First post on AVSIM in a while! Sorry it's so long. It's kinda like a blog for pilots, from simmers to long flying real world pilots.I went for my discovery flight today and it was really awesome. I did at an FBO at Leesburg Airport (JYO) and they were very professional and nice and made me feel safe and at home, offering me many cookies and puppy chow :(. Before I went to the airport I checked the weather channel (not a normal weather channel but the weather channel :() and the forecast said to expect thunderstorms around 2 PM but I checked the radar and it was completley clear for Virginia. So I called the FBO and one of the CFIs said she checked the radar and she didn't see anything so it would be good to go. When I arrived at the airport she was right, the sky was pretty much lightly cloudy (about 3/8s I'm guessing) and the sun was shining brightly. I couldn't recognize any thunderstorm clouds such as cumulonimbus. At the FBO I met my CFI who was a great teacher!! He took me behind the scenes and showed me a VFR sectional of the Washington area and showed me where we would be flying and what "gate" we would be using out of the B airspace. We then filed a VFR flight plan and then he did weight and balance and everything was well inside the envelope for the flight. I cannot remember the takeoff distance we were supposed to expect with the density altitude but I think it was between 1,600ft and 1,800ft, with 3 people onboard, and two full tanks of fuel, and we were going to land at a 3,000ft grass strip After I was handed 2 headsets and we were on our way (my mom hates small airplanes so she said she'd rather not fly! I told here the plane is perfectly safe, but it's OK, because the plane might have been to the Max. Gross weight)!! The CFI flew the plane very recently for a short flight so the preflight inspection was thorough but not as long as it would be if you returned after a few days. Preflight inspection was roughly 10-15 mins and included control surfaces check, inspection of rivets and flaps, checking the landing gear and tires, checking for any nests and things like that. I was really excited and happy at this point and couldn't wait to fly. We were flying a 2000 Cessna 172SP. I would have chosen the G1000 but I wanted to get a feel for the steam, plus in my opinion, it's easy to have an altimeter that looks like a clock so you can easily estimate your vertical speed. The CFI could tell I knew a lot about airplanes so he said if I didn't mind he would eat a bit while I flew in the air. Once we completed the preflight we climbed in the airplane which looks pretty large from the outside but once you get close and inside the cabin looks pretty small (I think it might be because of the height). Once I let my dad in the back (he had no problem fitting), I climbed in the aircraft and sat in the pilot's seat and it actually felt pretty spacious, except the door is actually pretty close. I was definitely nervous at this point (not very, but a little bit). I'm 17 but I've never driven yet, and this was my first time in an aircraft. I've read many books on aviation and including pilot's handbooks, pilots AIMs, various online articles, etc, and of course flight sim... anyway, like I was saying :(... We were in the cockpit, we plugged in the headsets and the CFI brought out the checklist. Sitting in the plane was nothing like a car. It feels pretty high up even in a Cessna, and the instrument was a bit smaller than I expected it to be. The CFI followed the start up checklist turning on the master switch, pushing the mixture in to the rich setting, turning the fuel pump and pushing the throttle in untill the fuel flow peaked and so on. He then turned the key's for the magnetos to "Start" while he held the throttle and the engine was running!! I thought it would be ear deafening but it definitely wasn't, it may have been due to me wearing a headset. I could feel the air of the prop coming through the windows and I was really impressed with this great piece of technology we have today. I could feel the power unlike flight sim. The plane shook (not violently) when he choked the engine and it started and while it was running there was a soft vibration caused by the engine that you would literally forget after a few seconds or a minute. I thought the 172 was a bit on the weak side but boy was I wrong (maybe it's because it's not FS) The engine was roaring and spinning the prop, and I could feel the brakes holding the plane back so it wouldn't budge. After a quick talk about where we were going to taxi to, the CFI released the brake and let me taxi to the runway. I have to admit, with me playing racing sims, not driving, and not having rudder pedals, taxiing was pretty difficult for me. I wasn't used to the "turn with your feet thing" (after we landed and taxiied back it was slightly easier for me though). I tried to stay on the centerline and I did, but I got off it a few times, I felt like the plane would rollover even with light gentle pushes on the rudder pedals, but then I noticed it could take a lot more than that (even when I used differential braking it was stable)... The CFI said I was doing a great job although :D. When we approached the runup area he took the controls, looked @ the windsock and turned the airplane into the wind to minimize any chance of rolling. The CFI then went through the before takeoff checklist, running up the engine and testing the magnetos, adjusting the flaps and so-on (Something that FS does really well!) We then taxied to the runway hold short area and he did a standard VFR radio call for takeoff and he announced the direction of departure. He let me takeoff, and said he would help me out if there any problems which made me feel safe and confident, although I was a bit scared that I would put in too much rudder and make the plane veer to the left or right on accident. This really was a different feeling. It was interesting, and lots of fun, but