The Car Enthusiast's Guide To Flying

"Chris Clarke" (shiftsandgiggles)
02/20/2014 at 08:54 • Filed to: Planelopnik, mad props

You're a car enthusiast. Something about having a personal rolling exoskeleton strapped to your body, obeying your every command, is appealing to you. Your car is not just a hunk of metal, but a physical extension of your transportation desires. Maybe you should strap on your own personal flying exoskeleton.

Chances are, that if your car is more than just a means to get from point A to B, then you already have the basic understanding of completing your own personal flight in private aircraft. 3D transportation is only a small progression from the art of driving. The next logical step would be mastering the controls of an airplane.

Weather
Is it snowing today. Its hard to pull out of the driveway without knowing whether snowmageddon is upon us, or if a typhoon is predicted for later this afternoon. Is it cloudy? Sunny? Are you putting the top down on the Miata? Looks like you already have the basic skill to check for good flying weather.

Preflight
I know every one of you is a responsible driver and does a thorough preflight of your vehicle before you click the seatbelt and fire up the motor. No?? Well you should. And even if you don't realize it, you probably do to some extent. Tires properly inflated? Oil and fuel quantities acceptable? Headlights burnt out? (Piddidle!) See you do preflight your car and now your ready to hop in the plane and start the engine.

Run Up
Here's another item pilots do before every flight that drivers usually do without thinking about it. Any check engine lights on? Check the brakes? You'll probably detect a brake failure before you get out of the driveway. Engine running properly before you pull onto the highway? I hope you would notice car trouble before you leave your neighborhood.

Takeoff
Takeoff is like a drag race that you win every time. Shove the throttle forward and you go along for the ride. The plane wants to fly, you just keep her strait and wait for lift off. Balls to the wall and you're off.

Navigating
Does your car have a GPS navigator? No? Me neither. But I'm sure you've used a handheld Garmin or have a fancy app on your iGizmo and can figure out how to program in a destination. Great News! It's even easier in an airplane. No confusing address to look up, or wrong turns into rivers or lakes. Just put in the airport you want to fly to and the GPS draws a line right to it. If you're lucky, the auto pilot will follow the line for you.

En Route
Think of the En Route portion of flying like setting the cruise control and kicking back, only without merging traffic neglecting their turning signals. Most airplanes will practically fly themselves, and if yours is equipped with an autopilot then your primary task while cruising is to just stay awake and avoid any clouds.

Landing
So landing might be the one phase of your flight that will be hard to compare with its driving counterpart. There's really no other experience that can compare to landing your own airplane, which makes it hard to draw a suitable automotive analogy. The best I can come up with is like trying to parallel park on a busy street in rush hour, but with more feels. There are lots of factors to work into the equation, but once you figure out the formula, its quite simple and satisfying.

Securing
You pull a car into the garage, put it in park or pull the handbrake on. You made it. Maybe give it a quick wipe down and take a mental note of any strange noises along your journey. Not much else you need to worry about in a plane as well.

Flying is easy. If you love driving, the satisfaction of slicing up the pavement, and freedom of the open road brings you, then imagine that satisfaction increasing exponentially as you navigate and experience the freedom of the open skies.

If you are a professional MS Flight Sim armchair pilot, then please feel free to comment about how much more complicated flying really is.

DISCUSSION (86)

Jayhawk Jake > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 10:17

Headlights out is a Pididdle, not a Punch Buggy. Punch Buggy, or Slug Bug, is when you spot a VW Beetle.

doodon2whls > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 10:22

Neat story... I have a love of flying, but no PPL. I have let other life forces keep me from accomplishing this. Soon. One of these years I will tick it off the bucket list.

also - quick correction under landing: "which makes it hard to draw a suitable automative analogy."

Chris Clarke > Jayhawk Jake
02/20/2014 at 10:29

Fixed. Thanks for the proof read!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 10:35

You're not your.

Raphael Orlove > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 10:45

Hey man, great piece! I feel ready to go out to a local airport and beat up some finance guy and steal his Cessna and try to fly it without any instruction whatsoever! Bond does it in the movies so it must be ok!

