Most important lesson learned??

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Well Boss_Blue Angels you have me thinking now :)

When I first started Grass Roots Flying it was with a retired Squadron Leader.
On the walk around he stopped me and looked me right in the eye and said: "Doug, learn something new every day no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time".
As my career developed in a positive way from Grass Roots Flying>Bush Flying>Military Aviation>Commercial Aviation and at long last back to Grass Roots Flying I remembered his words and have tried to do what he said.
If I could pass anything on to you it would be what he said to me
By your post I can see your on the correct heading.
Something to think about, when pilots go to parties we stand around and talk for hours about aircraft, flying experiences, close calls and maybe even women LOL.  When you retire you will find yourself standing around the BAR B Q exchanging cooking recipes.
Oh and that Squadron Leader, on my first solo after 4.9 hours of dual, he dropped out of the Moth after our first touch and go of the day, yelled in my ear..."Take her up for at least six touch and goes...May God Go With You and I Don't Envy God" and he walked away.
He was a real old Buggar sometimes...God Rest His Soul.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[MadDriver]

What I've learned... hmm...

-If the controller tells you to extend downwind for traffic, and you don't have traffic in site to gauge when it's ok to turn base.... you can have the controller call base for you instead of creating a stressful situation of being on a collision course with another aircraft!

[TacitBlue]

Ive had only one lesson (yesterday, and Im still smiling), but one big thing that I learned, or rather realized is: An airplane is not some gloriouse magic carpet, its a vehicle. The one I was in was old, dirty, dinged here and there, and had bird crap on the elevater. It just made it seem more real to me.

[beaky]

Ive had only one lesson (yesterday, and Im still smiling), but one big thing that I learned, or rather realized is: An airplane is not some gloriouse magic carpet, its a vehicle. The one I was in was old, dirty, dinged here and there, and had bird crap on the elevater. It just made it seem more real to me.

That's good- you should be aware of the airplane as a mechanical device, and take nothing for granted. However, when you solo, it'll turn into a magic carpet again...

[Staiduk]

That's good- you should be aware of the airplane as a mechanical device, and take nothing for granted. However, when you solo, it'll turn into a magic carpet again...

Hell - it turns into a ruddy Spitfire!

There I was; a bundle of 18-yr-old twitching nerves pushing the throttle in all by my lonely for the first time.
Got up, set climb and all of a sudden I'm going "DUMM DE DAAA DA DA DA DAAA DAAA DAAA DAAA...." (Off we go, into the Wild Blue yonder, instrumental version. )

Don't bother that the little Cessna was about as close to a Spit as a go-kart is to a Porsche. Don't bother that I was white-knucking the yoke with one hand and choking hell out of the throttle (yes; throttling it...) with the other. Buzz Buerling was taking off to fight the Nazis!
(Of course; reality hit when Buzz Buerling realized he'd have to turn sooner or later... )

[beaky]

Remember, the PTT switch is for the radio, not the guns
("Who's the idiot making machine gun noises on the radio?")

[C]

Remember, the PTT switch is for the radio, not the guns

The PTT switch is a multifuction device. When the pilot is in normal mode, it's a PTT switch, when someone's in his sights, its the gun button!

[Tom_M]

"You'll never get rich working for an airline."

Maybe that's true in the US where the kid working at Taco Bell earns more than a pilot, but in the UK Ryanair pilots start at

[beefhole]

You can make lots of money working for an airline in the US-you just have to be working for a long time, and you have to be on some mid to big sized equipment.

[wealthysoup]

Stay away from the propeller  :D

[beaky]

Stay away from the propeller  :D

Hope you didn't learn that the hard way... do people call you "Lefty?"

[Sytse]

Ive had only one lesson (yesterday, and Im still smiling), but one big thing that I learned, or rather realized is: An airplane is not some gloriouse magic carpet, its a vehicle. The one I was in was old, dirty, dinged here and there, and had bird crap on the elevater. It just made it seem more real to me.

Good for you! I had my first lesson last week. Also was the first time I flew, ever! So I'm up in the air for the first time in my live and I get to hold the controlls on my own! It was a small piper cup and a bit old too. I

[t_alexander21]

Never take a chance.

Well, I believe taking chances can be advantageous in most cases...even in aviation.

[beefhole]

Well, I believe taking chances can be advantageous in most cases...even in aviation.

For business purposes, yes.  The actual flying part of aviation? NEVER.

[Rocket_Bird]

Well, I consider flying in itself as taking a chance.  Obviously its a wise idea to never put yourself or someone else in a dangerous situation.  Never be a cocky, gung ho, I know it all pilot, because if you don't know your limitations, you will learn stuff the hard way.  The idea is, know what your doing.