Trial flying lesson

I wonder if a hot air balloon would have the same effect? Something
about zero airspeed and no engine noise at altitude that strikes fear
into the heart of a fixed-wing pilot?

Actually, a pilot friend of mine just took his first hot air balloon ride
last week. With no history of fear of heights he experienced vertigo in a
bad way. And his wife had to sit down on the floor of the basket.

Their story was enough to remove THAT particular experience from "the list"
for me...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 02:59:05 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Actually, a pilot friend of mine just took his first hot air balloon ride
last week. With no history of fear of heights he experienced vertigo in a
bad way. And his wife had to sit down on the floor of the basket.

I didn't feel that way at all in a balloon ride, and I'm terrified on
ferris wheels!

The one time I was scared flying was in a Huey helicopter in Vietnam.
The pilot thought it would be safer to fly below treetop level. Now
THERE is a sensation of speed and altitude, 50 feet above the ground,
100 knots, and tilted 15 degrees nose down!

(I don't have that sensation in an airplane, presumably because it's
not tilted--or if it is, it's for the sake of landing.)



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Wouldn't cross that one off yet. It's an awesome experience for most
people - drifting with the wind with no sensation of movement, hearing
people talking and dogs barking a housand feet below. Definitely worth
a try.
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Balloon Ride - http://pad39a.com/gene/balloons.html
Because we fly, we envy no one.

On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 16:36:11 -0700, Ron Garret
wrote:

I had a similar experience at the big tower in Aukland, New Zealand,
which also has a glass floor. Not quite as high as the CN tower, but
still I was barely able to bring myself to stand on the glass floor.

I once talked to a very experienced sailor who when she was first
married crewed for her husband on a fishing boat from Ecuador to the
Galapagos Islands and back. They towed an old wreck of a boat out with
them, to carry additional fish back. Every day somebody had to go back
in the dinghy to pump out the spare boat.

She was fine until they passed the continental shelf. Then she just
couldn't bear to get in the dinghy any more. The knowledge that there
was a MILE of water beneath her just freaked her out, even though she
knew perfectly well that she could drown in anything deeper than five
feet.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

She was fine until they passed the continental shelf. Then she just
couldn't bear to get in the dinghy any more. The knowledge that there
was a MILE of water beneath her just freaked her out, even though she
knew perfectly well that she could drown in anything deeper than five
feet.

That's an interesting angle on the "fear of heights" phobia. In my case
(and, I suspect, most others) I have to be able to actually *see* the
heights to be afraid of them!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 16:36:11 -0700, Ron Garret
wrote:

I had a similar experience at the big tower in Aukland, New Zealand,
which also has a glass floor. Not quite as high as the CN tower, but
still I was barely able to bring myself to stand on the glass floor.

I once talked to a very experienced sailor who when she was first
married crewed for her husband on a fishing boat from Ecuador to the
Galapagos Islands and back. They towed an old wreck of a boat out with
them, to carry additional fish back. Every day somebody had to go back
in the dinghy to pump out the spare boat.




-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

There isn't enough money in the world to get me up there. Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:epoZe.401223$xm3.64671@attbi_s21...
Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

There isn't enough money in the world to get me up there. Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!
:-)
Yeah, I know that feeling!!! I think it has something to do with common
sense. :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Dudley

Hell, when I
stood UNDER it, I felt dizzy, just thinking about being up there!
:-)
Yeah, I know that feeling!!! I think it has something to do with common
sense. :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Nah. If it was common sense at work, I wouldn't be able to fly around it
all day long, taking pictures, without a second thought...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dudley Henriques wrote:

Did you ever walk out on that glass floor at the CN tower in Toronto?
Over a thousand feet straight down to the ground!

They probably built it 'cause they heard that people like me would pay to avoid
it! :-)

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Ok, my plan is forming now.

Take cushion if not provided.
Take hidden sick bag if not provided ( I have never been sick on a
large plane)
Don't take willing or unwilling victim.
Open eyes and enjoy.
Don't take credit card as limit is over 5k and I might end up spending
too much.

And never never take the family of hippos up the CN tower in Toronto!

No flight instructors based in Oz here then?

Actually I have a friend who used to work at the airfield previously, I
am going to meet up with and ask some more questions. But I've now been
told there is a 'choice' of flying schools there, so I will need to
shop around.

Now the question is, how do you spot a good flying instructor???

Many thanks