Learning to fly...but a little scared?

Question

I will not graduate dental school for another 3 yrs... after that, it will take about 4 years probably until I can afford to take flight lessons. I would LOVE to learn to fly a Cessna or a Piper and so would my husband. The problem is both of us aren't very mechanically inclined and that scares me. Given how many more small planes you hear about crashing, esp single engine planes it concerns me that neither of us are very naturally inclined in the direction of mechanics. Does anyone have any suggestions? I want to fly so bad, but I don't want to die doing it because I can't figure out what to do mechanically. Are there courses to help with that aspect?

Answer 1

I'm about to give up work and get my CPL, its going to be tough but sometimes you have to follow your dreams and go for it.

I wouldn't worry about not being mechanically minded, the more you spend time with something the more you learn and the easier it becomes.

The best advise I can give is read as many books on planes/aeronautics as you can.

Answer 2

You don't need to be "mechanically inclined" to make a good pilot. What you need is an attention to detail and commitment to safety, both of which I dare say you posses as an aspiring dentist!

That said, the numbers of small planes crashing are usually due to pilot error. Most of the reports I read are stall-spin accidents on approach. Even if there is a mechanical event, the stall-spin is usually a result of the pilot's inattention to airspeed and aircraft coordination. There are other causes, but this seems to be what I see the most of.

Don't just stop with your PPL. A good pilot is always learning, always advancing. Get your tailwheel rating, it will teach you how to use the rudder (I thought I knew how when I learned to fly in a C172, but when I took a few flights in a Cub I learned just how important the rudder really is). Go for spin and unusual attitudes training. Of course, getting IFR, Multi, and commercial training should be goals.

I only have 100 hours of time... But like you, I've wanted to fly since I was very young. I took my first lesson in my mid-twenties, but then didn't go back. Finally, I set down and finished it last year.

Good luck flying and good luck in dental school!

Answer 3

Go for it. Get a good instructor and learn to fly he or she will not let you hurt yourself because if you do you will hurt him or her. It takes practice once you do your first solo (mine was on the 14th) suddenly when you get airborne you say ok I am by myself no one to help me I better do this right. And sure enough you do. It does not matter how much or how little you now about airplanes in the long run you WILL learn to fly. By the way you becoming a dentist good for you I am in veterinary school.

Good luck!

Answer 4

NEVER be scared. If you want to fly aircraft (presuming you want to fly small propeller aircraft), you need to have nerves of steel. You will never need to be mechanically inclined to fly an aircraft. I can explain to you right now. Here it is: Fuel goes into the tank>the fuel in the tank goes into the carburettor and it's mixed with air (for turboprops, a turbocharger is installed which pumps more air into the carburettor and increases the size of the explosion in the cylinder of the engine, in turn creates more horsepower)>the fuel and air mixture is pumped into the engine cylinder via a "cam" which spins on top of the engine and pushes down the intake which then lets the fuel air mixture into the cylinder>the spark plug ignites the mixture and ignition occurs>the ignition then pushes down the piston which makes the crankshaft rotate (which is connected to the propeller)>another camshaft pushes down the outtake and lets the smoke from the previous ignition escape the cylinder and go through the exhaust and finally mixes with the air.>the propeller then rotates to push the aircraft forward.>the more fuel that is let into the carburettor (throttle), the bigger the explosion and the result is faster RPM of the propeller and resulting in faster airspeed.>with sufficient speed, the aircraft will have enough lift to become airbourne. That's all the mechanical you'll ever need to learn to become a private pilot. Remember, if you can drive a car, you can pilot an aircraft. If you're still scared, try flying with a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58. If that still scares you, try flying a turbocharged twing-engine Beechcraft Kingair 350. If that still scares you, I don't know anymore. Remeber, the bigger the aircraft, the safer it is. Don't believe me? Fly a Boeing 747-438 (Boeing 747-438 don't have propellers, they have turbofans, specifically Rolls-Royce RB211-524 or General Electric CF6-6 or Pratt and Whittney JT9D so don't get them confused. I don't think you'll be flying 747's anyway, looks like your flying study is only for leisure, but that's good) at 38,000 feet and then you suddenly lose three out of four engines, most likely you'll still be able to land even with one engine. With a Cessna 172s, lose your only engine, most likely you'll stall (lose lift and the aircraft plunges downward due to insufficient speed) before you'll enter airport boundaries. But a Cessna 172s is a good training aircraft since it's very maneuverable, easy to handle and not complicated at all.

Hope this helped!

GOOD-LUCK!!!!!

Answer 5

You don't have to be mechanically inclined to learn to fly. I am horrible at that kind of stuff and I started taking lessons when I was 13 years old. My mom is the same way and she has been flying for 30 years now.

You'll be fine, you will find that you will learn everything you need to know as you go along!

Good luck and happy flying!!!

Answer 6

well at heritage flight academy they make you fly with an instructor until you are able to fly alone. and even still...you almost always have a co-pilot.

Answer 7

Just go and take a few lessons you dont even have to take the ground school course at first but it is recommended. You will know right away if its what you want to do.  Theres not a much better feeling in the world than your first solo!   I got my private about 6 years ago and i can tell you i had some anxious moments a few times but i learned from them and am a more confident pilot from the experience.

Answer 8

Aircraft are maintained by certified mechanics, not pilots, so you don't have to know how to fix an engine to fly.  You do have to make sure that the engine has been properly maintained by a certified mechanic, and you do have to be able to spot when there is a problem, but this doesn't require any mechanical skill.

Flying itself requires no more mechanical ability than driving or riding a bicycle.  The overall risk of flying a small aircraft is roughly the same as that of riding a motorcycle, although it depends a great deal on the pilot's personality and skill.

Answer 9

Hey there,

It is great that you want to learn to fly. I have my own Cessna 150 that I fly as much as possible. As someone else answered, there is nothing better that the feeling you get when your instructor gets out of the plane and your on your own for your first solo and 3 trips around the pattern. One thing I didn't read in any of the answers that you have gotten to your question is the misunderstanding by non-pilots that if there is a equipment failure or the engine quits the plane will fall out of the sky. All airplanes are designed to fly. Thus, even without engine power pulling you through the sky the plane will still fly, or a better term would be glide. Giving you (sometimes) time to find a safe place to land. The only time an engine failure becomes an issue is on take offs and landings when you are close to the ground. But your instructor will train you for those very rare circumstances. Just remember, more people are killed by donkeys annually that they are by airplane crashes. This is a true fact. If your worried about the mechanical stuff, hang around when the airplane mechanic is doing an inspection or changing the oil. I have always learned best by watching and now I do most of the maintenance on my plane. I hope you follow up with your flight training and wish you the best of luck. Scott A. - KCAK - N1386Q

Answer 10

You don't necessarily need to be mechanically inclined to be a good pilot. All you need to understand are aeronautics and principlas of flight...not how to rebuild an engine. Good luck.

Answer 11

It won't be a problem. Just be sure you understand the basics of your aircraft systems, but your knowledge doesn't have to like a mechanics- you aren't going to fix the plane.