I think everyone's solo hits them a little differently-but for sure it will be something you will never forget-along with just about every flight you do. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

Thanks guys,I really enjoyed reading your impressions. I plan to really enjoy the whole experience.

Congrats on starting your PPL training- KABE is the closest international airport to my house. The closest one period is Slatington 69N.I enjoy simming in the Allentown area, maybe we can get together on multiplayer sometime when you are "practicing".Best Regards, Donny :-waveFLYing? It's cool. Trillions of birds and insects can't be wrong.

Congratulations, you have received a present like no other, the present of freedom and pursuit of a dream.In respect of questions about PPL training, I would strongly advise training on the cheapest aircraft you can. So in your case the Cherokee is a good bet, it is a very easy aircraft to fly and a nice stable platform. Once you have your ticket it usually only takes three hours to convert to another type.Another important point is go into the experience trying to forget what you have learnt about 'flying' in flight sim as it will likely hinder you to a degree. For example in flight sim a much greater proportion of time is spent flying by watching instruments, when flying VFR you will need to learn how to fly by the visual picture outside and feel of the controls. The instrument watching will however stand you in good stead when/if you proceed to the instrument rating.Flying a real plane is actually easier than flight sim I find, as you have a much greater awareness of surroundings and also the feel of flight. For example slipping and skidding can literally be felt through the seat of your pants.The first solo is an experience that is hard to relate in words, the strange thing about it is for the vast majority of people they don't feel ready for it. However all your training up till that point will kick in and you will find yourself up there in perhaps a state of bewilderment how anyone could have trusted you to take a plane up on your own. It is an amazing feeling of accomplishment and a memory that will bring a smile to your face still after many hundreds of hours of P1 time.Anyway, wish you the very best of luck!

Thank you, Xiderpunk, for the eloquence with which you describe this wonderful experience. You really explain the basic emotions that are sure to come with the "real" feeling of flight.Your words make the achievement of this dream seem so worthwhile.Thanks for contributing. Stan

You'll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to fly a plane. For most non-pilots, it is still an eternal black box and still considered like a small elitist community.The previous poster has summed to the experience quite accurately. Virtually every modern plane flies all by itself and it's very hard to throw it "off the track" as long as you make good use of the trim.I still recall my first frightening experience after about 5 flight lessons. Shortly after take-off, while making some traffic patterns around the field, we ran into some "light" turbulence, which almost made me wet myself, because the plane was shaking to violently that I thought it would break apart. Imagine riding your car over a 50ft pothole. However, there is nothing really that frightening, because you get used to it and after that traffic pattern, I "whoo hoo'ed" from excitement when I touched down, similar to the feeling after riding a roller coaster.Flying is great, if you love the elements and nature, if you like to plan, have a reasonable stomach, are interested in cartography and technology. It combines most of my interests.

That's awesome, though don't be suprised if you end up paying three or four times that gift certificate amount to get your license, I love flying, but i will complaing about how much I spent getting it until I die.Jeff

I'm aware that a PPL will be at least $5000.00. The $1000.00 though acted FINALLY as a "catalyst" to get me to the airport to absolutely take the plunge. I'm thankful for that, because I just got too comfortable with simulation. I will never stop the simulation fun I'm having, but I might be able to relate to the real pilots out there once I start this fabulous adventure.

congrats, Stan. Sounds like a great gift from the family. it is an addicting experience but VERY expensive!