you're dealing with real life here so if you damage something it costs money. For takeoff the pilot said I should put in full power. I put in about 1/2 and I was so amazed with the acceleration and the GForce that I left the throttle at half power (...I'm not sure if I was scared, amazed, or what!) and he told me to push it in all the way so I did. We were then rolling down the runway!! The mighty little 172 with full fuel and 3 people was actually very fast. I could feel the speed gaining, and I made light rudder nosewheel inputs and it was a bit easier to get the plane to do what you wanted it to, because of resistance due to speed. The CFI said I should pull the yoke slowly at 55 knots to rotate and get the plane in the air, saying that he could really tell I knew the instrumental panels. At 55 knots I pulled back slowly and the plane was in the air before I knew it. The feeling was definitely a bit weird because I have never felt it. It was similar but different to riding a rollercoaster. The plane climbed very fast (and again from my point of view since this the first plane I've been in, everything feels very fast), and I could see everything getting smaller. I've never been afraid of heights but HOLY COW, this was something new. I was a bit afraid to look down for a second, because when you look out the window too close it feels like you're actually not in anything and you might fall all of a sudden. The air today was a bit turbulent due to the low pressure moving in and mixing with highs, and I was a bit surprised never having felt anything like it. It was pretty much clear at our altitude (we were flying VFR which played a part) so we had to steer clear of clouds, which was not a problem at all since the ceiling was pretty high. I definitely wasn't expecting any rough air when the air looked clear, but the CFI told me that during the summer it happens a lot due to weather, heat rising from different type surfaces on the ground, and other things which I could definitely feel as we flew over different types of terrain. The turbulence/winds felt like someone was literally pushing your plane down instantly or someone was lifting your plane up faster than a rollercoaster. Was a bit gut wrenching... 'The instructor told me to climb up to 1,300ft for the intial part of the flight. We flew north west towards winchester and Charlestown, West Virginia. I could see the beautiful appalachain mountains ahead and I could see everything from above. The cars, houses, roads... even though the looked very small even from this altitude. We flew over some great places, looking at some towns and cities, and the CFI showed me a mansion (which literally looked like an apartment or so from this altitude since my eyes were not used to it) with a guitar shaped pool, and he said that he thinks it belongs to a rockstar, or someone famous. With me on the controls the whole time from takeoff he said I was doing a great job, but he said I should ease on the controls a bit... with the frequent change of altitude, yaw, and bank with the winds/turbulence it definitely made me a bit queezy in my stomach and also made me think that I needed to correct instantly. As time progressed I got a little bit more accustomed to it and I became more relaxed which the instructor noted. We reached Charleston after we crossed a small valley in the range into West Virginia on the other in a very short time. I'm guessing it was 5 minutes but it definitely was no more than 15 minutes. The plane was very fast, and because there is no traffic like on the ground you can reach many places in no time. Flight sim does this pretty well but since it's not real life when you go from point A to point B in a short time you don't really realize that you're getting somewhere far away in such a short time, or it could just be me. The scenery around the area was really nice. The instructor told me where to fly and I peridocally asked him if I'm going in the right direction and he said I was doing fine and if anything is wrong he'll help me out. We reached the Charlestown "races & slots" which people in Virginia and Maryland have probably heard thousands of times in commercials, which he humorously sang, and told we circled around the casino and horse race track. I was thinking about if we would be able to actually do a 180 around the casino, which looked pretty small, without a high degree of bank, but after I started making about 10-20 degrees bank on the attitude indicator (which I shouldn't have done because it's VFR) we were already heading in the other direction. After that we killed some time and paralleled the appalachains north climbing to 3,000 and I asked him lots of questions about aviation and also about becoming a pilot, possibly commercial, or becoming an A&P mechanic, flight dispatcher, etc. and I got lots of great answers. After a few minutes we headed south for Leesburg and descended to 2,400. I was fine with climbing but descending was really my pet peeve, I was afraid of that "drop" you get in your stomach on a rollercoaster when you drop fast, but I never really was noticeable during the whole flight! On the way back we passed back over the appalachains, getting bumped around by the ridge lift and updrafts from the slope of the hills, descending to 2,400. It was starting to feel like the longest hour of my life, and I didn't know if it was because I never have seen a landing inside a plane, or if I was getting scared of staying in an airplane so long. Despite this it was very intriguing, interesting and pretty fun. As we came back we did some real VFR and the pilot told me to hold the altitude and head towards two water towers but a bit to the right of them. After about 7 minutes we reached it and we descended to 1,500 slowly as we entered the pattern for Leesburg. I was so used to having a GPS with a moving map that it became a bit hard for me to recognize what we were doing to enter the circuit for runway 