Microflight - Trial lesson

I seriously couldn't pick a better day to take to the beautifully bright blue skies!  The weather was mild, the skies were clear and the wind was quite calm.  Perfect.
 
Not sure what to expect when I got there, getting there was a venture in itself!  Though Strathaven airfield is on the map, there are not routes available when you ask to give you directions to it, and I soon found out why...  Going onto serious countryside roads for the last mile or two I thought I was driving on pavements as I battled with walkers, cyclists and an oncoming car for road space.  And it was a tight squeeze for two cars, on most parts of the stretch of road there isn't enough space for 2 cars so we're into the ditches.  Then the last 500yds the road is a mud track with HUGE potholes!  LEFT, RIGHT, small left quick right, 2nd gear, slow, I arrive, tyres intact!

"OK to go"
Aircraft is controlled by the joystick by my left hand

So I park in the car park and look out onto the field where the run way is carved out as the grass on it is cut super short like on a golf course.  100yds from the car park is the office building consists of about 3 rooms with a greenhouse attachment to the front of it.  It felt more like a small home than an office building, especially since the reception area consists of the greenhouse space and the adjoining room behind it, all kitted out with sofas.  A kitchen and a small office room is behind the reception area.  Nope, nothing "office" or "business" feel at all about the place, but then this place is for the leisure flyers.  Behind this building are 2 large hangers.    Jim, who's the owner of the plane - which he did tell me the name of the model but I've since forgotten, pulled by the propeller the plane and shifted it onto the grass runway.  Only, I guess approx 10feet long the plane was tiny.  And the fact that when the plane was swung round and I had to dunk to avoid the wings from whacking me up the side of the head tells you just how short the thing is too!  Not quite what I was expecting but as long as she flew I was good!  

 View more photos, click here! 

Though tiny the thing is like a Mini; small on the outside, deceivingly spacious inside.  Then my second expectation was shattered, no throttle, "what?"  Yes, this plane is controlled by a joystick, yes a joystick its that simple, and it needs only 100metres to take off.  100metres!

Once in the air Jim was telling me about the instruments and how the thing flew - how to turn and let me had a go.  Then he talked about doing flips and things.  I answered "do you have a sick bag on this thing?" "No I don't", "I'm just saying..."  And no he didn't do any flips or 360s of any sorts, I think it was enough that we went nose dive 20knots in a second as my body went "uggggh".  Attribute the feeling of driving really fast on a hilly road and your car goes at speed down one hill, ugggggh.  Did I mention I don't like roller coasters?

View more photos, click here!  

And the weather once we were up there, wow...  1st of all its amazing the amount of geen there is in Scotland!  Then we flew above the biggest wind farm in the UK (or did he say Scotland), which I don't think is that bad looking.  Then we flew towards Millport, an island just off the West Coast where Largs, about an hour and a half drive away, in just 15-20mins.  As we flew towards the sea the sun was setting and so the rays was hitting off the water.  Reflections and huge contrasts in blue and yellows made the scenery absolutely stunning!  I couldn't planned for such a wonderful day.  I was hoping it wouldn't be raining when today came, but needless to say I got more than that.  Though I was allowed to steer once we were in the air, I think I was too busy oogling at the scenery to pay much attention to that, especially since the plane didn't need much steering, kinda like a car on cruise control, you don't need to do much.

Lasting only a short 45mins in the air, 1 hours in total, the only thing I didn't like was the coming in to land as my ears started to pop - ouch.  Other than that, fabby fun!  Oh, if you decide to try it yourself wrap up it can get quite chilly up in the air, and check out Sportflight Scotland

Flying journal – The beginning

After a much needed catch up with a high school friend this weekend, we end up laughing at young impressionable minds as we mimic our favourite tv shows and end up talking about selling old school blazers. Now that I think about it is it really just a “young thing”, impressionable minds that is and not torn and worn old school blazers. How I got my interest in flying was from watching Flying Wild Alaska. A documentary which follows a family where the father is the founder of Alaska's local airline company. Out there there are no roads and the only form of transport between town to town is by bush planes (small commercial aircrafts). Of course my love of the outdoors and exploration lures my interest in Alaska. The idea of flying is the added cherry on top. If driving brings you independence, flying must surely bring you freedom!? And so begins my flying journal.

Cessna 152 - i.e. the rookie's plane

Deciding to just “go for it” I booked a trial flight with a microlight company. Not knowing the difference between a microlight and a commercial plane I was disappointed with the experience. For those who are interested a microlight is a smaller aircraft that usually just has enough room to seat 2 people. Microlights from what I gather also use joysticks to control the direction of the plane whether as a commercial plane can vary anywhere from 2 people seater planes upwards. The commercial plane also uses a handle to steer the plane, more what I was looking for as this is a bush plane! Being me I decided to give it another go but this time with a proper flight school, none of this leisure rubbish. After more researching later I finally settled on ACS Flight school as they seem to have both the vast choice in different courses and experience. From here I have yet to look back, but then I've only had a few hours lessons. So far it's a little too early to tell how far I'll progress. Right now I'm just trying to (still) learn!