I kid, I kid, I would never try and steal a Cessna. They're too large to fit in my backpack before the airport clerk notices me.

Oh, you have a few little typos - shouldn't it be 'Enthusiast's Guide' in the headline, and shouldn't it be 'It's even easier in an airplane' in the navigation section?

Again, fun read!

Thunder > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 10:58

How hard is it to fly an airplane

Also, I recommend parking in a garage, not garbage.

Chris Clarke > Raphael Orlove
02/20/2014 at 11:01

Fixed. If only I wouldve finished high skool I wouldve learned about apostrophies.

Chris Clarke > Thunder
02/20/2014 at 11:05

Wonder how many more grammar mistakes the commentariat will find. Sometimes I write too fast. Thanks for the heads up.

I've read that article. Good read, but it implies that flying is actually very hard, which it can be depending on your mission.

Thunder > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 11:54

True. BTW, I'm a private pilot. I grew up flying with my father, so I learned a lot of it hands-on. In fact, we quite rapidly got to a point where as he got new equipment in the airplane, I'd learn it, then teach him. I specifically remember being maybe 10 years old when we were heading somewhere; he got us close, but the airport wasn't quite where he expected. Knowing our shiny new LORAN-C, I punched the nearest airport key combination, did a little directional computation, and pointed to theairport at our 8 o'clock position.

f86sabre > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 12:11

Kinja'd!!!

You are missing an important phase. Paying for it. As you described, flying is amazing and hugely satisfying on a number of levels. It is also quite expensive and if you are going to get into it you need to spend time thinking about how you will sustain the habit. Many start getting their license, but quit before certifying due to cost. Some, like me, get certified and can't sustain the habit due to expense. Do you rent, buy or share? You need insurance, medical exams, annuals for the plane if you own and you need gear. Radios, headsets, GPS, maps, awesome aviator sunglasses and optional (not really) leather jacket. Finally, and certainly not least, fuel. Right now, in the southeast, 100LL is going for $5.50/gal. A Cessna 172 uses about 7 gal/hour and has a capacity of 56 gal.

Many flight stations offer affordable introductory flights. Go give it a try. Taking ground school is relatively affordable and you learn some good stuff. Take the class if you have the interest. That makes you ready for your FAA written.

Makoyouidiot > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:15

I am seriously debating devoting next year's tax return to an ultralight....but I am worried that I might be too large.

Chris Clarke > Makoyouidiot
02/20/2014 at 13:30

I don't think I would fly an ultralight. Seems kinda sketchy, but probably the most affordable way to start flying.

Makoyouidiot > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:37

I've seen them for 2-3 grand, but needing work...I'd spend a bit more.

pfftballer > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:38

Landing a plane's automotive counterpart is surviving or very narrowly avoiding a car crash. At least that's what it's like in a Cessna 172.

Triborough > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:39

Chris Clarke > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 13:44

Cost is always a factor, just like a car, so a comparison might an interesting angle. Maintenance, insurance, fuel, all apply to autos as well. Everyone always seems to harp on how expensive it is, and how its for the elite, but I think that's crap. Price is relative and its just about how you choose to spend it.

Its like the Top Gear episode where they buy a car and rallycross for price of golfing at a country club.

Plus the plane I fly most often uses auto gas so that's a non-issue, and I don't have aviator sunglasses. So there's that.

Chris Clarke > Makoyouidiot
02/20/2014 at 13:46

I always thought it would be fun to fly a paraglider, plus its like always having a parachute.

MPA > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:46

I took an introductory flight lesson, but really didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. There's no sensation of speed up there, and being in a little Cessna just wasn't confidence inspiring with all the wind. But it was cool to do once, to say I flew a plane.

The introductory lesson was about $60, so if you're interested in giving it a try, take the introductory lesson.

drdude > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:46

Do yourself a favor. Write it all offline. Save it. Read it the next day THEN post it. Its not like you need to post what you just wrote because you're hitting a deadline... RIGHT?

Chris Clarke > MPA
02/20/2014 at 13:53

A lot of times, I think intro flights emphasize too much on the lesson and not enough on flying. I personally really enjoy that raw sensation of flying with the wind and the elements.