17 at JYO. I asked and he said we were doing a something similar to a teardrop entry into the pattern, announcing to the CTAF that we were making a "45" into downwind (45 degreee entry into downwind). There were 4 aircraft in the pattern so the pilot took the controls, but he already told me before we tookoff that he would be landing so it was not a problem. It wasn't like I wanted to land anyway, or I would probably have to run 10 washing cycles on my shorts when I got home, lol.There was a plane behind us on the pattern but he was a bit faster than us (which caused the CFI to take the controls) so he did 360s as we approached base. I can't remember the name of the plane but it was a single engine fully FAA cert. French Aircraft with a cabin/canopy that looked like a long rectangle, but anyway. As we came in the CFI said we were a little high but it was not a problem. We descended and the view as we turned onto final changed so fast. Everything looked small including the runway but as we descending things became larger and the runway appeared to get wider and longer (it looks a bit different than videos and flight sim) and I could feel the plane's aerodynamics change as the CFI lowered the flaps. As we came in short final the fast plane followed and the CFI said he was going to try and turnoff quickly but boy I did not expect would happened next. When we touched down it was very smooth, and it was a weird feeling, I'm not sure if it was the wind, but I could feel the landing gear changing the track of the plane. It kind of felt like we were going sideways which felt similar to what happened during takeoff. The CFI did a great job on landing. We touched down, the plane slowed by itself as the engine idle, and then the pilot pressed the brakes saying that he was going to try and make the turnoff ahead which I must say was VERY close. to us (We were at about 40-45ish knots and we came to almost a complete halt in about 100 ft, needles to say it was very gentle and not braking that would make a bowling ball fly out the front windshield from the backseat). I think it was the first or second turnoff on the runway. I let out a big "WHOA" on the intercom out of impression of how fast we stopped. I was impressed by the CFI and this small Cessna which seemed like a workhorse. The pilot estimated we landed in about 300 to 400ft and me and my dad were completely amazed. As we went on the taxiway the plane behind us on final landed about .a minute and 30 seconds after, which is lots of time if you think about it. I taxied back happy I was on the ground, and this time taxi was smooth. As we approached the ramp I turned towards it then when we approached our parking spot he turned the aircraft sharply (definitely must have been some differential braking), BUT softly and we were perpendicular with the taxiway. The CFI went through the shutdown checklist and the engine and batteries were off. As I took of the headset, I then realized that I wanted to go back in the air, the feeling was amazing!! After we climbed out of the airplane he used a tug? to push the airplane back to the parking spot with our help and then we put the chocks on and tied down the aircraft. On the walk back all I could think about was how fun that was, and how I did something that many people my age don't do. I knew my mom would be really worried thinking "why are they taking so long, oh my god I hope they're okay!" even though it had only been an hour lol. If only I had some money for a PPL and a decent looking Cessna (that way my friends would be comfortable sitting in it)When we were back in the terminal I returned the headsets and the CFI gave me a temporary logbook with the flight which was an hour and counted as an hour toward PPL training time, recorded inside.The feeling of flying really was something else. I wasn't expecting the particular feeling but if you aren't someone that stays scared for a long time you can actually calm down and get a bit used to it after a while. Honestly the only thing I'm scared of now is banking at low airspeeds and stalling while I'm in the plane, and it's not because I think the plane will break or its not safe, but I know that the first time it happens the feeling in my stomach will probably be close to the worst feeling ever hehe. I really did sincerely enjoy it though and I hope to be back in the skies soon. I will never look at flying the same way (in a good way). It's an experience you'll never forget in a lifetime, its fun, exciting, and interesting and I can surely bet it can bring some people back to life. I also will never look at flight simm the same way too. It's a great tool and peace of technology, and FSX is pretty good for VFR, I can't lie and say flight sim didn't help me at all with the skills I used to day because almost everything I learned from flight sim, books, etc helped me a lot today. The only thing FSX doesn't have is the feeling you get when climbing, descending, banking, putting in some rudder (I took out a bit of rudder in flight, boy was it a weird feeling at first. Feels like the aircraft is slipping sideways while there is a huge force from below holding you up, kind of like a car going 100 miles on a road then going up a hill, the car pushes down into the road on the initial part because it wants to keep going straight instead of up). Also the feeling of the power the engine is producing, on the ground and in the air is something that can't be done in FS, although the new FSX camera system does an ok attempt of simulating it. The feeling you get on takeoff, climb, or cruise when the throttle is full open is definitely different than a car. The only way you can get close to these physical feelings is probably in a full motion sim with huge screens, preferably a real cockpit, and probably a good sound set, lol. Or you can always try the real thing....Happy flying!!Attached file is a pic of me flying through a valley in the Appalachians to W VA.

