First Flight

“So, as we accelerate its going to get bumpy, there’s going to be a lot of noise and vibration.”

Cue semi-nervous looks…

“That’s all perfectly normal though.”

The person sitting next to me visibly relaxes.

A little…

Conducting a first flight, whether as a private pilot taking a passenger into the skies for the first time, or as an instructor, opening the door to a possible future filled with aviation and all the joy that comes with it – is a both a privilege and a huge responsibility. But a responsibility that comes with a lot of fun and pleasure.

As pilots we all too often forget that what we do every week and sometimes take for granted, others have never experienced. It’s a thought that is never too far from my mind and if, on occasion, life’s trivialities conspire to fog my memory, these types of flights are sure to bring it back into sharp focus.

As a species we spend our lives being ‘busy’.

“The devil makes work for idle hands.” as drilled into my Nan at a young age at a Catholic convent.

“Must keep busy.” as so many of my northern friends utter as they pass each other on street.

“If you stand still you’ll die.” a phrase that successful people in business whisper to their protégé as if its some magic ingredient to a gold plated future.

Sometimes though, its necessary, essential, and indeed desirable to stop, look around and extract yourself from the rat race.

Flying enables you to do just that – although I feel legally compelled to point out that ‘stopping’ in a conventional aeroplane, that requires air to be moving relative to the wing, ideally in the direction that you are facing, is generally not a good idea…

At least not while you are still airborne at any rate!

But flying does enable you stop in the metaphorical sense. To switch off from the day job, remove yourself from the stresses and strains of a life lived far too fast in many cases, and to wonder and look at the beauty of our planet from a different perspective.

Many astronauts speak of the overview effect, that awe inspiring view they experience when looking back at the Earth from orbit and the sense of fragility and isolation that our planet conveys, hanging there, in space, surrounded by the emptiness of a hostile environment – well hostile to humans at least. Whilst that view is unlikely to be available to the majority of us in the near future, at least with our own eyes, you can experience something similar. Simply by going flying and pausing to look around, considering exactly where you are and enjoying the moment.

This is sometimes coined as ‘the aerospace effect’, and I point this out to the people flying with every time. Its amazing to think that as we soar along at 90mph at 3000 feet that if you put your hand out you can cover a village with it.

That’s every house, shop, church, person, cat and dog.

All their hopes, dreams, stresses, worries, smiles, laughter and joy – is right there, under the palm of your hand.

NB – gen Z, if you do that, trust me, you will still have time for a selfie, don’t worry!

Life is all about perspective.

Flying gives me a large part of mine and it’s a joy to share it with as many people as possible

Fly safely and don’t forget to enjoy the view!