Intro Flight on a Cessna 172

After a week of rain we finally got some good weather here in So Cal. I scheduled a demo flight with Justice Aviation. Most schools offer these demo flights at deep discounts and in this case $50 to encourage folks like me to give flying a shot.

Justice booked me with a Certified Flight Instructor ("CFI") who was about to leave for NY. I was a bit miffed because finding a good instructor is key and I saw this as an interview. But they did put me in a swanky new Cessna 172 - 180 hp. It had that delicious new car smell and came complete with a Garmin 1000 glass cockpit. Basically a Dior. I smell a seduction scheme unfolding here. In real life I bet this beast costs way more than the advertised $85 an hour for the Cessna 152. But at this point I told myself not to quibble about price and just accept the fact that this endeavour will cost me 714 pedicures!

The lesson began with the pre-flight checklist and I soon realized that it is check-o-rama. One checks at every stage of the flight, from when one walks towards the plane up until one walks away from it at the end. This is serious business. The list is so long that it is written, laminated and bound into menu form. And these are just the documented ones. I am sure it will all get tattooed into my brain at some point but for today my goal is to enjoy myself.

By the time we were done with the pre-flight check and powered up the engine, I was ready to GO!!! But first we needed to get to the runway and this was when I was introduced to the rudder peddles. When on the ground, the rudder peddles control the nose gear which directs where the plane is going. I was thus driving with my feet. I basically danced up to the run-up in a slithering pattern and blamed it on the awkwardness of the situation as opposed to my damn heels! Heels are absolutely forbidden here. So are skirts and low risers unless you want your wobbly bits falling out while climbing over or dipping under the plane during the pre-flight check.

For take-off, my CFI put the throttle to full power and off we went shooting down the runway. At a certain point, I was told to gently pull back at the yoke and the next thing I knew we were airborne. Wow. My first take off. We climbed and headed towards the shoreline. And as soon as we hit it, I was instructed to gently turn right and we were soon traveling up the coast. Once we got to the desired altitude, I was told to level the nose of the plane with the horizon and reduce power. While cruising, I felt half-dazed and was not really paying attention to my CFI nor the instruments. I told myself that I'll learn later. Kinda like the I'll-start-tomorrow-diet mentality. My eyes were concentrated on the gorgeous view laid out before and below me. With a high-wing plane, I could see clearly below me...the gleaming blue water, the gia-normous mansions peppering the Malibu coastline, etc. I could not have picked a more beautiful day to do this. I was truly smitten.

Once we reached Point Dume, I was told to turn left and circle around the tip of the peninsular to start our journey back to SMO. When we passed Pacific Palisades and started our descent, that was when my head started to spin. There was so much going on at the same time. The spy talk promptly resumed between my CFI and the SMO tower and my eyes began darting left and right looking for the supposed neighboring planes set against a backdrop of bobbing buildings and moving traffic. I could barely keep track of the instrument readings to note the power level, altitude and vertical speed. And there is the landing pattern that everyone needs to strictly follow. THE tower will punish you for bad behavior. Juvenile crimes will result in them dispensing a number and instructing you to call them. If you commit something extra heinous, there is the imaginary penalty box that the tower will instruct you to fly circles in. This is their version of flogging you publically for subversive behavior. What makes matters worse is the fact that this is all communicated over open airwaves!

Once we entered the pattern, my CFI had control of the power, rudder and yoke. However, he wanted me to "experience" landing so told me to handle the yoke and listen up. As the runway loomed ahead of me, I could barely croak. I gripped the yoke white knuckled and tried to follow his instruction word for word. Having the power lying near idle made me nervous because I had this notion that we needed power in order to move. I could feel the plane sway gently even from the slightest wind movements because the thrust created by the engine was now gone. We were essentially gliding towards the runway. All along the descent we had the plane's nose pointed downwards and when close to the ground, my CFI instructed me to level the nose to bring the plane horizontal and then lift it a tad. All very subtle movements. And low and behold I felt the reassuring thud of the main gear (back wheels) hitting the tarmac, soon followed by the nose gear. I have landed. Unbelievable. I looked over to my CFI beaming him a mega watt smile. Correction. We landed.