June 08, 2002
What a day. Today is the day I have started on the road to becoming a pilot. Yes, friends, I flew a plane today.
I piloted a Cessna 172 over north Atlanta for an hour this afternoon, flying over Lake Lanier and surrounding areas, with lots of trees and houses. It was quite an experience. I've flown simulators before (Including the very same plane I flew today), and while the principles are the same, actually flying a plane is a whole new experience. It was a sunny day today, but it was a bit windy, so the plane was bouncing around a lot. Since the Cessna 172 is a small plane, you can feel every bit of wind pushing and pulling the plane in every direction on every axis. Compensating wasn't difficult, but you really have to pay attention to what's going on, and learn not to over-control the plane.
My instructor is really great, and she was kind enough to handle the controls while I took some pictures mid-flight. Outside of takeoff, landing, and the periods when I took the pictures, I was the one flying the plane. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. It's awesome.
You can see my pictures right here.
(16:42)
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