Day 1 - Up, up and away!

5th January 2009

I know at 67yrs of age I've left it a bit late to decide to start to learn to fly but it is something I have always wanted to do going back to early memory when I was a kid, anyway here I am now just done my first .9 hour lesson.

I had spoken to several people about going for my licence and they all said go and do my training with Kevin Walters and he'll start you off in the Drifter and then when you solo in that he'll then switch you over to the Tecnam sierra and get into cross country nav's.

It was the usual first lesson being shown what the controls did and letting me have a go and after about fifteen minutes of that he let me fly the Drifter back from the training area to his strip. Now when I say his strip I expected Kev to take over and do the base and final but he kept talking me down until we were over the fence! And then he said "MY PLANE but stay on the controlls with me and feel what I am doing". I was amazed that he let me fly it in so far..!!!! (As both my brothers are pilots I had done some straight and level before and done simulator for a few years but being a hot day the thermals were throwing the Drifter around a bit).

Ok I'm stoked, being 67yo some people including my instructor told me not to get my hopes up too much because most people at that age are not able to achieve their dream.
After we got back from the lesson Kevin said I didn't have to worry about that and said in fact I performed possibly a little above average. What a relief..!!!
But I do realise now I have to be able to pass the theory, so I'm going to have to study study and more study.