Introductory Flight

I do remember making the arrangements to take and intro flight. What I forgot at the time was that the date we selected was September 11, 2009. How ironic that this turned out to be the date of my into flight.

I really had no expectations going into this flight other than I was glad to be going up flying. I had several good conversations before the flight so I felt comfortable with my future CFI. I also knew that the plane he flies and teaches in is a 1979 Cessna 152. A brief research session told me that this is a two seat high wing airplane and that this Cessna model has been around for quite some time and is commonly used for flight training purposes. It is economical and is a good platform to learn in.

I remember arriving at the hanger. The pre-flight had already been done before the plane was rolled out. Before long I found out that I was to enter the plane on the left side. Isn't that the drivers, I mean pilots seat? Why was I getting in on that side? And believe me, there is a way to get in and out efficiently without using parts of the plane you should not use to move your body from the ground to the seat. It does involve folding and unfolding of legs. It is at this time when you understand that you understand nothing about what you are about to do! We have talked about how to find a CFI that is a good fit for flight training. During the intro flight is the time to experience the teaching style, temperate and overall feel of a how future flight training sessions might be like.

So, again, I know nothing about what we(I) are about to do. We go through and complete the start-up and taxi checklists. We weave our way out of the ramp 4 hanger area and onto the taxiway. At this point I am invited to take the controls on a very comfortable taxi speed while it is explained how you maintain the yellow stripe down the middle of the taxiway and why. You stay on that line to maintain the best clearance distances from any potential obstructions. It is further explained that you steer with the rudder that is controlled with you feet by pushing on the appropriate rudder pedal. If more control is needed then you can use the toe brakes that are actuated by depressing the top of the rudder pedal for either the left or right brake. This is differential braking. On the way to the run-up area I am invited to practice some small S-turns around the stripe to get the feel of rudder and brake feel and control. Not so bad I think to myself, I can do this. I can at 10 mph. Next I find out that with only my left hand on the yoke and my right hand on my leg, I will be steering on the take-of roll and executing the actual leaving the ground. Whaaat! What a trusting CFI. While going through and completing the run-up checklist I am thinking about how this plane acts going down the runway, just how fast exactly, and what am I suppose to do. We announce our intention to taxi into position for departure on runway 25 to the west. You may be wondering, I was, what am I going to do with my right hand? The idea is to get used to making control input with the yoke while my right hand will be on the throttle during T/O. Fortunately I do no have to concern myself with this today nor do I have to watch the instruments. My job at this point is to listen as instruction is given, steer and rotate. I am thinking stay calm, focus on the centerline, rudder corrections as needed, listen for instruction and enjoy the experience.

The T/O roll went smoothly and the plane handled easier than I had envisioned with very little rudder correction. When it came time to rotate I was amazed at how effortless the feeling was. After reflection I can only describe the feeling as one of a mechanical object that transforms itself from a terrestrial to an avian being when it reaches the point where aerodynamically it not only can fly but wants to fly. It is a feeling that to understand it, has be experienced. It was amazing!

We spent the hour making some turns in both directions, some descents and climbs and combining the turns while climbing and descending. We talked about clearing the turns before initiating them. We also spent time looking down at the South Yuba River, Bridgeport Covered Bridge and Bullards Bar Reservoir. It was a great flight on a warm fall day. I was not sure though who enjoyed the flight more. It is a good sign when your CFI enjoys the experience of flying as much as a new student.

On the way home I keep thinking how much I enjoyed the flight. The flight gave me an opportunity to experience not only the joy of flying again but some hands on experience as well. It did not take me long to decide that learning to fly was something that I not only wanted to do but that the time had come to begin.