Take a Discovery Flight
I bet we’re alike: as a kid I dreamed of soaring over the countryside, the sun setting, wind in my face while gently riding the thermals wherever they took me. Who hasn’t dreamed of flying like a bird? Then, possibly, your dream was made less real when your cardboard flying contraption and jump from a tree house didn’t quit workout as planned. But you and I have now met and I’m here to tell you — you can feel like a bird, you can fly! It all begins with what the aviation industry terms a Discovery Flight, or what I prefer to call an adventure flight.
A Discovery Flight is an adventure! It’s typically a 30-60 minute flight with a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) where you actually get to experience real flight in a real airplane. It is nothing short of fun, educational and inspiring. I will always remember the first airplane ride my dad purchased for my brother and I. We flew over the New River Gorge in West Virginia and it was literally life changing.
Almost every flight school offers something akin to a Discovery Flight. Search the web for discovery flight or flight school in your area to find an adventure near you. If you’re in the Nashville area I would be happy to take you for a flight, help you find the right fit for you or answer any questions you might have while looking. When you search here are some things to consider when for your Discovery Flight:
It should be fun
It’s your money and time, it should be centered around what you would like to do. Whether you want to follow a river at sunset, fly over your house for a different perspective, talk to your instructor beforehand and be sure you share the same goal for your expenditure.
There is no better example of what a Discovery Flight should be than this video of a first time flyer and her dad: Lainey’s First Airplane Ride
What to expect
A typical Discovery Flight will cost between $99-$200. It will consist of 15-30 minutes of instruction / preparation on the ground in a classroom. Followed by a 30-60 minute flight and a 15 minute debrief. Your instructor should be thorough, relaxed and eager to answer questions.
Safety a priority
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is: don’t fly. If safety does not appear to be paramount with the school or individual you’ve selected, don’t fly. That said, empirically flying has been made safe by rigorous FAA policy, procedures and the general aviation community’s commitment to continuous improvement through training and practice. Not to mention the recent and many technological safety innovations. You should demand professionalism and expect and emphasis on safety.
Not sure you’re ready for flight? A full motion simulator is a great alternative, surprisingly similar to a real life experience. A full motion simulator is like it sounds, a simulator that you sit in and moves with your control inputs and has all the same controls and avionics of a real plane.
Tips
Choose to fly with a girl! If you’re purchasing a Discovery Flight for your aspiring aviator, inspire her by showing her that girls are pilots, lots of them in fact.
I recommend paying a little more and flying for an hour. Depending on your local airport, 30, or even 40 minutes is often not enough time to get out of the airport pattern and have a meaningful flight. There are naturally a lot of questions you’ll have and items that your instructor will need to explain. And sometimes by the time your wheels actually depart the pavement (or grass!) you’ll already have consumed 15-20 minutes of the flight.
Nothing could ever beat a first flight in a Piper Cub, windows open and the warmth of a summer’s evening. Look for a flight school or freelance Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) that can help you turn this ride into a really memorable experience that will last a lifetime.
