By Caley Reece  

How does someone overcome a fear of flying? They go flying in a light aircraft. Caley Reece explains.

Although I’m a frequent flyer and have travelled the world in commercial airliners, for many years I’ve been nervous about flying and absolutely petrified by turbulence. Despite this, I’ve always been mesmerised by the science of flight. I’ve often asked myself, how do these massive machines with hundreds of passengers on board become airborne and how do they stay in the air without plummeting to the ground? In fact, how difficult is it to be a pilot and to actually fly a plane?

So on a recent visit to Sydney I did something about it and organised a trial introductory flight (TIF) in a light aircraft. I decided that if I came away spooked by the experience, I’d never do it again. But if I actually enjoyed it, I’d seriously consider taking flying lessons.   

After an hour’s drive in pouring rain, I arrived at Curtis Aviation at Camden Airport on the outskirts of Sydney and met instructor Jim Drinnan. Despite the weather, Jim was confident we could still do some aerial work in the training area; I was horrified that we’d be flying in the rain.

When I first saw the aircraft that would carry Jim and I into the sky, I couldn’t believe how small it was: a two-seat PiperSport with a single propeller-driven engine attached to the nose. Definitely a bit different to the big airliners I’m used to flying in.

Jim asked me if I’d ever flown in a light aircraft before and, in an effort to muster as much confidence as I could, I replied: “Um, no, I haven’t. But I’m looking forward to it.”

He then explained a few basics, just to make me comfortable before setting foot inside the aircraft. He led me on what he called a preflight inspection, pointing out the main parts of the aircraft and explaining the functions of the controls. He showed me the fuselage, the fin and tailplane. The wings, ailerons, rudder, flaps and undercarriage. He finished by giving me a peek at the engine and propeller. All the things I’d heard of but didn’t quite know what they were for or where they were located.

Jim stressed the importance of the preflight inspection and going over the aircraft thoroughly.

“Most people get into their cars and drive down the road in blissful ignorance of any impending difficulties,” Jim says. “But you can’t afford to do that in an aeroplane because if you encounter any difficulties, you can’t just pull over to the side of the road and solve the problem. That’s why the preflight inspection is just as important as the flight itself.”

At 72-years-old, Jim has accumulated 14,000 hours of instruction in his logbook, specialising mostly in tailwheel and bush flying, so I’m in good hands. He is also a NSW Rural Fire Service air attack operator, a gig which he takes very seriously.

 “I started flying when I was 16 and in 1954 began an aircraft sheetmetal fitter’s apprenticeship at de Havilland Aircraft at Bankstown Airport, where I worked on Vampires and Drovers,” Jim says. “I then moved to Camden where I was involved in farming before retiring to an aviation job. I’m still in retirement. In 1995 I helped form Curtis Aviation and have been here ever since. Being able to pass on the many skills I have learnt to the next generation of budding pilots gives me enormous satisfaction.”

After settling into the cockpit I learnt about the flight controls and how they worked and slowly, my apprehension for this experience dissipated. My nervousness was being replaced by confidence. Jim started the engine and pointed out the engine instruments – dials for things like oil and cylinder head temperatures and RPM. There are also the flight instruments which provide vital information about the aeroplane while it’s flying; like altitude and speed.

Jim released the handbrake and eased the little plane down the taxiway. “We’re going to an area called a runup bay which is where we complete more checks,” he said. Jim then suggested I put my hands on the joy stick and my feet on the rudder pedals and encouraged me to have a go at steering the aircraft down the taxiway. After driving cars for so long I couldn’t get out of the habit of steering with my hands on the wheel and as a result, my coordination was terrible. Jim grinned and said: “The idea is to steer the aircraft with your feet. It’s always tricky at the beginning, but you’ll get it right.”

Since I’d settled into the cockpit and donned my headset, I was able to listen to communications between pilots and air traffic controllers. At this stage it all sounded like an unfamiliar foreign language and I thought to myself: “Boy, how does he remember all that stuff?”

At the runup bay Jim completed more checks. He then taxied the aircraft to the runway and radioed the control tower: “Tower, Uniform Golf Papa is ready two four, for crosswind departure to the training area.”

As my thoughts begin to wander, Jim eased the throttle forward and the reality hit me – I was about to experience my first flight in a light aircraft. The excitement grew as the world rushed by in a blur and the little plane accelerated down the runway.

“Follow through the controls with me,” Jim said. “There we go, small amount of back pressure on the stick, nice and easy ... ” and all of a sudden we were airborne. Just like that.

My attention fluttered between what was happening in the plane and what was happening outside as the world began to rush past and then drop away as we left the ground. Jim banked the aircraft and as the wing dropped slightly and the horizon moved across the windscreen, I felt a bit queasy yet enjoyed the sensation.

As Jim levelled off, I thought to myself: “Wow, this is great,” and the world suddenly took on a whole new perspective. I felt at ease and the world below looked decidedly insignificant. The roads, the houses, the buildings, the cars, the green fields – they were all so miniscule. And the people, where were they? So, this is what it’s like to fly an aeroplane and to be a pilot? So much for being nervous: what a buzz!

With my hands and feet on the controls, Jim demonstrated how the controls manipulate the aeroplane – climbing, turning and descending; and he showed me the rudder functions. In almost no time at all I was flying by myself. Woohoo! I couldn’t believe it.

Since meeting Jim, he has involved me in all the phases of flight, from the preflight walkaround in the hangar, to the climb, the turn, the cruise and the descent. In such a short space of time my respect for pilots and their knowledge and skill was enough to convince me that learning to fly was something I’d love to do.

With the trial introductory flight amost over, all we needed to do was get the aircraft back to the aerodrome. Once again Jim took me through the controls and all I could see were green fields, roads and houses. “Where the heck is the airport?” I thought to myself. Jim pointed to a location somewhere in the distance and I couldn’t see anything resembling an airport. Finally, a runway emerged from out of nowhere and while the piece of bitumen looked a long way away, the numbers became closer by the second.

Jim reduced the power with the throttle and held the nose up to bring back the speed. One stage of flap, two stages of flap, the aircraft slowed down considerably. A voice in my headset said: “Uniform Golf Papa, clear to land, runway two four.” Uniform Golf Papa? What or who is that? I wondered. Oops, that’s right, Uniform Golf Papa is the little aeroplane’s call-sign. Silly me.

The aircraft looked perfectly placed for a touchdown but I still expected a big thud to greet us when our little machine met terra firma. As the PiperSport skimmed across the edge of the runway, Jim cut the power and caressed the aircraft onto the ground. The landing was surprisingly smooth, leaving me more than a tad impressed.

“Wow, that was so cool,” I said to Jim as he shut down the aircraft. So cool that I cannot believe how nervous I was before taking this flight. Despite the gloomy weather conditions, I came through unscathed and am grateful for the opportunity to fly an aircraft, especially with such an experienced airman alongside me.  

The time I spent at Curtis Aviation both on the ground and in the air was fantastic. Not only do I now have a better understanding of flying, but after handling a real aircraft – a small one at that - my fear has been lifted to the point where I’ve made a decision ... I want to learn to fly. Yes, I want to take flying lessons, to learn more about something that has fascinated me for years and to have some fun along the way. Fear of flying? Bah, what on earth is that?