Discovery flight

Alex T

Alex T

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
May 9, 2016
Messages
27
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SPEEDBIRD
Is there something I should prepare for prior my first/discovery flight?
What should I do to get the best out of it?
Thanks :)
 
relax and have a freakin blast. and prepare for the most delicious beer after your flight.
 
Not necessary before taking your Discovery Flight, but download this free 70-page ebook. It will answer just about any question you could possibly have about learning to fly. No sign-up needed, just click and download:

www.FreeFlyBook.com
 
write-stuff said:
Not necessary before taking your Discovery Flight, but download this free 70-page ebook. It will answer just about any question you could possibly have about learning to fly. No sign-up needed, just click and download:

www.FreeFlyBook.com
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
Thanks for the info!
 
Relax and enjoy the experience .welcome to the forum.
 
Alex T said:
Is there something I should prepare for prior my first/discovery flight?
What should I do to get the best out of it?
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Don't eat the biggest, greasiest meal you can find before your flight... :eek:
 
As they said, enjoy it. And bring a camera and some extra flight line. Both for shots while on the ground, and if the instructor is cool with it, while you're flying.

As the event transpires, pay attention to how the instructor is teaching you the various bits you need to know for this flight. This will be a big indicator as to the method and quality of imparting information to you. If it works well, then you have a good one to continue lessons with. If something strikes a wrong vibe, then s/he might not be the one for you.
 
AggieMike88 said:
As they said, enjoy it. And bring a camera and some extra flight line. Both for shots while on the ground, and if the instructor is cool with it, while you're flying.

As the event transpires, pay attention to how the instructor is teaching you the various bits you need to know for this flight. This will be a big indicator as to the method and quality of imparting information to you. If it works well, then you have a good one to continue lessons with. If something strikes a wrong vibe, then s/he might not be the one for you.
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Thanks for the tips. I will make sure I pay attention to everything and take pictures if s/he allows me!
 
In preparation you should fatten up your wallet, because it's going to take a beating soon, and it will be losing a LOT of weight! (Worth every penny.)
 
Lachlan said:
In preparation you should fatten up your wallet, because it's going to take a beating soon, and it will be losing a LOT of weight! (Worth every penny.)
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:eek: That's what every pilot I talk to tells me, thanks!
I know it will be worth it!
 
Power on stalls are a blast on the discovery flight!! Also ask if the instructor can demonstrate a spin for you. Lastly, be sure to ask to do an overhead break when you return to the airport. Not really........man, just take it all in and enjoy it!!!
 
mikeinbama said:
Power on stalls are a blast on the discovery flight!! Also ask if the instructor can demonstrate a spin for you. Lastly, be sure to ask to do an overhead break when you return to the airport. Not really........man, just take it all in and enjoy it!!!
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You made my day , thanks man!
 
luvflyin said:
If you're doing this because you are seriously considering learning to fly, this is good advice. Not so much about one being more fun than the other but about the skills learned from gliders being transferred to power.
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Yes I am doing this because I definitely want to learn to fly, thanks for the advice!
 
Alex T said:
Is there something I should prepare for prior my first/discovery flight?
What should I do to get the best out of it?
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Wear a dark shirt. A light shirt might create glare on the windscreen that will make it harder for you to see out and enjoy the scenery.
 
PPC1052 said:
Wear a dark shirt. A light shirt might create glare on the windscreen that will make it harder for you to see out and enjoy the scenery.
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interesting. I actually don't like putting stuff on the glare shield (like a checklist) due to the reflection.
 
Hopefully you get a cfi that'll give you the controls. My first discovery flight, the very new CFI
(I found out later) let me have the controls for maybe 5 minutes of straight and level. He was surprised when he did a slip to show us the beach better and I asked him if that was a slip, I had read Stick and Rudder so I knew a little going in. It was a bit discouraging, it was more of an air tour than anything. 2nd 'discovery' flight a few months later with another cfi, was all hands on, it was awesome, got to do turns, climbs,descents, on the landing he had me follow through with him on the controls(hold lightly just to get a feel).
 
PPC1052 said:
Wear a dark shirt. A light shirt might create glare on the windscreen that will make it harder for you to see out and enjoy the scenery.
Click to expand...
I did not know that, thank you!
 
exncsurfer said:
Hopefully you get a cfi that'll give you the controls. My first discovery flight, the very new CFI
(I found out later) let me have the controls for maybe 5 minutes of straight and level. He was surprised when he did a slip to show us the beach better and I asked him if that was a slip, I had read Stick and Rudder so I knew a little going in. It was a bit discouraging, it was more of an air tour than anything. 2nd 'discovery' flight a few months later with another cfi, was all hands on, it was awesome, got to do turns, climbs,descents, on the landing he had me follow through with him on the controls(hold lightly just to get a feel).
Click to expand...
I hope I am not in that position during my discovery flight. When I scheduled the flight I was told that I was going to be able to taxi and fly the plane with instructor guidance, hopefully thats true. Do you recommend the book Stick and Rudder?
thank you!
 
Alex T said:
I hope I am not in that position during my discovery flight. When I scheduled the flight I was told that I was going to be able to taxi and fly the plane with instructor guidance, hopefully thats true. Do you recommend the book Stick and Rudder?
thank you!
Click to expand...

I think it mostly depends on you and what your plan is. are you just going up for a fun disco flight and that's it? if so, u might not need to read anything. if you think you're the type of person that wants to know more about the systems and the gadgets and whatnot, read up! if you're planning on training, hellz yeah read up!
 
On my first flight, I'd already been through a bunch of ground school and YouTube/ King School vids (askcaptainscott is good.) I did the preflight and runup, called tower for clearance and taxi, then knew takeoff speeds and when to do what.

As soon as we were off the ground, I was maxed and my brain freaked out.

We had a great lesson (CFI did the landings) and she commented that it was like I was on the 12th floor of a building but had no idea how I got there.

You could lean in hard and show up super prepared, or relax and observe mostly - either will be rewarding. If you're considering continuing, then it's worth the extra time to study beforehand.

My girlfriend flew 40 hours with me on a trip last year before deciding that she was ready to learn how to fly. We're going up today. But had she decided back then, she'd likely be ready to solo now.
 
Alex T said:
I hope I am not in that position during my discovery flight. When I scheduled the flight I was told that I was going to be able to taxi and fly the plane with instructor guidance, hopefully thats true. Do you recommend the book Stick and Rudder?
thank you!
Click to expand...

Taxi is unusual, but that's great. Just remember that Cessnas steer like supertankers (big delay), and you will be backwards if you ski or sled. An ideal discovery flight will leave you with the controls whenever you're a few hundred feet or more off the ground. Takeoff and especially landing is a heck of a lot to ask of a completely green pilot.

It's a firehose of information. Stick and Rudder is overrated, IMO. For the most part, the arguments are correct; it's just that the nosewheel argument was settled 60+ years ago. And there is a lot of space dedicated to spins, which are important but really shouldn't be your focus just yet.

The discovery flight is a lot like an interview for your flight instructor. The most important thing for you to determine is how well you can work with him/her. It's a mistake to think of it as an exhaustive lesson or as a sightseeing flight. See if you can learn the basics, such as level turns. Don't try to learn it all at once, or you'll just get overwhelmed.

As your first CFI test, ask him what you should read to prepare. See if the answer works.
 
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