My First Flight

[TaZ]

Some of you may know that I am a student pilot.

The morning of my flight I was sooo nervous! Petrified would be an understatement. Admittingly thoughts were rushing to my head like the "what if's". The plane I was going to fly is classed as an ultralight called a Jabiru. It's one of the newest little plane's in Australia. We had to travel a fair distance for this flight about an hour and a half on a very windy road.

I was so tired by the time we got there. As I pulled up I saw this tiny weeny little plane that looked at least a little bit bigger in pictures. The pilot who was wearing light blue overalls and this other fellar were pumping petrol into the plane out of a barrel! Agghhhhhh! That alone scared me.

Trust me at the time had I not have travelled so far to get there I would have gone home at that point. I shakingly got out of the car and approached the pilot. We had to wait a few minutes as this person was manually pumping fuel into the plane.

Finally it was time to crawl in.... Er.... um... yeah... "crawl in" would have been good if there was room for that! The first thing I saw in the plane that also scared the daylights out of me was the see through fuel tank right behind our seets! Not to mention it was made of plastic! As I got in it was harder than it looked but still managed... just. It was like sitting flat on the floor. A lot like sitting up with your feet flat out in front of you well close to it.

It fired up and we put our ear muffs "intercom" on so we could talk to each other. I got to drive it till I lined it up with the runway. How weird is this despite what you may think to steer "all plane's" on the ground you use your feet to steer! What else that was weird with this particular ultralight was the throttle is almost under your seat between your legs!

After lining up I handed the controls over to my instructor who then proceeded to mumble his mumbo jumbo over the radio to announce take off runway zero six. With a loud roar of the engine and massive vibration we were hurtling down the runway as I watched sheds passing by.

In a very short distance I felt myself being pushed back into my seat as the front of the plane was lifted off the runway. The instructor "Eugene" said 'we're up'! I looked down out the side of the window and watched my car and family disappear from sight.

I looked at the fuel sloshing in the fuel tank behind us as we were taking off and just about froze. I soon relaxed a bit surprisingly when I was handed the controls and directed to make a right turn. I leaned the plane over gently to the right and looked down. "Wow we are pretty high I thought". As I turned Eugene grabbed the stick and turned it right more 'like this he said'. I quickly let go and grabbed my seat as it felt like I was gonna fall to the other side of the plane! Eugene let go of the stick and again 'goes your plane'.

He pointed to some clouds and said take us over them so I did. I was having the time of my life! Well I was and then he said let me show you some of the capabilities of this plane. WHOAH! He sure did show them to me lol! First thing we did was fly extremely low over a sandy beach. Some on-lookers on the beach were amazed! Then we flew over extremely rough waves extremely low! Water almost hitting the propeller. Eugene goes; 'now we are flying very low at the moment'. 'Hmmmm you don't say I was thinking'.

As we were flying along I saw a cliff face approaching and took a moment to realise how spectacular the view was. $70 this flight costed me but this was priceless. Then it was time for a few scare tactics. I thought we were going to fly into the cliff but then with an almighty roar, full power and again massive vibration, I was pushed hard into my seat and left my stomach at sea level as we did a really steep climb.

At the end of the climb It felt awsome wow what a rush I wanted to go again mind you was equally as scared. I even said; WOW! What a rush that was awsome! He then goes plane goes up (another steep climb) then plane goes down (down we went leaving stomach at 2000 feet). He then goes plane goes left did a really steep and quick turn to the left and then the same to the right. By this time I was feeling quite sick.

Eugene said we will do a touch and go on a grass runway just so I can get the feel of what its like. As we were approaching I said I think I better tell you Im feeling pretty sick at the moment. He then said well in that case.... He handed me a sick bag. We then made a steep turn to the left and landed with a loud thud. Phew I said I didn't spew. But didn't quite make it back to the shed's and spewed into the bag.

I had the time of my life despite the scares and spewing and I now fly a bigger four seater plane where you don't see the fuel tank!

I still fly this plane every now and then.

[ani120]

I clearly remember my first airplane ride. It was in my last year of high school, and instead of taking the the usual mainstream trip to Lloret Del Mar (Costa Brava, Spain), my friends and I decided to go to Italy. I was both really excited and really afraid.

I packed my bags a week early and every day I would add something more to my case. We were non-stop talking about our trip. I went through the security rules for airports and airplanes a hundred times, just so I wouldn’t miss anything.

The day finally arrived. My mom drove me and one of my friends to the airport. We got there early, as usual, because my mother is English and she never runs late—English punctuality and all.

After my mother left, we went outside for a while to have a smoke and wait for the rest of the group. From where we stood we could see every plane taking off. I was mesmerized. The planes were so close to us; I almost could feel their wind. My mesmerization was also tinged with a fear that a plane might crash at any time.

I couldn’t take it anymore so we went back inside. I decided I needed to grab some candy and some chocolate before the flight. They always help to calm me down.

As I ate, I couldn’t help noticing the people around me—they all seemed so calm like it was just another day. I just couldn’t understand their states of peace.

Finally, the rest of the group arrived. We kissed and hugged each other, the usual greeting. They checked their bags while my friend and I waited next to a mini-bar which served a really good kind of ice-tea. Orange, as I recall.

Then, we all went to the gate. My legs were shaking and I thought I was going to throw up. But no, I stood there like a “man” (not literally of course) and faced reality.

We were about to board the plane. My friends were all laughing and joking around with each other like it was no big deal, and I walked right behind them terrified to death.

Once we got into plane and found our seats, I could only do one thing: look for the lifebuoys and the oxygen masks!

Everyone was inside and the pilot began to say something, but I didn’t pay much attention—I was looking through the window so I wouldn’t be sick. That’s when I heard the engines starting. My eyes popped open wide, I took a really deep breath, my back got stuck to the chair, and my hands squeezed my friend’s arm tight.

I felt the plane moving and I could only think to myself God will not let me die, God will not let me die. I closed my eyes and took slow breaths in order not to hyperventilate.

Ten minutes later I was myself again. I wasn’t afraid anymore. I started to relax; I even read a book and talked to my friends. I remember falling asleep for a while too. And in no time we were in Italy. Rome sweet Rome.

In retrospect, I realize how irrational I had been. But what could I have done differently? I’d heard so many terrible stories about plane crashes. Now, each time I think back to this very first flight, I can only laugh at my old self.