedback from instrument rating check ride.

 

If not economically unrealistic, you might consider flying one or two more hours in a different plane with a different instructor to see if you enjoy flying or not. If you do, and if you can afford it, so what if you take a hundred hours to become a safe pilot.

 

I had instruction in steam gauge Cherokee, steam gauge 172 and then glass SR20 (thru instrument rating) and then glass SR22. I never (ever) felt safe in the 172 but always did in the Cirrus (and in the Cherokee - so wasn't the parachute). In retrospect, I think my fear of heights was the cause of my discomfort in the 172 and had I never flown in a low-wing plane, probably wouldn't have finished my training.

 

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss further or have questions.

[alkan]

I had a hell of a time with steep turns (45 degree bank angle). Probably spent ten hours trying to get that down and was killing me. I was flying with several instructors and I called the guy I thought was best at teaching and told him the problem. We went flying, turned off the PFD and MFD and he flew steep turns while I watched outside. Probably two in each direction. Then I did the same with eyes outside the plane. Never had trouble with them again.

 

And while you can legally get PPL in 40 hours or something, I had about 120 when I got mine. The DPE told me my flying was among the best he had seen for a PPL check ride; similar feedback from instrument rating check ride.

 

If not economically unrealistic, you might consider flying one or two more hours in a different plane with a different instructor to see if you enjoy flying or not. If you do, and if you can afford it, so what if you take a hundred hours to become a safe pilot.

 

I had instruction in steam gauge Cherokee, steam gauge 172 and then glass SR20 (thru instrument rating) and then glass SR22. I never (ever) felt safe in the 172 but always did in the Cirrus (and in the Cherokee - so wasn't the parachute). In retrospect, I think my fear of heights was the cause of my discomfort in the 172 and had I never flown in a low-wing plane, probably wouldn't have finished my training.

 

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss further or have questions.

 

Fascinating. I had forgotten it was the Cessna till you mentioned it. I wanted to try the Auster but they wouldn't teach in it as it was supposed to be tricky. I think they were pretty clear with me I was never going to get "it" while it sounds like you had a basic talent for it, they, or you, just had to find a way to tap it. I won't be trying again.

[Max]

Fascinating. I had forgotten it was the Cessna till you mentioned it. I wanted to try the Auster but they wouldn't teach in it as it was supposed to be tricky. I think they were pretty clear with me I was never going to get "it" while it sounds like you had a basic talent for it, they, or you, just had to find a way to tap it. I won't be trying again.

 

Yeah, never for a second felt safe in the high wing...whether I was flying or not. Funny stuff I suppose.

 

Another option - if you enjoy flying but not the pressure - is to take a "lesson" periodically with the clear message to the instructor that you just want to fly around some. They won't care, most are building hours to apply to airlines and they get paid either way.

[alkan]

Just remember, if you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter: You can always remain close to the industry by going to things like Oshkosh. A friend of mine who can no longer pass medicals to fly now hits all the big airshows in order to stay connected.

 

If you can't be a fly boy, be a flies boy? Sorry, I meant to do that joke earlier.