First Passenger: Aerial Tour of Lake Jordan, NC

Yesterday, at 10.00 AM, I arrived at the FBO with my wife, Priya to take her as my first passenger on a flight as PIC...



..




A write-up from my wife about our first flight together...
-----------------------------------------------------

"Over earth and ocean, with gentle motion,
This pilot is guiding me..."

As we approached the hangar, Allegro N50631 airplane already seemed prepped up and ready for the day's adventure.

A friendly greeting from Betty and Doug at B Bar D Aviation and within a few minutes, we were on our way to a pre-flight procedural check. Prasad explained the steps as he was performing them. Check the engine oil levels. Now rotate the propeller manually ten to fifteen times and test the oil dipstick again, see the tank has filled up. The engine compartment lid comes off easily, see how the screws line up with the lines of the box, we just screw them back in so, not too heavy.

As I watch with a mixed feeling of happiness and curiosity, Prasad slowly and certainly pulls the vehicle out of the hangar and faces it perpendicular to the runway. He is in home territory it feels like, and watching his careful and thorough checks, all nerves are smoothened out. See this is how you glide into your seat, and firmly close the window. Buckle up, wear your headset and lets look at the pre-flight test one.

Soon enough, he adds choke to the start and with a whir and a rev the engine starts to a persistent roar. The sudden noise from this new blue toy like plane is startling. Is this little device making all this sound?! The pilot announces the taxiing and off we go, cruising in the Allegro. For a start, I feel no fear. Doug has already told me something I know by now, Prasad will take care.

I am all curiosity - how will this thing lift itself and us up to the skies - can it really 'fly' ? This cute toy plane, is it real?

Well, we were on runway 21 and inching forward as Prasad looks at the engine oil temperature gauge and the tachometer to pick up. Suddenly, the flight has taken off without any topsy turvy tummies! It lifted up like a butterfly that was hovering over land which has suddenly thought of a better place to be. The skies :-)

I could not feel any fear. I admit I anticipated a turbulent ride but the take-off proved otherwise, assuaging doubts and increasing my curiosity quotient. What more, in store? At a height of 3,000 feet above land, Prasad pointed out to the landmarks in the vicinity. Having never been on a flight in a small airplane before, it was hard to orient myself so suddenly and identify with the reckoning. I was 'blind' as I enjoyed the view.

The radio had to crackle itself in and out as other pilots announced their courses. Prasad made a turn-around as he approached the runway on our return we made a 360 degree turn and returned again to land. They say landings are the tricky bit to a flight. Prasad landed after he was parallel to the ground and barely a few feet above it. There was one jolt as we touched down but that was it!

Betty told me that on a clear day if you go up a few thousand feet the views of the mountains are splendid. I believe her. Doug said that the winter weather is more suited to flying LSA-s because the thermals are much nearer the ground and its easier to ride the thermal then. Less bumps. Well today was hardly bumpy by that count, and we had a nice outing.

-----------------------------------------------------