Hi Stan,I am a student too at age 34. I just soloed a few weeks ago, and it was just as everybody described. Quite frankly, I was glad when I touched down the third landing- I just wanted to get out of the plane and let it sink in.The biggest thing I have to say, which most seasoned pilots and instructors forget is how ROUGH the air is to someone who doesn't often enter it. Airplanes have seatbelts for a reason, and it probably has little to do with crashing. The best thing for you to do, is call the airport and schedule some lessons. My school uses schedulemaster.com which is AWESOME because I can create/edit/delete my own lessons. So a day or two before I am supposed to fly I will regularly start checking the forecast. If it says "15-20 knot winds" then I know it's going to be bumpy so don't eat a big breakfast! Ideally, I love when it says "1-3 knots" then I know it's going to be one of those days I can just go up and play around with the plane, and not have to work too much about head/tailwinds, and turbulence pockets.The biggest thing is though, nobody should aspire to be a fair weather pilot, but it will take you at least 10-15 hours before you start to feel comfortable in rough air. And it will take HUNDREDS (so I hear) before you are really confident in crosswind landings with wind like that.Don't let it put you off though- my first few lessons, I was really scared because the plane was bouncing around I don't think I heard one thing the instructor said. So what- just ask him to do stuff over later on until YOU feel comfortable.Here are some really great milestones you have to look forward to at the beginning:1) First solo pre-flight (oh my god? did I forget anything? checklist... haha) 3rd or 4th lesson?2) First solo takeoff (well, instructor in the right seat of course) usually 3rd-5th lesson3) First stall 1st-4th lesson4) First time you fly over your house (whenever you ask to! You're paying for the time...)5) First solo landing (well, instructor there, but hands off) probably 8th-12th lesson.6) First solo! 15th-25th lessonJust remember, there are no points for first place- don't race to solo as early as possible, you don't win anything, and you will feel more comfortable/ready the more you've flown with the instructor. I've had some really enjoyable early evening flights just doing pattern work with my instructor- I was in no hurry to kick him out.*I can definately say the most fun for me is the pattern stuff- no flaps landings/ short approachs/slips /Short & soft field landings/takeoffs. Once you can do the basic pattern you will start learning different ways to get the plane up and down. Short field landings are my favorite- I pretty much do them all the time now- even on the 5600 ft 20/02 runway. You land, put the flaps up, and pull all the wayback on the yoke so the plane is doing a wheelie down the runway (aerobraking), and at the same time slam the brakes as hard as you can without skidding. Fun stuff :)

What a great gift - congratulations. That's good for four or five hours of flying.My introduction was not exactly a gift - it was my wife that, exasperated at how much time I was "flying" in FS2000 back in 1999, said, "why don't you just go out and learn to fly for real, rather than spending hours in our spare bedroom not really going anywhere?" Hmmm, let me think about that.... "OK"!!!Six years and many $ later, I have about 450 hours, fixed wing private/instrument ratings, and a helicopter commercial rating. That sort of seemed to shut her up 8^) and now she questions her sanity at giving me the OK!!! But I will forever be thankful that she made this possible, as aviation has become what I think about every five minutes or more.My advice: learn to fly in a Cessna 172. I learned in one (actually, several different N-numbers), and then got just enough time in a Piper Archer to realize that I really hate airplanes with only one door to ingress/egress with. I also think that the Cessna is easier to land well (high wing). But at any rate, you really don't need more than one engine or 180hp to learn in. The big toys will come later.Once you've got the private ticket, consider upgrading to a Cirrus SR20/22 or a Cessna 182 or similar, and work on your complex/high performance ratings. Or alternatively, get the instrument rating - which I guar-an-tee will make your FS flying a lot more fulfilling, and it will also make you even more amazed at what an amazing piece of work that MS FS is. It will also make you a much better and safer pilot.Dave Blevins

I'm assuming that none of the above can answer the title thread?Assuming you got nothing for Xmas?:-wave :-lol :-abduct :-spacecraft

I got a Matrox triplehead2Go and I am now flying my new Real Air SF260 (FSX version) with a wide screen resolution of 3840 X 1024.:-) I wish the OP good luck and enjoyment of his gift of real flight. There is nothing like cranking and banking several thousand feet above the earth. I personally prefer the Cessna 172 for basic flight training as it gives you an unobstructed view below. keep your eyes outside as much as possible and remember to always clear your turns. Your first solo will be something you will never forget. My instructor was a big guy and my first flight without him resulted in the Cessna 152 I was flying climbing to pattern altitude like a F16.Then there was the small matter of getting back on the ground. Happy and safe flying.

I'd also echo Xiderpunk: The cheaper the plane you're flying, the more time you spend in the air for your money (obvious really, but when I learned, the cheaper option effectively amounted to one free lesson for every five!). You can always convert onto the fancier planes later.Remember too, if you get uncomfortable - first time in turbulence, or whatever - you can always ask the instructor to turn around. There's no shame in wanting to be back on the ground. Over time you build up a natural resiliance to things like turbulence, rather like getting your sea legs on a boat.I remember my first solo, and the trepidation I felt at the prospect of it. Heck I even put it off one time! But when the instructor finally did get out, the training just kicked in, and I flew it just like all the other circuits (okay, I bounced the landing an went around, something I could easily recover from now, but on the plus side I got two solo circuits!), and the grin on my face afterwards was priceless! Most people don't think they're ready for it, but what the instructor is looking for is not perfection, rather that you are safe.I didn't actually get to fly over my house until the test, since it was in the opposite direction to the normal training and Navex areas. But I took great delight in pointing it out to my examiner! :D

I bought myself an XFX GeForce 8800GTX and am enjoying FS9 again. pretty soon I will start up FSX and see how that runs