Learning to Fly Light Aircraft

Posted by Helen Krasner Aug 28, 2008

I get quite a lot of emails from people, and they are always welcome. As a pilot and aviation addict, I love talking about flying, and I'll happily share my experiences with everyone.

The most common questions are about learning to fly, and how to get a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL). I've written several articles about this, see Training for a Private Pilot's Licence for starters, and then follow the links if you want more. But I thought I'd tell you about my experiences...

The Decision to Learn to Fly

I had no plans to become a pilot. But one day I found myself passing my local airfield, and decided to find out about it. Everyone was very friendly, and I booked a Trial Lesson for the following week.

My Trial Lesson

I Knew nothing whatsoever about flying, and the instructor's briefing went way over my head. I seem to remember he talked about lift and drag and how an aircraft flew, but I just wanted to get airborne. Eventually - actually, after a very short time - we did. My instructor did the take-off and levelled us off, then he handed over the aircraft controls to me. It wasn't as difficult as I expected, and I loved it. You could see so much more than in a large airliner, and I liked being in control - well, sort of! I guess I'm just a control freak, but it was getting my hands on that yoke that did it for me.

The Next Step

When we came down I didn't even hesitate; I booked my next lesson.

More next time...