I actually scrolled down, and immediately thought to myself..........tl;drNice picture, but I'm going to have a drink and then come back and read then have a nice digestion of this insanely long post. I give you an A+ for effort though, and I think any thread with "Went Flying" is one worth reading. :(

I actually scrolled down, and immediately thought to myself..........tl;drNice picture, but I'm going to have a drink and then come back and read then have a nice digestion of this insanely long post. I give you an A+ for effort though, and I think any thread with "Went Flying" is one worth reading. :(

Haha, thanks, at first I was going to make a short post, but I thought that all the people that sim and never fly would miss out, so I typed this in about 20 mins. I admit I don't think I would read this unless I had a lot time. Easier to type than read lol.

Congrats gman! You writing of your first experience is incredible and very descriptive.I usually fly to Leesburg when I go to your area and it is a very nice airport to go to considering all the mess of airspace there now.Again, if you wish to pursue flying to the next step you may want to check out your local Cap unit. You would most likely be flying a g1000 equipped fairly new airplane and I don't think there is any cheaper way to fly/learn.Congrats on your first flight and I hope you are enthused to continue.

Great story! The first time actually flying is such an experience, I wish I followed through with it with lessons after I had mine, but due to family concerns I never did, which I always regretted. Ah well I still have FS! My first experience was a bit different, as it was on an SNJ-5 (Navy version of the AT-6), and then later on a TF-51D Mustang. What's interesting is it seems on the discovery flights, the student does the takeoff but not the landing. On the AT-6 and later Mustang flight I had, the CFI performed the takeoff, before handing the controls over to me all the way through aerobatics and landing. I have videos of my Mustang flight on my youtube page below.

