Flying a Cessna 152
After studying World War I aviation my entire life, I always felt like I could at least perform the basics of piloting an airplane if the situation called for it. Although I make no claim whatsoever to being a pilot, I got my chance to try on May 19, 1999.
My mother arranged for me to fly a dual-control Cessna 152 out of the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 897 Airport Parkway, Greenwood IN.
My instructor and I took off and flew toward Shelbyville for an hour or so, discussing how to fly an airplane while he allowed me to take the controls for ever more extended periods. By the time we returned to Greenwood Airport, he said I was ready to try a few "touch and go" landings.
Of our seven total landings (including the final landing after which we stayed on the ground), the first two or three required heavy input on the controls from the instructor; I could feel him overpowering my movements to correct the landings. On the last three landings, I got the hang of it and was able to land the airplane on my own. My instructor even filled out my first pilot's log book when we were finished.
I'm nobody's pilot, but this was a fun little adventure and I was grateful for the opportunity.
My mother arranged for me to fly a dual-control Cessna 152 out of the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 897 Airport Parkway, Greenwood IN.
My instructor and I took off and flew toward Shelbyville for an hour or so, discussing how to fly an airplane while he allowed me to take the controls for ever more extended periods. By the time we returned to Greenwood Airport, he said I was ready to try a few "touch and go" landings.
Of our seven total landings (including the final landing after which we stayed on the ground), the first two or three required heavy input on the controls from the instructor; I could feel him overpowering my movements to correct the landings. On the last three landings, I got the hang of it and was able to land the airplane on my own. My instructor even filled out my first pilot's log book when we were finished.
I'm nobody's pilot, but this was a fun little adventure and I was grateful for the opportunity.