No thank you!! I love it when someone gets touched by aviation as most
of us participating in the NG are. Please let us know how your training
is progressing or not progressing as the case may be.

Your English and grammer are most excellent (being from Turkey) and all.
Better than mine and I've been here all of my life. Take care.

Jon Kraus
'79 Mooney 201
4443H @ UMP

A. Sinan Unur wrote:
Hello All:

I am *not* a pilot. Can't fly MSFS worth a damn but have been up in a
C172 once (discovery flight in 1995). Had a lot of difficulty taxiing,
but managed to take off (with the instructor telling me exactly what to
do in each step). Flew a couple of circles over Cayuga Lake. Did a few
banking turns. There were really no winds to speak off and I was able to
stay very close to the altitude the instructor told me to fly at.
Landing was a hectic as I got really nervous when the instructor told me
I could land. Again, he told me exactly what to do, so there wasn't much
left to me but to do exactly what he said. I was very happy and proud
that day and I cannot forget it.

By the time I was done with grad school and had a little bit more
income, 9/11 happened and I thought it was prudent to postpone flight
training (I am from Turkey).

This May, I bought an hour long flight in the rear seat of a PT39
Fairchild. The feel of the open cockpit was amazing. Once airborne, I
had the stick for a while, I was able to maintain altitude during the
couple of turns I made.

The plane went off the runway during landing -- I wasn't in control --
due to what I think was an unexpected wind gust just before touch down.
It was an interesting experience as I had been watching intently over
the pilots shoulder. The approach looked perfect to me yet, just as I
was anticipating touch-down, I felt the aircraft bank to the right, and
we landed on the grass. I even thought the pilot may have done it on
purpose (you know for that 'authentic' feeling) for a moment until I
heard the tower asking if we were OK and telling us they were sending
EMS and fire over).

I also took a hot-air balloon ride the same month with my girlfriend who
has a fear of flying. Somehow, it worked wonders for the series of
transatlantic flights she had to make over the summer.

I hope to have the financial resources to start my training in a couple
of years.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants (well,
except for maniac) in this group. Lurking here, reading your stories,
arguments keeps the dream alive for me.

I will go back to lurking now.

Sinan