learning to fly.

[misombra]

i've always wanted to, but i'm thinking i'm gonna start taking flight lessons.

yeah, flying planes and stuff.

[Gribble]

It's a blast.

[misombra]

yeah? well spill please...

[Gribble]

Scenery's great. You're free as a bird. It's easy, too. I could legally fly planes before I could drive a car. If you really want to have some fun see if you can go up for some aerobatics.

[doppelgaenger]

Gribble, is it true you have to have 20/20 vision in both eyes to fly?

[Gribble]

Gribble, is it true you have to have 20/20 vision in both eyes to fly?

For recreational flying you only need 20/40 vision.

[doppelgaenger]

Oi, my vision might be good enough to try it out!

[IndiReloaded]

Power planes are expensive. I think you should start with a glider pilots licence. Its also quieter, and more enviro-friendly:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPfZ2_y4saQ&feature=PlayList&p=B08469F45CF 5C004&playnext=1&index=17"]YouTube - Glider Display[/ame]

[Gribble]

There's no vision test until it's time to actually apply for your license. I flew hundreds of hours before I had to take a vision test. 'Course my instructor's may have just been lax. In either case, if you just want to try it out I'm pretty sure you'll have no problem going up as long as you aren't half blind and obviously so.

Plus I think you can still get your license even if you have 20/40 vision thanks to corrective lenses.

[1averagejoe]

Fighter pilots need 20/20 vision. I sure hope they all have 20/20 vision considering they're flying $45,000,000 to $159,900,000 planes.

As for recreational use...I don't think anyone really cares.

[misombra]

gerbil, how did you get into flying? did your parents do it? did you take classes? how does it work please!?

[Gribble]

I started flying at the ripe old age of 10. It was my uncle's idea. First time we went up it was just a half hour introductory flight. I can't remember how expensive it was, and there was no promise I'd get to fly. But about 15 minutes after takeoff the pilot went ahead and gave me the controls.

The very instant my fingers brushed the flight yoke we hit a pocket of air that dropped us about ten or fifteen feet. I flung myself back and covered my eyes because I was dead certain I'd done something wrong and killed us all. It was quite memorable to say the least.

After that I began taking classes. Once or twice a month. There was ground school and flight school. Ground school was rather dull but flight school more than made up for it.

It's much more expensive to start with, too. Pre-flight check takes about an hour, and until you get it down just right you've got to have an instructor watching your every move. Instructors aren't cheap. Once you get that down, though, you go out and do it by yourself and that right there saves you a bundle. After getting enough hours in you won't need an instructor in the plane with you while you're training. That saves still more. Gas, though, is the killer, and there's nothing you can do about that. But like Indi suggested, you can try gliders. They're every bit as fun, if not moreso. Easier to get licensed, too.

[misombra]

thanks gerbil! my roommate suggested i use my relatives relatively high status in government to get me into the air national guard where they train for free.

anyway i've always wanted to do this, but i'm a little better able to afford it now. though doing it for free would be nice.

[vashti]

You can fly to California for a visit!

[misombra]

yes i could!

i'm pretty sure around here when training we get to fly from my town up to farmington and back.