Last weekend, I went hiking. The weekend before, I took little Quigley on a camping trip. So this weekend, I decided to leave the ground and see the sites from high up in the clouds. There are frogs who can fly, well, glide is more like it, but since I'm not one of them, the only way I can fly is in an airplane.
About a month a go, I took parachuting lessons which entailed going up in a small Cessna airplane. That day, I promised myself I would take a flying lesson. And this is the weekend. My research shows that it can take upwards of 80 hours to learn to fly a plane; that number can be decrased to 45-50 hours with an accelerated course. I'm not sure, at this point, if I really want to learn to fly a plan or if I am just interested in gaining an experience. So, for now, I won't worry about the time, or the cost, involved with getting a pilot's license.
Almost everyone can learn to fly a plane. It is an activity that can be enjoyed by a wide range of humans and, hopefully, one little green frog! About the only requirement is a medical exam which I recently passed with flying colors...get it? Flying colors...
There are many different kinds of pilots: the student pilot, like me, sport, recreational, private, commercial, and instructor; to name just a few. There are many different kinds of small aircraft,too, some costing as little as the family SUV. (That's a scary thought!) Most flight schools offer an introduntory lesson and what's what I will focus on this weekend. That's all the fun of flying (I'll actually get to fly a plane) but without all the learning I'd need to get my license. But if I were going to go all the way and try for my license, I'd need to start off with ground school.
This can be accomplished at home with video lessons, computer-based learning, or in a classroom with an instructor. These lessons teach the student everything he needs to know about flying; weather, airport proceedures, and rules of the air. Think of it like a driver's ed class. The instructor works with each student to make them feel safe and confident. Whew! Then, after many hours of training, and when he believes that the student is ready, he will get get to fly the plane solo. That must be an amazing feeling...
There's a lot more involved in learning to fly than what I've discussed here but, hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of it means to get a pilot's license.
I'm excited to be, once again, high up in the sky...a place very few of us frogs ever see.
Being up aong the clouds, gives us a vantage point...a view of earth below...that can't easily be explained. It's awe-inspiring. It's breath-taking. It's freeing. Not up for flying lessons? They're not for everybody. So how about mountain climbing? Or taking a drive through the hills. Lots of cities have tall buildings with observation decks at the top. There are so many ways to get that feeling of being above it all, without taking a plane ride.
I hope whatever your weekend plans include. you find a way to include a "view from the top." I mean, after all, why should birds have all the fun?
See you all back here on Monday!
About a month a go, I took parachuting lessons which entailed going up in a small Cessna airplane. That day, I promised myself I would take a flying lesson. And this is the weekend. My research shows that it can take upwards of 80 hours to learn to fly a plane; that number can be decrased to 45-50 hours with an accelerated course. I'm not sure, at this point, if I really want to learn to fly a plan or if I am just interested in gaining an experience. So, for now, I won't worry about the time, or the cost, involved with getting a pilot's license.
Almost everyone can learn to fly a plane. It is an activity that can be enjoyed by a wide range of humans and, hopefully, one little green frog! About the only requirement is a medical exam which I recently passed with flying colors...get it? Flying colors...
There are many different kinds of pilots: the student pilot, like me, sport, recreational, private, commercial, and instructor; to name just a few. There are many different kinds of small aircraft,too, some costing as little as the family SUV. (That's a scary thought!) Most flight schools offer an introduntory lesson and what's what I will focus on this weekend. That's all the fun of flying (I'll actually get to fly a plane) but without all the learning I'd need to get my license. But if I were going to go all the way and try for my license, I'd need to start off with ground school.
This can be accomplished at home with video lessons, computer-based learning, or in a classroom with an instructor. These lessons teach the student everything he needs to know about flying; weather, airport proceedures, and rules of the air. Think of it like a driver's ed class. The instructor works with each student to make them feel safe and confident. Whew! Then, after many hours of training, and when he believes that the student is ready, he will get get to fly the plane solo. That must be an amazing feeling...
There's a lot more involved in learning to fly than what I've discussed here but, hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of it means to get a pilot's license.
I'm excited to be, once again, high up in the sky...a place very few of us frogs ever see.
Being up aong the clouds, gives us a vantage point...a view of earth below...that can't easily be explained. It's awe-inspiring. It's breath-taking. It's freeing. Not up for flying lessons? They're not for everybody. So how about mountain climbing? Or taking a drive through the hills. Lots of cities have tall buildings with observation decks at the top. There are so many ways to get that feeling of being above it all, without taking a plane ride.
I hope whatever your weekend plans include. you find a way to include a "view from the top." I mean, after all, why should birds have all the fun?
See you all back here on Monday!
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