I would also encourage everyone to spend the $50-$60 and go for a flight.

Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:53

well, that's one way to prevent firey Pinto death.

Thunder > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 13:54

Amen, brotha. Testify!

I got my private in ... I thin it was May, 1997. I used it actively for a grand total of TWO MONTHS. Then I went out in the "real world", and couldn't afford it anymore.

I just got current again, and am STILL trying to figure out how to pay for the habit. Just staying current, at an absolute minimum, is anything but cheap.

Actually, here's a good perspective. I'm currently debating whether I want to go really cheap on my next car, like $5K or so, or to go in the $40-$50K range. If the former, I can probably afford to do some flying on a regular basis, like once to twice a month for an hour or two at a time. If that latter, that's unlikely.

Decisions suck.

whatisthatsound > Thunder
02/20/2014 at 13:56

Here is my article about flying, and why I prefer driving. I'm currently at flight school for the Navy, so this is just my take from my limited experiences in a few planes.

Would You Rather Race Cars or Fly

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

StalePhish > Makoyouidiot
02/20/2014 at 13:56

There is a very American solution to your problem:

MORE POWER!

Kinja'd!!!

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:57

I'd definitely spring for a ballistic parachute. Redundancy FTW.

f86sabre > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 13:57

What are you flying that uses auto gas? Just wondering

I was focusing on what is the most common entryway aircraft and the associated costs. Sure, every hobby has costs and you can spend as much and as little as you like. The sad fact is a lot of people get into flying only to run out of cash early.

I’d love for more people to get into aviation. The folks here, for the most part, would be prime candidates.

Makoyouidiot > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:01

True that

Thunder > whatisthatsound
02/20/2014 at 14:01

How much more than a star can I do for this post?

This needs to be read by all Jalops who look up at the sound of a plane going by.

Makoyouidiot > StalePhish
02/20/2014 at 14:02

Powahhhhhhh

whatisthatsound > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:03

I wish the plane I'm training on had autopilot, boy that would be the life.

Chris Clarke > Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients
02/20/2014 at 14:05

ehh... not exactly. This vehicle met its ultimate demise in a blaze of glory.

Kinja'd!!!

MPA > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:06

It was probably the foot controls (for the flaps?) that were the hardest to get used to. maybe with more seat time (air time?) I'd enjoy it. I just did it on a whim though.

whatisthatsound > Thunder
02/20/2014 at 14:06

My other friends think I am crazy, but I think people fantasize about planes and how amazing they are. When they do fly them they expect it to be a life-changing experience making them think cars are for mere ground walkers. I think planes are a blast, but driving to no where on a Sunday is just as fun.

davidj210 > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:11

There's no comparison between the costs of flying vs. driving.

Fuel costs: A small airplane will usually get around 15-20 mpg cruising, around what a large SUV would get these days. But the plane's gas usually costs almost twice as much, unless you have it set up to run on autogas.

Access costs: You can rent a decent car for $30-50/day. Renting a small plane will usually cost at least $80/hour, and that's for a thirty year old two-seater Cessna 152. Average cost of a new car is about $30k. Cost for a shiny new Cessna 172? You're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Licensing: Getting a driver's license usually consists of a few lessons with an instructor at around $50/hour or so, and a few months of cruising around with your parents. Learning to fly usually costs $6-9 thousand.

Reliability: I can reasonably assume that on any given day, I can just pull out of my driveway in my car and go where I need to go, unless there's a blizzard or something going on. In an airplane, I need to get a special certification to fly when it's cloudy.

Safety: Airliners are, statistically, extremely safe. Small planes really aren't. For equivalent distances, you're about three times as likely to die in a small airplane as you are in a car. Most of that is due to pilot error.

All that being said, flying is delightful. I've taken a few intro lessons, and I hope to continue in the spring if I can scratch the money together.

davidj210 > MPA
02/20/2014 at 14:15

Foot controls are the rudder. They're tricky to get used to.

hismiths > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:17

I was born with avgas in my blood, and raised in and around airplanes. I've been flying (PVT/SEL/VFR) for 30+ years in all kids of small planes, including ultralights.

