My first flying lesson took place after the third ground school class. My instructor and I drove to his hangar on a lake and took his Rans ultra light out for a short flight. The instructor had done a pre flight inspection before our flight. His plane had tandem seating with controls for the second pilot also – all except the flap stick. I sat in the front seat and my instructor was in the back seat. After the takeoff he instructed me to put up the flaps. What was he talking about? I had seen a picture of the flaps in my study guide but there wasn’t a corresponding instructional diagram on how to lower or raise the flaps. The plane was loud and it was difficult to hear. We were up higher than I had been before and there was water everywhere below.
As it turned out, the flaps were controlled by a stick to the left of my seat. However, I could not reach the flaps with my safety harness on. As my instructor said with greater intensity, raise the flaps, I took off my harness to lower the stick which raises the flaps – counter intuitive if you ask me. Also, there was a trick to the stick handling; you had to raise it up slightly before it would go down. Information that I thought might have been useful to know before the flight, however the bloody flaps were finally down.
My instructor told me to fly towards the lake. Do you know how many lakes there are in Nova Scotia? Which one? There had to be at least six within close proximity. I thought to myself, I like my own plane much better and I can’t wait to get it home!
As it turned out, the flaps were controlled by a stick to the left of my seat. However, I could not reach the flaps with my safety harness on. As my instructor said with greater intensity, raise the flaps, I took off my harness to lower the stick which raises the flaps – counter intuitive if you ask me. Also, there was a trick to the stick handling; you had to raise it up slightly before it would go down. Information that I thought might have been useful to know before the flight, however the bloody flaps were finally down.
My instructor told me to fly towards the lake. Do you know how many lakes there are in Nova Scotia? Which one? There had to be at least six within close proximity. I thought to myself, I like my own plane much better and I can’t wait to get it home!
1 comment:
LiteFlyer, I've been following your adventures with Aviatrix. Wonderful! I took a trip to Texas from N. Virginia in May in a Cessna 172. A long slow cross-country, but still faster than yours.
I think your flight is a wonderful way to see the land. And, you've got a good pilot and instructor with you. Enjoy it all! Even the rough parts.
Aviatrix's account has you near my area now. I've given her (in comments) info about two restaurants in Lancaster PA and nearby in Smoketown. There's also Orville's in York PA I forgot to mention.
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