Looking to the sky to save me......

I don't know if everyone is like me, but there are always a few things that I want to do that I keep in my long term, never going to happen, to-do list. Things like getting involved in motorsport, throwing in my job to be a sailing instructor, learning to fly etc.

A couple of years ago I crossed one off unexpectedly when I stumbled into a Sydney-Hobart crew by being in the right place at the right time.

On the 5th of May I crossed another one off when I took my first flying lesson at Aerospace Aviation at Bankstown Airport. It was completely unexpected - my wife and parents gave me five lessons for my 30th Birthday.

I completed "Effects of Controls" on the 5th, "Straight and Level" on the 17th and "Climbing and Descending" this morning. Amazingly, I only have to do "Stalls" and "Turning" before they teach me to land the plane in the sixth lesson, "Circuits".

I will probably post a fair bit more about the experience, but let me just say how small the plane is. I expected small, but this is nuts! I am far from afraid of flying, but it is disconcerting the first time you get up there in something this small - it is far less directionally stable than a jet liner, and it has all the interior charm of a 30 year old Combi Van.

Once I got up for the second lesson all of that was gone - I was accustomed to the sensation and could concentrate on the flying, and it is amazing.

Today I completed the takeoff pretty much unassisted, and I am completely hanging out to have a run at landing.


Apparently it is usual to Solo after around 12 hours in the air - they made me drive for a hell of a lot longer than that to get my drivers license!

"Make my way back home, When I learn to fly (high........)"