Whenever I hear some lament that they "would like to fly, but", I always tell them as follows:

Join the AOPA, Airplane Owners & Pilot's Assoc. and research training materials and local resources.

Start lessons with a stated goal of receiving a Light Sport Airplane pilot certification. Be very specific with the FBO or indy instructor. If they refuse that training plan, go somewhere else. LSA will allow you to fly many classic and new 2-seat airplanes (these are the most fun anyway, and can be used for air-touring anywhere in the world). An added bonus, no medical exam/certificate required. My wife and I flew our 1947 Aeronca 7AC Champ, with no electrics, nav or radios in every contiguous state west of the Mississippi, and a few east as well ... except we somehow missed WA.

Take lessons until you are signed off for at least local unsupervised solo flight. Now you can explore and fly as much as you like, but NO PAX!

You now have two years. If you proceed, you take your written exam and check-ride and become a pilot. If you decide to not go on, you have at least satisfied your curiosity, and now know you can 'do it'. Keep your log book handy, you can start over years later, and you hours will still be valid.

Now, go thee forth, and get thy sorry ground-pounder ass in the air!

SGTalon > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 14:18

In 1987 my Dad bought a 1963 Cessna 150 for $8000. He still owns it. It is worth about $15,000 now and the most money he has ever spent on it is about $3000 a couple years ago to get it repainted... because he wanted to.

Annual Inspections are about $300 if you work with the mechanic. Oil and spark plugs will run you about $200 a year at most. So it is just the cost of fuel.

After 15 years of paying $100 a month for hangar rent he bought a hangar for about $25,000 to keep both of his planes.

If you really want to get crazy, you can do what my brother did and buy Light Sport/Ultralight like a Phantom. Fully Aerobatic, 70 mph, single place. Cost him about $7000 and almost zero maintenance costs.

It isn't that expensive. Most people that are into pretty much any hobby will spend more in a year.

Chris Clarke > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 14:25

You're absolutely right. Cost is a factor, but I like to address cost after all other factors are considered. Specifically time. Time might be the only thing in this life that you can't get more of, so its hard to monetize. Flying can make a weekend road trip to to see Grandma into an afternoon event. If someone can find value in flying first then they can usually justify the cost as long as its within their means. Money is always a tricky subject. If you people flew, the price would probably go down, but people won't fly if its too expensive. There's no easy answer. I'm working on a scheme to make it super cheap to get your license.. we'll see.

I fly a Van's RV with a Rotax that runs on ethanol free pump gas.

dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 14:33

http://blog.cafefoundation.org/sunexelec-rech…

The future. I think it would be well worth developing one of these for the U. S.

The Transporter > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:44

Kinja'd!!!

The Car Enthusiast Guide To Not Dying In an Airplane

Step 1: Don't attach a Ford Pinto to a Cessna Skymaster.

MEESTALUBBA > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 14:49

you forgot the tremendous hassle of having sex with hot chicks all the time. that's why i got out of it.

Chris Clarke > The Transporter
02/20/2014 at 14:49

This is actually a proven fact.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > whatisthatsound
02/20/2014 at 14:57

You really need to learn to hold heading and altitude first before letting George fly the plane. Once you're flying IFR, a 3-axis AP is almost essential equipment as it reduces pilot workload.

13 year CFI here.

Michael Zaite > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:57

Flying isn't that complicated.

Now finding money to fly, there's the challenge!

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 14:58

I've been flying since 1995, and have been an instructor since 2001. Even if I never went any further than the private pilot license, I swear it's the best money I've ever spent.

ttyymmnn > The Transporter
02/20/2014 at 14:58

Kinja'd!!!

What about a Matador?

AlexOsadzinski > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 15:00

I think that it's important to distinguish between flying as a hobby, and flying to get places. Many people learn to fly because they want to go places. That often results in what f86sabre wrote about: abandoning the hobby. A PP-ASEL (private pilot license for flying a single engine aircraft) is good for flying in good weather. Once you've taken all of your friends for a ride, and had the mythical "$100 hamburger" (it's more like $250) at a few airports, you run out of things to do. Some people continue with pleasure flying, in as simple a 'plane as possible, e.g. a Citabria, just for the fun of being in the sky. This is great, but you have to fly every week or two to be safe.

