Your flight experience

[mattmac]

Who enjoys flying? I do!

I have been fortunate enough to be an EMT while at the same time working at an airport. Because of this, two unique opportunities presented themselves to me.

I was able to fly in the co-pilot's seat on an EC-135 medical helicopter from the airport to/from a hospital to pick up the crew, and also spend two shifts with them for a total flight time of about 4 hours.

I was also able to fly in the co-pilot's seat of an Mu-2, a smallish twin-engine turboprop, that did cargo runs overnight. The pilot was nice enough to let me have control from shortly after takeoff to shortly before landing. I have about 12 hours of stick time in that aircraft.

EC-135:

Mu-2:

 

[B'sgirl]

That looks awesome! My most thrilling flight experience was in a hot air balloon. Pretty cool, but not nearly as exhilarating as a helicopter flight, I'm sure.

 

[mattmac]

Helicopters are definitely the most fun. I love love love love love love them. If I win the lotto, I'm buying a helicopter and starting my own air ambulance service. I wouldn't hesitate a second to do it.

Hot air balloons give me the heeby-jeebies! I don't think I'd go up in one. But it's funny you said that - as soon as I read it, my co-worker said that he's going to take a week off in June to go up in a hot air balloon.

 

[buckytom]

lol, mattmac. you'll fly a helicopter (a marvel of physics and mechanics that it gets off the ground), but you won't fly in a hot air baloon?

hot air v.s. cyclic/collective/thrust/ counter rotation, etc. etc...

j/k. i'd love to try to fly one.

i've spent way too manmy hours flying simulators, so that when i used to hang out in a pub that was frequented by a lot of pilots, they thought i was one by our casual conversations.

but i really was given the opportunity to fly a cessna 152. i loved every second of it. simulators are great, but there's no way to judge ground speed and the "seat of your pants" effect until you're actually in the air.

 

[mattmac]

I know what you mean - the *feeling* is a huge part of controlling the aircraft, as is depth perception and peripheral vision. Especially in a Cessna 152 - those things are so small, you feel like you're wearing the aircraft when you're inside of it!

 

[sattie]

Ok, this is not what I thought this thread would be about. Never have flown anything other than a commercial passenger. But what I will say is that the best flights are the ones where you hit alot of turbulence. I think that is the coolest feeling in the world when your tummy drops. (I'm usually the fool in the back of the plane with their hands in the air saying "WHOOOO HOO!!!".)

 

[mattmac]

I agree - smooth flights are like riding in a car. Boooooooooooorrrrriiinnngggg. Turbulence is when it really feels like flying!

 

[GotGarlic]

I don't have flight experience like you do, but I have falling experience

I went skydiving a few years ago - what a rush. Going up in the small plane was a different experience, too. Last year, when DH and our exchange student went skydiving, I sat next to the pilot to take pictures - that was fun, too.

And several years ago, we flew in a puddle jumper from Miami to Key West - the plane sat about 8 people and the plastic windows zipped closed. I was right behind the pilot and had to open my knees a bit because his seat leaned back into me! It was the weirdest feeling to fly through clouds in that little plane!

 

[B'sgirl]

I don't have flight experience like you do, but I have falling experience

I went skydiving a few years ago - what a rush. Going up in the small plane was a different experience, too. Last year, when DH and our exchange student went skydiving, I sat next to the pilot to take pictures - that was fun, too.

You got to take your exchange student skydiving?!? What organization do you go through? Ours isn't allowed. He can't even go rock climbing! (Insurance rules).

 

[GotGarlic]

You got to take your exchange student skydiving?!? What organization do you go through? Ours isn't allowed. He can't even go rock climbing! (Insurance rules).

I don't remember - we've used several with different students. She was 18 and had her mother's permission, so out they went

 

[Home chef]

I flew in a Long Ranger from Lansing, IL to Atlanta once. Had to stop in KY for fuel. It was a fantastic experience. I am very good friends with the owner of a helicopter company in Lansing. He flies all the Nascar owners & drivers to and from the course.

I have about 10 hours in a Piper Warrior II but that is scattered throughout the past 20 years. I'm in the process of interviewing schools now to get into a flight training program to be a commercial pilot. Right now I'm looking ar Embry Riddle and a few others. WOW is it expensive to go to pilot school!!!

 

[jeninga75]

When I flew to Korea we flew over Alaska and Northern Canada. I was asleep woke up to the site of snow capped mountains. It looked just like a relief map.