I just finished reading it. First off congrats on the intro flight!1). I've always enjoyed the feeling when I turn the key to Start and the engine sputters and vibrates to life. It means I'm (Probably) going flying :). (Assuming the runup goes well, which has twice ended my adventures as a pilot in less than 100 hours)'tis also true the smaller airplanes are commonly discredited. Infact some of the older 172's actually do have reputations for being "Really Slow" and that's because they are really slow, the Skyhawk SP got a 20 HP boost and IIRC, a little re-design on the wing (Might be wrong on that one) so it's faster and more fun. Cessna finally made their Skyhawk perform as well as the Cherokee Archer (Which is my weapon of choice for weekend warrior (Warrior? no archer!) flying, and instrument training).If you keep at it, you'll be landing within a few lessons (At least to an extent). I went up in the backseat with one of my instructors super low time students (3 flights). as they practiced maneuvers and approaches/landings. Well.....I was terrified, especially being a good 30 feet above the ground and the 172 being in a very nose high situation. That said, I sucked at landings too, and so did every other pilot - once upon a time. Infact it's an art to which there is no perfection - everyone makes bad ones here and there (Even after the most gorgeously flown approaches). So don't let that scare you. You also know thirty feet doesn't look like 30 feet at many airports. The runway is like a "Sea" of asphalt, making judging height a little difficult at first (I know I suffered this, and the purpose of the instructor is to help with that sort of thing)Lastly, I saw you mention money. Being young like yourself I can say "Dude Get a Job!!!". Although I'm sure you've heard it before - if you really want that money you can get it. I've been working since I was 15, earned my license at 17, and I'm working two jobs and over 40 hours a week earning my instrument rating (Currently 19). If you want it - it's yours for the taking. :(

Haha, thanks, at first I was going to make a short post, but I thought that all the people that sim and never fly would miss out, so I typed this in about 20 mins. I admit I don't think I would read this unless I had a lot time. Easier to type than read lol.

Isn't it fun?!?I remember my first intro/discovery flight quite well, and it went very similarly to yours. It's interesting how natural it is to take control of the airplane and actually "do it yourself", after the initial shock and awe of realizing that yes indeed I am actually controlling this thing!!-Greg

That was a fun read and it brought back some memories of my first flight in a small aeroplane. Clearly you enjoyed the experience, so good luck with your further flights.Al

I remember my first flight in a light plane many years ago in a Piper Tri-Pacer (I was actually in the CAP at the time too). I had a blast. Growing up around aircraft from the day I was born has imprinted in my a love of aviation. I even got to spend a few minutes at the controls of a Piper Sundowner and was really nervous. It is always nice to see someone take up flying as it is such a great pasttime.

Congrats gman! You writing of your first experience is incredible and very descriptive.I usually fly to Leesburg when I go to your area and it is a very nice airport to go to considering all the mess of airspace there now.Again, if you wish to pursue flying to the next step you may want to check out your local Cap unit. You would most likely be flying a g1000 equipped fairly new airplane and I don't think there is any cheaper way to fly/learn.Congrats on your first flight and I hope you are enthused to continue.

Thanks!! It was lots of fun definitely going to return, and I'll tell my parents about the CAP unit although they might say no because of school. I can feel your pain of flying here haha. Looking at the VFR Sectionals of the Washington area gives me a headache. Really messy, but I'm thinking it may help in the future if there are other places in the country with airspace similar to this. Looks like a good way to avoid it is fly out then around the Class B!

Great story! The first time actually flying is such an experience, I wish I followed through with it with lessons after I had mine, but due to family concerns I never did, which I always regretted. Ah well I still have FS! My first experience was a bit different, as it was on an SNJ-5 (Navy version of the AT-6), and then later on a TF-51D Mustang. What's interesting is it seems on the discovery flights, the student does the takeoff but not the landing. On the AT-6 and later Mustang flight I had, the CFI performed the takeoff, before handing the controls over to me all the way through aerobatics and landing. I have videos of my Mustang flight on my youtube page below.

Wow, that sound really nice. I would love to fly in a classic fighter. Your one lucky guy being able to do aerobatics and landing on the first flight though, I honestly admit if I did that my first time I would wet my pants !!