To make flying "useful", you pretty much have to get your instrument rating, and fly weather-capable, well-equipped aircraft. To be able to go places most of the time, that aircraft needs to be pretty meaty, and maybe twin-engined and/or with a turbine. That gets expensive really fast, like $1,000-$10,000 per hour expensive.

I flew for 23 years, ending up in big iron. Once I moved to turbine versus piston power, it became more an "operation" or a "mission" versus just flying for fun. The recurrent training was interesting, but took a lot of time. Jets are actually very easy to fly, and you're on autopilot as SOP most of the time. But the hours of boredom are punctuated by moments of sheer terror, and the training to handle those is 95% of the challenge. Simulator training is the norm, and it's fun, because nobody has ever died in a simulator (but you think that you will....it's that real).

Nothing is more dangerous than the occasional pilot. Constant training and practice is essential, or you're likely to kill yourself and others. In other words, it's a commitment. It teaches you that (a) you're not a 3D thinker and (b) your brain can easily get overloaded when multi-tasking, which is necessary for flying.

I'm envious of my friends who flew T-38s, F-16s and the like, without having to pay for it :-).

Michael Zaite > davidj210
02/20/2014 at 15:01

And then it clicks and you just get it.

I teach my students to think of it like balancing on your feet. When you feel tipped over one way or the other. Step with that sides foot on the rudder.

If you always feel "gravity" going straight down head to keester, you are always coordinated.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:02

When I got my PPL in 1995 it cost me $4000. When I was actively instructing in 2001-2004 the cost had risen to $6000. Nowadays with 100LL going over $6 I'd guess it's prob closer to $7000. Fortunately I know a few guys from my instructing days that let me borrow their planes for just the cost of fuel when I need to go somewhere. Short of that, joining a flying club is the cheapest way to go.

AlexOsadzinski > whatisthatsound
02/20/2014 at 15:05

Nah, you'd never really learn to fly it. Many pilots who die are those who become overly reliant on the autopilot and just can't fly the 'plane by hand in instrument weather. That's fine until the autopilot quits, which it does sometimes. At about 200 hours, it all clicks into place, but won't if 100 of those hours are on autopilot.

lucciar > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:06

I bet you keep it straight, not strait, as one is a direction and the other a body of water between two land masses.

Spelling. It matters.

yurikaze > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 15:07

The automotive analogy for this is like owning a used British or Italian exotic.

Michael Zaite > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:09

A lot of times, I think intro flights emphasize too much on the lesson and not enough on flying.

This, this times 1000! Too often instructors forget that an Intro flight is supposed to be a fun, look how cool flying is. Not look it's Lesson #1!!!

Find a fun spot to fly over, take the client up, show them what you are doing, have them fly for a while (Hold the Puppy!), and then bring em back! .5 on the meter, and they got an experience.

No you don't always get a student out of it, but the more of a fun experience and the less like WORK you make it, the better likelihood that even if they don't become a student, they are going to tell their friends. And at around $100 it's a fun part of a weekend for somebody to go try.

lucciar > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:10

The ability to spell and use the language correctly used to be part of the basic skill set of a high school freshman, let alone an actual, professional writer. Just because one can work a keyboard doesn't make one a writer. Being annoyed at people finding basic grammatical and spelling errors makes one a bit of a douche instead of an adult, professional writer.

This also raises the question of what are the editors doing if they're not, y'know, editing.

Autolegend86 > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:11

Had to teach IFR Cross Country Flight Planning last night.

You should do an article on all it takes to go through IFR Preflight, Getting a Clearance, ODPs, SIDs, STARs, IAPs, ect...

