First Flight, first Jitters

[Futeki]

Finally ground school is complete! Tomorrow is my first flight with my instructer. I'm very nervous and I cant drink any to calm myself down...I think the FAA frowns upon that or something So what can I do to prepare myself instead of liquid courage?

Also lets here some of ya'lls first flights! Maybe it will make me feel better.

[Mike]

I think you should remind yourself that your first flight is WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR !! 

I have a feeling it's gonna be ok that way. (unless Chuck is your instructor, but even he has come back from every flight so far)
Now the first SOLO . . . that's a different story . . . .

Just relax and enjoy the feeling of flight! Stalls, unusual atttitude recovery, ILS approaches, and short field landings are still way down the road......

[G-man]

Finally ground school is complete! Tomorrow is my first flight with my instructer.

Don't worry about it---flying is safe---we never left anyone up there yet...........

[Oddball]

my first flight I crashed into a tree....................but luckily that was on a R/C model.

[Futeki]

Whew! Went off without a problem. Did the pre flight checklist and all that stuff started to taxi, instructor gave me the airplane and I went on ahead and swerved all over the taxi way while valiantly trying to steer with the yoke until i remember about the pedels...  We took off after watching the U-2 do a few circles in the pattern that was a treat. Went out to the training area and was able to fly the plane under my own power what fun! The whole time it felt like I had tunnel vision for some reason I was always a step behind what my instructor was telling me  He took over and back to Osan we went we got first dibs on the runway and made a smooth landing...and then I went back to swerving the plane all over the Taxi way like a drunk 

Cant wait for flight #2!

[Rooster Cruiser]

Congrats Fu!     Don't feel bad about the drunk-driver syndrome on taxi.  I did the exact same thing on my first lesson too!  I found out as an instructor it is usually better to have the student cross their arms in their lap during the first one or two taxi lessons.  After that I'd teach them how to hold the control yoke to compensate for wind gusts on the ground.

Glad you enjoyed yourself!

RC

[Frank N. O.]

Sounds like a fun time, I only tried 15 minutes of (mostly) straight and level flight but that's the easy part. I didn't know U-2's were still flying, that's sweet indeed.
It may only be the first flight with an instructor, but it's still flight in my book

Frank

[Futeki]

The U-2 is still flown for recon it no longer uses altitude to stay safe since most missiles can reach orbit now 

Did second flight today IT WAS AWESOME! We did practice landings with a 2,000ft pattern and a 1,000ft runway in the sky. Did okey in that then on the return did a right hand pattern touch n go done by the instructor. I did a left hand pattern touch n go and then a full stop! I thought I was doing a horrible job since he kept telling me to correct things and mostly to stop looking at my instruments.    It was a little scary at first but I remembered that he was with me just in case and If I just focused on what I had to do it would turn out all right.

Overall its a surreal feeling realizing "I just did that" amazing! I definitely have found my calling. I cant describe how it feels up there <3 I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about.

Whooohoo! 

[Cpt. Blade]

I totally know how it feels... I've got 17 hours in my log now, and as of today I'm practicing TGL only. As you've already pointed out, the feeling of acomplishment after nailing a maneuver is indescribable!

Oh, and no need to worry about the "drunken taxi"... in the beginning, it surely seems that the airplanes don't like the pavement.  Specially when you're taxing with a taildragger, like the airplane I'm training with. Sometimes I have to work so hard with my legs that when I step out of the plane they are sore, and shaking. 

I wish the best for your future flights, Futeki. Have a nice day!

[meganite]

Whew! Went off without a problem. Did the pre flight checklist and all that stuff started to taxi, instructor gave me the airplane and I went on ahead and swerved all over the taxi way while valiantly trying to steer with the yoke until i remember about the pedels...  We took off after watching the U-2 do a few circles in the pattern that was a treat. Went out to the training area and was able to fly the plane under my own power what fun! The whole time it felt like I had tunnel vision for some reason I was always a step behind what my instructor was telling me  He took over and back to Osan we went we got first dibs on the runway and made a smooth landing...and then I went back to swerving the plane all over the Taxi way like a drunk 

Cant wait for flight #2!

LOL I taxied exactly the same way my first time XD so frustrating when I'm used to steering with my hands! You get used to it, and soon it's second nature. Well, if you're in a taildragger, you're SUPPOSED to swerve, right? To... see where you're going! yes...

It is so amazing to be in the sky though. Nothing like it 

[Futeki]

Not having any problems with Taxing any more, a new challange has poped up crosswind landings  I did 3 of the ugliest landings ever, 11 knot crosswings gusting at 14  scared myself a few times.

Landing 1: came in high felt like i was flying a golf ball in a washingmachine.

Landing 2: came in fast and almost landed on the taxi way O.o

Landing 3: dropped the plane from 10ft almost sideways...decided to call it a day

The pattern was bad too just a bad day to fly.

[TheSoccerMom]

Landing 1: came in high felt like i was flying a golf ball in a washingmachine.

Landing 2: came in fast and almost landed on the taxi way O.o

Landing 3: dropped the plane from 10ft almost sideways...decided to call it a day

HA!  Well, that sounds like every time I go flying -- your point being...??...??..!!  Hee heee.

Just remember, if you could just go out and hop in and GO with no instruction, well, you would.  We ALL would.

But, it does take some teaching, and practice, and your day as decribed above is perfectly normal.  We've ALL been there.

So, keep at it, and know that some days will seem easy, some will seem hard, and it all works out.  Even after you've been flying for years, there will still be things to learn..  so, keep up the good work.   

[Rooster Cruiser]

Don't worry about it Fu, we all have days like that.  Heck, I had a day like that a week ago although I managed to blame it on the weather.  Direct crosswind at 22 gusting to 39kts, visibility 1.5 miles in heavy rain and occasional severe turbulence.  I actually had to do a go-around (my first in 15 years) on my first landing attempt.  For some reason, I could not line up the nose with the centerline even with full rudder applied.

Such is a day in the life...

RC

[Futeki]

Oh good then its not just me, thanks for the encouragment!

Goin home for a while going to go fly around florida and continue my learning somewhere new 

Any of you been there to fly? I'm hoping it has nicer wheather than here. I mean I have lived there most of my life but never flew there...

Any tips for the crosswind with gusts? The instructor says aileron and rudder full deflection but my main problem is the altitude and speed. 

I think one problem might be the runway itself its 150ft wide and 9,400ft long, might be giving me the allusion that I'm closer than I really am.

Thoughts?

[cotejy]

I think the altitude and speed problem is more one of experience than crosswind. If you don't have altitude and speed problem with zero wind it's probably beacuse that's the only thing you have to worry about. In crosswinds, you are so concentrated on the runway lining up that you forget the other parameters. With experience, altitude and speed control will be a second nature and you will have to worry only on staying linedup with the runway.

I remember when I started flying, on exercices that caused me a lot of stress, I convinced myself that I was playing a video game. It reduced some stress and helped me concentrate. Somehow I survived and got better.

That being said, you need to know that I had a partial failure on my private exam (crosswind landing exercice  ).