What it is like and what it takes to fly a real airplane

Discussion Hub General Discussion
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I think a fun topic would be for the real pilots to talk about not just their ratings but what it took to achieve each milestone such as first solo ,cross country flight ,etc
Here is the begging of my story.
The summer I turned fourteen my dad and I took a scenic flight in bubble canopy Bell 47 helicopter (like the one on MASH) on the ride home I said to my dad I want to fly and he said so do I A few months later we took an introductory flight in Beachcraft Sierra but the instructor told us to comeback when I was 15 which we did .The first entry in my logbook reads — 10/30/1970 1.2 hrs 1.2 dual slowflight, power on stalls take offs and landings.
The first flight was proceeded by an hour ground session a complete walkarround and a cockpit familiarization. Wasi I nervous you bet scared no, tongue tied on the radio yup but man was I bitten oh yea like your very first crush. Cost of the flight lesson $12.00 for the instructor $12.00 for the C150 including gas.

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This was back in the 50’s ???

What it take to fly a real plane these days is “A LOT OF MONEY”.
And the cost of flying a Helicopter is just through the roof !!!

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Thats why I fly a sim when I got my twin rating the lesson was free (family friend) $150.00 per hour for a Beach Duchess

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"That’s what friend are for ", especially when they are an MEI

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My first flight was also in a Bell 47, but I was very young and have a memory only of the noise and the motion. The first flight I have a vivid memory of was in a Vultee BT-13 out of an airstrip a little more than a mile from the home I grew up in. The strip is no longer there, but I sure remember that flight; I was nine years old. That radial made quite a sound!

My introductory flight twelve years later cost $5.00 for an hour in a PA-28-140, owned by the local FBO and Piper dealer at KVIS. Imagine my surprise when the instructor had me sit in the left seat, then taxi to the active and actually takeoff. I did my training in a brand new PA-38-112 up until my solo, then transitioned into a C150E for the balance of my dual and solo cross-country training. Once I got my “ticket” I often flew the little 150 after work to relax, shooting touch-and-goes until sunset at a little strip north of KVIS called Sequoia Field (D86
 still active.) In those days it served as a CDF Firebase and was home to converted B-17 Flying Fortresses and F7F Tigercats painted in the Orange & White CDF livery.

The C150E was one of four aircraft in our flying club, along with a C172F, a PA-28-160 (the predecessor to the Warrior II) and a C182P. After your buy-in ($1500.00 per aircraft) the cost per hour to use each was $9.00/hr “wet” for the 150, $14.00/hr “wet” for the 172, and $22.00/hr “wet” for the Piper. Because of my low “newbie” hours back then I didn’t “own” the 182. I found I spent the majority of my time in the 150 and the 172, eventually “selling” my share of the Piper to someone else.

Both Cessnas had fully equipped IFR panels (dual VORs and an ADF), and if memory serves, both had King radios. Neither had a Mode C capable transponder. Back then I usually flew in CAVOK conditions, though I did my fair share of night flying in the summer. (Cooler, smoother air and quite beautiful to fly at night in the Central Valley back then.) My IFR flying in those low-time days meant “I Follow Roads.” :slight_smile:

Anyone can learn to fly, but as @N6722C said, it takes a lot more money than it did back “in the day” - especially if you want to get your IFR rating (highly suggested!) or your Multi-Engine rating.

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How much does it cost to fly for real these days if a beginner - no experience - based in USA.

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Sit down before you read this. :wink:
How Much Does It Cost to Become a Pilot?

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OMG – How long ago was that ? When I started in mid 80’s it was like $40 / hr wet

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You know those places that use helicopters to trim the power lines, well if you interview well and dont barf in the cockpit during the intro flight. They will teach you to fly, and pay to a good chuck of change to do so, of course you have to learn to fly one with high power lines mere inches away from either side of the copter. But the bosses motto with the people I talked to was ‘Everybody Flies’ pilots, groundman, and even a couple of secretaries


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Once again, the forums are for MSFS related topics only. Please take this and other real world experiences to the Discord Server Aviation Channel.