Oh and about GPS, go through all the regs on filing an alternate if you have GPS with WAAS, GPS without WAAS, or no GPS at all. LOL

Oh and what other one took a while to explain.....yes.....If your lost comms, don't have an EFC, and your IAF is over the airport, when can you start your decent?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Michael Zaite
02/20/2014 at 15:14

I've done a bunch of intro flights and most times I'd fly over the aspiring pilots' house (they always seem to want that). I keep things simple and save the heavy duty explanation of "why you have to step on the rudder in a turn" stuff for actual lessons. Intro flights are just to get people excited about flying and to get them to come back as students.

The Transporter > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:14

I'll give you an analogy for landing: it's like clipping the apex of a corner. You're slowly and carefully taking an airplane as low to the ground as possible without touching the ground and as slow as possible without stalling, and then you get it to stop flying.

Chris Clarke > The Transporter
02/20/2014 at 15:19

Oooh.. That's a good one. Being able to visualize your line then follow it perfectly.

Autolegend86 > ttyymmnn
02/20/2014 at 15:21

You know that was a toy right?

ttyymmnn > Autolegend86
02/20/2014 at 15:23

Yes. Because who in their right mind would actually drive a Matador, let alone make a plane out of it?

Dude > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:25

Kinja'd!!!

So first you buy either a Pinto or a Gremlin... and then things get weird.

The Transporter > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 15:26

It's the reason why I let my medical lapse for the time being. I couldn't justify the cost on a GI Bill budget. The only way I could is if I sold my car and my house, moved in to the dorms and convinced the college to let me use the multipurpose field as a STOL strip whenever I wanted.

Until I can turn that fancy diploma they keep promising me into a paying gig, I'm stuck getting my adrenaline fix by knocking cones over once a month in a parking lot with my Miata.

Jim is one of KFCs secret ingredients > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:31

There's an Alanis song in here somewhere.

whatisthatsound > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/20/2014 at 15:37

I'm in IFR sims/flights now for the at NAS Pensacola, and autopilot would sure be nice on XC.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > whatisthatsound
02/20/2014 at 15:43

No doubt. Are you still in primary in the T-34 or have you moved on to the T-6? What track are you taking?

whatisthatsound > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/20/2014 at 15:57

In the T-6A so we don't have the sweet HUD, or all glass cockpit. I'm hoping for Rhinos( super hornet ) should know in a few months as long as I don't get sick.

thirteenthfloorelevator > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:57

Guy I used to work with flew RC planes & actual, real, you sit in 'em and fly 'em light aircraft. His opinion was RC planes are a damn sight harder to fly.

Zlin > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 15:58

I hate to be "that guy", but I don't think you can compare flying and driving, and doing so is probably doing more harm than good. A lot of the current car culture is devoted to driving at the limit, modifying hot hatches for maximum performance, drifting, racing, and general hooning.

This is almost always just clean, safe, (and pretty awesome) fun. However, this simply cannot be your attitude when flying. If the weather goes sour when you are driving your Miata, you pull over, put the hood up, and go home. Worst case: you get stuck, and wait for help. If you are a VFR rated pilot and end up in something that wouldn't even come close to stopping you from driving that day, you may very well end up a statistic. More fatal general aviation accidents are caused by pilots flying into deteriorating conditions than anything else, and if something simply cannot be overstated, it's the relationship between flying and the weather.

Also, the guy who thinks navigating should be reduced to hitting "direct -to" on the GPS is at best ignorant to basic ground school nav, and at worst, probably lost if his electrical systems decide to go south. It's not only bad advice that degrades actual navigation skills, but gives a totally unrealistic expectation for someone who starts training. Someone beginning training should become accustomed to planning the flight in advance, following a track line with wind correction and making regular groundspeed checks, not getting into the mindset that the plane will figure it out for them in an emergency.

I really am glad that there is some effort out there to make people more aware that general aviation is still "a thing", but please don't make it sound "as easy as your morning commute". It requires a lot of at-home studying and a good attitude, but is absolutely, positively satisfying in so many regards.

I highly recommend that anyone with an interest book a discovery flight with a local flight school. It is very likely that they will let you take the controls and actually complete most of the flight yourself. The community is very friendly, and there are tons of resources out there for student pilots.

Stef Schrader > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 16:31

Kinja'd!!!

But we can fly, too!