I just finished reading it. First off congrats on the intro flight!1). I've always enjoyed the feeling when I turn the key to Start and the engine sputters and vibrates to life. It means I'm (Probably) going flying :). (Assuming the runup goes well, which has twice ended my adventures as a pilot in less than 100 hours)'tis also true the smaller airplanes are commonly discredited. Infact some of the older 172's actually do have reputations for being "Really Slow" and that's because they are really slow, the Skyhawk SP got a 20 HP boost and IIRC, a little re-design on the wing (Might be wrong on that one) so it's faster and more fun. Cessna finally made their Skyhawk perform as well as the Cherokee Archer (Which is my weapon of choice for weekend warrior (Warrior? no archer!) flying, and instrument training).If you keep at it, you'll be landing within a few lessons (At least to an extent). I went up in the backseat with one of my instructors super low time students (3 flights). as they practiced maneuvers and approaches/landings. Well.....I was terrified, especially being a good 30 feet above the ground and the 172 being in a very nose high situation. That said, I sucked at landings too, and so did every other pilot - once upon a time. Infact it's an art to which there is no perfection - everyone makes bad ones here and there (Even after the most gorgeously flown approaches). So don't let that scare you. You also know thirty feet doesn't look like 30 feet at many airports. The runway is like a "Sea" of asphalt, making judging height a little difficult at first (I know I suffered this, and the purpose of the instructor is to help with that sort of thing)Lastly, I saw you mention money. Being young like yourself I can say "Dude Get a Job!!!". Although I'm sure you've heard it before - if you really want that money you can get it. I've been working since I was 15, earned my license at 17, and I'm working two jobs and over 40 hours a week earning my instrument rating (Currently 19). If you want it - it's yours for the taking. :(

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking I might get a job next summer after high school or sometime this year if the schedule does interfere with my senior year. My parents said that I'll be going back soon though so hopefully I can get a few training sessions in the 172 in my logbook! I can't believe you sat in the back seat during a training flight hah. When I saw the back seat of the 172 I had to salute my dad for being brave and sitting there :(. I bet it won't be so bad the first time I sit there though, providing there is no turbulence.

Isn't it fun?!?I remember my first intro/discovery flight quite well, and it went very similarly to yours. It's interesting how natural it is to take control of the airplane and actually "do it yourself", after the initial shock and awe of realizing that yes indeed I am actually controlling this thing!!-Greg

Ya it took me a while to think I took off, and I'm flying which definitely gives you a shock at first because it's a bit different than driving where you can just brake and pull over.

That was a fun read and it brought back some memories of my first flight in a small aeroplane. Clearly you enjoyed the experience, so good luck with your further flights.Al

Thanks! The first flight is seared in my memory forever. Hope you have many safe flights to come in your glider :(

I remember my first flight in a light plane many years ago in a Piper Tri-Pacer (I was actually in the CAP at the time too). I had a blast. Growing up around aircraft from the day I was born has imprinted in my a love of aviation. I even got to spend a few minutes at the controls of a Piper Sundowner and was really nervous. It is always nice to see someone take up flying as it is such a great pasttime.

Pretty good post! Talk about power, when you go on your first commercial flight you are going to be speechless. I have never been in a 172 but my hunch is a commercial plane has way more power to weight ratio.

Pretty good post! Talk about power, when you go on your first commercial flight you are going to be speechless. I have never been in a 172 but my hunch is a commercial plane has way more power to weight ratio.

Haha ya, I bet I will! I was a bit scared putting in full power on the takeoff run in the 172 for the first time because it felt like a car with the gas all the way down the floor!

Pretty good post! Talk about power, when you go on your first commercial flight you are going to be speechless. I have never been in a 172 but my hunch is a commercial plane has way more power to weight ratio.

to be honest, neither have a power to weight ratio worth grinning over. :(

True but for a first flight you will be shocked. Nothing has the power of something like the concorde or a fighter jet

Great post and fun to read! I actually live like 10 minutes away from the Leesburg airport here in Virginia!James