When I was in Colorado I got to fly in a Blackhawk. (Perks of being a Company Commander's driver) They told the pilot to "make us hurl." They banked hard a few times went straight up and without warning did a dive that made us weightless. We screamed so loud! (I was with another driver that was female.) We were giggling so hard and yelling "Do it again!!!!!!" Needless to say the pilots were very dissapointed that they didn't make us sick.

 

[pacanis]

Who enjoys flying? I do!

Hmmmm, there's a saying;
If you think riding in an airplane is flying, then you must think riding in a boat is swimming. Think about it

Yeah, I like flying. In airplanes, out of airplanes using gravity (which is technically "falling" . I don't like riding through turbulance when flying commercial though..... it spills my drink.

I went through the motions of learning how to fly a plane. I started with one place that got put on hiatus because one of their instructors crashed one plane, then a stu crashed another plane (not me, BTW). Started at another place where I used to jump at that taught me a LOT, it's really cool the way the ATC pass you off on the radio when landing at a real airport, but the airplane sucked. Way too little power compared to what I was used to and I was putting in a lot of hours trying to get used to it. BTW, all my solos and cross countries were done by this time. I even took the FAA written and passed it and the err, physical . Just neeed to do the check ride to pass the pratical part, but I hated that underpowered plane. Oh well. Next thing you know I needed sinus surgery and I could not go up in planes for quite a while. Either to fly or jump out of.

I jumped out of a helicopter once. That was a very differnt experience because he was hovering. You don't have any airspeed and it's harder to control yourself at first. I jumped from 23,000 ft before too, but that's a whole nuther story.....

 

[Maverick2272]

Love flying.... hate the sudden stop at the end!

Seriously,
I did a lot of commercial flying for a previous company I worked for, other than the takeoffs... boringggggg!!!!! Granted the first time around it was cool looking out the window and all, but that was about it. I did love how they gunned it on take off and it would push you back in your seat. Then if you were sitting near the front you could feel the front lift off just before the back wheels lifted and you got that sudden sinking feeling in your stomach as the plane rose up in the air.

I would love the chance to fly in a helicopter or a small single or twin engine aircraft. For some reason I always liked Cesnas, Beachcraft, and Pipers even though I have never ridden in any of them. I guess I just liked the designs.

 

[kitchenelf]

I jumped from 23,000 ft before too, but that's a whole nuther story.....

As in HALO jumping? I had a friend that did that too.

I have less than 100 hours on my log and frankly, that's all my nerves could take! The stall at 3,000 feet rattled my cage. I'll be forever grateful for the phrase "relax your back"

 

[expatgirl]

Ok, I guess I'm going to be the sourpuss here. I've grown from really liking flying 13 years ago to detesting it in this day and age of cutbacks and poor service as a result. I don't think that it's the steward and stewardesses fault it's just that many airlines have cut down on service personnel. In response to "Your flight experience"----I'd have to admit that it's really gone downhill in the last 5 years. More stress and hassle to get thru airports ( add 24 hours of travelling internationally to get from point A to point B) . I've come to loathe travelling by air--if I only had to travel once a year my attitude might be different- Sorry to be so negative.........

 

[AmericaWestCMH]

I'm a private pilot (not current anymore), flew 152s and 172s. Just got too expensive to keep flying for fun.

I'm a controller now though, so I get to watch airplanes all day.

 

[mattmac]

I understand what you mean, Expat. Flying is definitely not what it used to be. It used to be "romantic" and adventurous and exciting. Now it's just a chore for most people, and it's a shame. Flying *IS* amazing, and it's sad that it has such a negative image in modern times. I was fortunate in being in a position where I could enjoy flying for what it really is. Even so, I do enjoy flying on airliners - always get a window seat!

 

[pacanis]

As in HALO jumping? I had a friend that did that too.

I have less than 100 hours on my log and frankly, that's all my nerves could take! The stall at 3,000 feet rattled my cage. I'll be forever grateful for the phrase "relax your back"

High altitude/low opening.... no. No military jumping experience.
The drop zone I used to "work" at on weekends had a King Air come in a few weekends a year. It was outfitted with oxygen and would offer one high altitude jump/day.

On flying planes; I remember looking at my altimeter and seeing it read a little lower than what I thought I was flying at..... This happened on my long cross country, from up here by Erie to Johnstown, PA. The revs were low, too. And of course I was over what mountains PA has down there.... You guessed it, carburetor icing. I'll never forget the shudder the plane made as I cleared the ice
Of course I'll never forget zoning out at 23,000' either, but that was more funny than anything.