So, I had my first flight today. Diamond Katana DV20. I traveled with jets before of course, many times actually, but being in the aircraft in the cockpit beats everything by a long shot!I have never been in a small aircraft, and this was my first time that I actually did the same thing as at home but this time the cockpit moved :Big Grin:One thing I must say:A W E S O M E!!!!!!!!!!!!This was by far the best experience I ever had! I flew with a friend of mine, who is Lufthansa/Eurowings FO flying on BAE 146. Sadly, my stomach didn't want to play along for the 2 hour flight, but apart from that, I enjoyed like never in my life!If some of you know Vienna airspace, we did a jump from LOAN, to austrian alps, around Schneeberg, winging the hikers, then we went further in the alps, coming out on the side between Krems and Melk, went down for some low and fast flying along the lower hills, which was btw. absolutely great, slowed down a bit to do a low fly-along along the highway, seeing if someone picks our speed :( We were doing some pretty low&slow flying in the area, then went for a low overfly along the Danube up to the Hafen Freudenau, turned back - apparently is Vienna Control very strickt about the rules flying there, because of Schwechat - gotta keep the right side of Danube at all times.Anyway, was time to head back: went back over Tulln, and while crossing the approach for RWY 11 we had us our very own and my personal favorite Boeing 747-400 from Korea cross us up ahead, I believe it was at about 4000ft, cuz we were doing around 2000ft. It would put it one the right altitude for approach to RWY11. We did a little circle to observe it and then we headed back to LOAN.Funny thing is, my girlfriend was just coming back from work on the highway that we crossed on the way back. She did not see us though :( It was so much fun flying over watching all those suckers being stuck in the 20km traffic jam cuz some truck slipped...I flew the most of the time, he even let me take off, but he did control the pedals though. I told him to, because I don't have them at home and I have no feeling on them. But the stick was awesome, almost like my joystick, just way more sensitive.Landing was his thing hehehe...Now, if anyone wonders what do I think about comparing RL and Sim. Well, I can say following: I'm happy I have simming as my background, BUT sitting in the aircraft - that's the whooooole other story - you gotta do MUCH less movement to achieve a result, you have a feedback from the "chair". I was at first totally doing too much movement, you can feel every little pressure on the stick, which is great, since you have much more feeling for the stick.It was much less hassle for me when he said follow the track to VOR and blah blah, since I already had an understand on how to do it. We did some turn exercises, I was amazed how you actually could feel if the aircraft starts climbing and was very easy to hold it steady, nothing like a simulator. I could >almost< do it without even observing the attitude indicator or climb indicator.Anyway, we are definitely going again in some time, probably a month or so, depending when we will have some time. Motion sickness apparently struck me, made my flight a bit miserable (almost puked through the window hehe, but I managed to hold it), but hey, I don't allow it to get me down, I'm sure in time it will go away. Next time I'll be ready - some chewing gum against it, enough water (it was so hot in the cockpit, even with a window open) and a baggie to puke :( Hope you enjoyed my little report, next time I'm taking a camera!!Love the flying!!!!!! B)

Closest thing to that I've flown would be the Piper Tomahawk. Tighter than a C-150 and somewhat squirrlier with the t-tail.Glad you enjoyed yourself. Now go earn that certificate.

Closest thing to that I've flown would be the Piper Tomahawk. Tighter than a C-150 and somewhat squirrlier with the t-tail.Glad you enjoyed yourself. Now go earn that certificate.

Money money money... as ABBA would say :( :biggrin:It was a bit windy around the Alps today, so had some squirling around hehehe...

Sadly, my stomach didn't want to play along for the 2 hour flight, but apart from that, I enjoyed like never in my life!

Ensure you are looking out the window as often as you can during your first flights, always keep track of the horizon and try not to fixate to much on the instrument panel just yet - once I started looking outside the sickness went away for me :(

Now, if anyone wonders what do I think about comparing RL and Sim. Well, I can say following: I'm happy I have simming as my background, BUT sitting in the aircraft - that's the whooooole other story - you gotta do MUCH less movement to achieve a result, you have a feedback from the "chair". I was at first totally doing too much movement, you can feel every little pressure on the stick, which is great, since you have much more feeling for the stick.

It's true the sim will NEVER be able to capture it. It's a wonderful feeling. Steep turns are great fun too. My instructor was taking me to 60 degrees of bank, and I could feel the G-force. Brilliant stuff.

It's true the sim will NEVER be able to capture it. It's a wonderful feeling. Steep turns are great fun too. My instructor was taking me to 60 degrees of bank, and I could feel the G-force. Brilliant stuff.

We were also doing 60degree turn, but after the first one, that was quite enough for the first time... Katana DV20 can't take very much, isn't very powerful aircraft.It's a funny thing. Before I went, I thought to myself - just don't fly staight, I want to go up-down, left-right, around the mountain, between the mountains and all. But hell came to me...I hope my next flight will be better!

It's a funny thing. Before I went, I thought to myself - just don't fly staight, I want to go up-down, left-right, around the mountain, between the mountains and all. But hell came to me...I hope my next flight will be better!

Haha that's really unlucky.I had a good meal in me before I flew each time - a Bacon sandwich and a bottle of Fentimans Cola (that's my flight drink, haha). I don't know what you'd eat (if at all) to combat motion sickness... Might be worth looking up. I'm sure you don't want that to put a downer on your flying...