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[JimH]

I can't remember who it is, but Mike?  "As Wichita Falls, so falls Wichita"?  Our friend who has a picture of an airfield from about a half mile.

I've been taking lessons for a few months now.  It's painfully slow.  My instructor is half my age and I'm a kid sitting next to him.  He says "more left rudder" and I try to remember which is left.

I'm about 20 hours into it now, on lesson 7.  It's the one on landing.  

A few weeks ago, I asked, "So Chris, how many lessons will it be on 7?"

"Until you can do a crosswind landing.  As long as it takes."

Today was the day.  I finally put it all together and landed 4 times out of 5.  Once, he had to bail me out.  "Don't land in the grass."  The other 4 were mine.

I'm happy to be back on the ground, but I'm immensely grateful to my friend, Chris, who does this every day.

Nothing finer.

[KingSparta]

Nice Aint It.

Never Flew A Plane, Just My OH-58 I Had For A Spell In The Army But It Was Always Nice To Get It Off The Ground, and then back down. Running Landings Are easyer, Hovering Is Hardest When Learning.

I had Some Pictures But I Can't Find Them Along With Other Missing Pictures Of My Life. I Have Been Scanning Them in The Past 2-3 Weeks.


Charted At 01 In 1975 'Fly, Robin, Fly'

Listening to: 'Fly, Robin, Fly' from 'Mega Hits Dance Classics, Vol. 7' by 'Silver Convention' on Media Center 10

[KingSparta]

Here is A Better Song

'Learning To Fly' Charted At 28 In 1991

Listening to: 'Learning To Fly' from 'The Best Of Tom Petty' by 'Tom Petty' on Media Center 10

Well I Started Out Down A Dirty Road
Started Out All Alone
And The Sun Went Down, As I Crossed The Hill
And The Town Lit Up, The World Got Still

I'm Learning To Fly, But I Ain't Got Wings
Coming Down Is The Hardest Thing

Well The Good Ol' Days, May Not Return
And The Rocks Might Melt And The Sea May Burn

I'm Learning To Fly, But I Ain't Got Wings
Coming Down Is The Hardest Thing

Well Some Say Life Will Beat You Down
Break Your Heart, Steal Your Crown
So I've Started Out, For God Knows Where
I Guess I'll Know When I Get There

I'm Learning To Fly, Around The Clouds
But What Goes Up Must Come Down

I'm Learning To Fly, But I Ain't Got Wings
Coming Down Is The Hardest Thing

I'm Learning To Fly, Around The Clouds
But What Goes Up Must Come Down

I'm Learning To Fly

I'm Learning To Fly

[PhatPhreddy]

Thats really cool Jim... D*mn man Sailing... Flying... You stole my hobbies !!!

I have had a fascination with flight since at about 5 or 6 I was given a kite by My Grandma's boyfriend... He was really 'into' kites and took me to a kite festival and I got a cople of books on how to make them... By the time I was 8 or 10 I had 10's of kites and was always making them...

I remember once making a hexagonal kite about 10ft in diameter and told my Dad he was to tie me to the cross piece and fly me... I got a funny look...

Then about 14 I got into radio control slope soaring gliders. That taught me the physics of aerodynamics and was the kinda thing that while being a fun hobby I would encourage in any kid.

Around 16 I went and bought a 150 quid 70's Hang Glider (without my parents permission or knowledge)... Horribly outdated and heavy and without any instruction had my buddy drive me to the biggest slope we flew the glider off and just ran off the darn thing... Was lucky to get down from that one in one piece... Never flew it again... sold it for 300 though

About 19 or 20 I got a paraglider and used that regularly for 2 summers or so... Paragliders have an incredibly soft / slow / relaxing flight... They are easy to transport around and simple to learn... I enjoyed that sail immensely..

But it was too soft / slow / relaxing so I took up skydiving... Heart pounding and the adrenalyn puts you an a genuine hyped up high... Loved it..

Then I shattered my leg !!! Wasn't skydiveing at the time but I nearly lost my lower right leg and 2 years and 7 reconstructive surgeries later I could walk again but it was not Skydiving strong (it is now but theres none here) by then I was living in Holland so hang or paragliding hills were not common.

What is common in Holland though is Glider clubs.. I was working too hard to have enough spare time but I did go to a couple of public open days and have flown a couple of 10 minute bursts both thermal soaring and in Germany slope soaring... To be honest glider flying has a much lower barrier of entry (cost) and is something I really think I could get into, if I lived in an alpine region I would be all over that like a rash...

Now to satisfy my fancy of flight (groan) I have gone back to RC flying... Couple of little convienient planes and just picked up a cheap second hand electric heli (that is a bugger to fly... Still learning there)... One of my relations in Washington has a pilot license and Heli license (in fact he is purchasng a Heli ) and has offered me free airtime for either or both if I stay in W Virginia / Washinton anytime... I have that one in my black book of promises !!!

Long post but basically I can totally understand why you want to do it... Personally with planes I have a bit of a preference for the silent flight of gliders as well as the aspect of you havge to be smooth, not to loose altitude, to stay up there...

Good luck with it and Happy landings...