Flyjax > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 16:51

It's illegal for that pilot to fly through even those wisps of clouds, unless he filed IFR.

Flyjax > f86sabre
02/20/2014 at 16:53

Speed0verdose > Makoyouidiot
02/20/2014 at 17:03

Maybe spend your money on a Sport Pilot License (similar to private but more restrictions) and join a flying club. That way you can fly, rack up hours, not spend a ridiculous amount of money on purchasing your own plane, paying for your own insurance, and paying for your own maintenance.

Speed0verdose > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/20/2014 at 17:07

My favorite lessons in the beginning were slow flight and steep turns....then came stalls. Never got to experience spins since I wasn't in a rated plane. :(

Michael Zaite > Speed0verdose
02/20/2014 at 17:26

Spins are FUN when done correctly with a skilled instructor.

Lightning Boots > Flyjax
02/20/2014 at 17:34

It's illegal to break the speed limit, but we all do it.

Michael Zaite > thirteenthfloorelevator
02/20/2014 at 17:46

But way cheaper to crash!

hismiths > hismiths
02/20/2014 at 17:52

BTW, I'm looking for a nice clean C-150/152 to ship to Hawaii in the formation of a small membership flying club. Have cash for the right airplane.

Makoyouidiot > Speed0verdose
02/20/2014 at 18:25

Nahh, I'm too lazy to get a proper pilot's license. And frankly I don't have time with all my other activities + a kid. An ultralight, since several don't require a pilot's license, is perfect for me, as I can lend it to my brother in return for lessons on how to fly the thing, although I have a pretty good theoretical grasp of what's involved. (he's a private pilot, but doesn't own a plane, and there are no clubs near us, so he'd jump at the chance to fly anything)

montego > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 19:39

Want to talk about expense? Fly one of these until you get of CFII and then we can talk. Much easier to park, but I would never say easy to fly. Fixed wings on the other hand are laughably easy.

Kinja'd!!!

Flyjax > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 19:50

Yeah, but we all don't fly. Good thing you can't see his tail number.

BOB JACOBSON > Chris Clarke
02/20/2014 at 20:19

Kinja'd!!!

My solution for the flying bug was to do it professionally.

I used to work in the automotive industry I got laid off a few years ago. Which ended being a blessing in disguise because working in the auto industry ruined my favourite hobby for me.

So I started flying. Very expensive to get all the licenses and ratings you need will cost about 40-60k and getting a job at the end of it is not easy.

However it is immensely satisfying to wake up and go to "work" every day. Ive been doing it for 3 years now and it still doesnt feel like a job.

As for landing. Its like racing, you need to feel everything out. How the wind is gusting, is my power setting right, hows my speed and then judging exactly when to let the wheels hit the pavement. Much like a car on a track constantly judging speed, control inputs yaw etc.

And the view cant be beat.

BOB JACOBSON > Autolegend86
02/20/2014 at 20:36

Squak 7600 hold at your fix till your filed arrival time then commence an approach.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Michael Zaite
02/20/2014 at 20:48

The 3 or 4 spins I did in a 152 when training for my CFI were the only ones I've ever experienced. I suppose if I could find somebody local with a Citabria I'd prob give it a try.

Viper_Zero_One > whatisthatsound
02/20/2014 at 21:55

Altitude hold, heading hold. That's all you need. Can even fly formation with the tanker off those two things. Or just man up and hand fly it.

Michael Zaite > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/20/2014 at 22:29

Highly recommend it. I found I learned some new things about what's going on with the air around the plane. Kind of like looking behind the curtain.

I mean entering the stall, that feeling as the slipstream "catches up to you" that pressure change feeling. Then feeling the plane rotate around you. for me a lot of stuff clicked then.

I always think you have to go past normal operation to really know what's going on. Just like snow drifting a car.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Michael Zaite
02/21/2014 at 07:02

The scary part for me was the initial stall when the left wing dropped and we rolled past 90deg and started the rotation. Major pucker-inducing event :) After 3 or 4 my instructor (who was an older guy in his 60's) said "That's enough for me, if you want to do any more find another instructor".