Going on my Introductory Flight soon...

Ren

Ren

Filing Flight Plan
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Dec 26, 2018
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Ren W
Hello!
I'm going on an Introductory/Discovery flight at my local flight school on the 29th, is there anything I should bring/prepare for?

-Ren
 
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Just have fun and don’t be intimidated by the seemingly huge amount of stuff going on that you’ll need to learn to be a pilot. There is a lot to absorb in flight training but an intro flight should be more about enjoyment rather than an immersion in learning. Good luck.
 
Ren said:
is there anything I should bring/prepare for?
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"first" Introductory Flight? Usually there's only one. :D

Bring along an attitude of eager anticipation. The rest will fall into place on the day.;)
Enjoy!!
 
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If planning to start as a student, give some thought to a private pilot ground school in your area. It may be better to learn in a structured environment over looking at training materials.
 
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Welcome ,enjoy the ride and ask questions
 
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Bring proof of US citizenship (like a passport). That'll be a thing on the flight school's "things to do before your formal training starts" list.

(If not a US citizen, there is additional steps)

Other than that, just have fun and report back!
 
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If you like to document milestones etc, have your smiling pic taken with pilot/plane after flight. (bring phone/camera)
 
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Yeah I'll definitely be bringing a camera haha
 
Thanks to everyone for all the tips!

I'll report back on how it goes! :p
 
@Ren .. mostly just a camera, desire for fun, and an open mind.

This is also a good opportunity to "audition" the instructor and the school.

For the school, ask about how easy is it to schedule lessons and are there always good aircraft ready for lessons (reverse of this is how many times is a lesson postponed or canceled because the aircraft is in maintenance. Also ask how they expect you to pay for lessons. All upfront is a big red flag. Pay small lumps is good. Maintaining a small balance so you can get block rate discounts is also good. How many aircraft in the fleet? How well are they maintained? How many active students? How busy is the schedule?

For the instructor, try to get a feel as to how proficient he is as a teacher. Many CFI's are good Aviators, but not all are good teachers. Also ask how he approaches instruction (off top of head, wings it, follows a written syllabus, has prepared lesson plans he uses, etc) and report that to us.

And be sure to tell us where you're located. Building a network of local like minded aviators is part of the fun and becomes very valuable as you progress.
 
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If you’re doing it just for fun, then just have fun. If you’re doing it because u plan to start training, realize that u may feel overloaded with stuff, but still just try to have fun. Basically just have fun.
 
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Tip the instructor...handsomely.
 
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Stewartb said:
More participants on this site should take discovery flights!
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More participants on this site should give discovery flights!
 
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Have fun and make sure to take or buy a log book. Hours aren't cheap, you may as well get what you can.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
@Ren
And be sure to tell us where you're located. Building a network of local like minded aviators is part of the fun and becomes very valuable as you progress.
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Located in the Tri-Cities (Washington State) and the flight school is Bergstrom! :)
 
Good point about taking a pilot's logbook. An introductory flight can count as "dual flight training received" and can be added to the total hours required for your private pilot license.
 
Sometimes the flight school will provide a log book as part of the discovery flight and complete the first entry after the flight
 
Stingray Don said:
Sometimes the flight school will provide a log book as part of the discovery flight and complete the first entry after the flight
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Yeah, the flight school I'm taking the Intro flight at supplies a log book and the Intro Flight counts for your flight hours.
 
Stingray Don said:
My home drome offered free discovery flights up until a few years ago. Unfortunately, some people abused the offer and they began charging.
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Times certainly have changed. I took an intro flight back in '82/'83 for $20 at a Cessna flight center. One school near me now charges $129 for a half hour ground briefing and half hour of instruction. And for $219, they'll add another 30 minutes for the flight portion. But you do get a logbook and it counts as training time. I'm sure over time, schools have figured out that some people are just kicking tires and aren't real serious about it. That costs them money.
 
Well it got canceled due to really strong wind so I'll report back on Wednesday the 2nd haha (That's the day it's rescheduled to)
 
Ren said:
Well it got canceled due to really strong wind so I'll report back on Wednesday the 2nd haha (That's the day it's rescheduled to)
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welcome to general aviation!
 
Ren said:
Well it got canceled due to really strong wind so I'll report back on Wednesday the 2nd haha (That's the day it's rescheduled to)
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Just think of it as an introduction to weather cancellations. You will have many more.
 
I’ve been lurking here for a few months. Took my “disco” flight in May and passed my private pilot checkride on Nov. 17th. On my discovery flight, it took me about 20 minutes to get comfortable with the the whole small aircraft thing, then I was hooked. If it is even a little windy, be prepared for a bumpy ride compared to the commercial flights you are used to. Just know the aircraft is built to handle it. It was more than “a little windy” on the day I went. The CFI had to do a go-around on the landing as we got blown off the center line on short final.

It was something I had been wanting to do most of my life and I regret that I waited until I was 46 to make it happen. Definitely get some pictures and try to decide if you think you might be able to work with the instructor if you plan to start training. If you don’t click with the instructor, and they are giving you flight hours, try another discovery flight. Mine was $150 for 1 hour and that was cheaper than 1 hour rental with an instructor once I started my training.
 
I do remember when I took my intro flight 25 years ago. I had been flying MS Flight Simulator, and had a reasonable grasp of aerodynamics, but when I asked questions like how certain instruments in the cockpit worked, I got a very insulting response from the CFI. I can't recall the details now, but I do remember walking away with a sour feeling, and I did not come back to flying for another year.

My recommendation to you is to not take your CFI too seriously. He or she could be great, or could be a jerk, but don't let that influence you too much.
 
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