The magnificence of Port Philip Bay and beyond southern Victoria can be experienced at one fell swoop, thanks to one of man's greatest inventions, says Rosana Cheng.
Sitting inside the cockpit 1,500ft above, with the phenomenal view of Port Philip Bay underneath, I immersed myself in the moment. Besides the sound of the engine and the wind, it was peaceful. Air came in under the seats, which gave me a real sensation of the speed. I pulled the wheel out a bit, the aircraft started ascending and the pressure inside the cockpit built up. Gradually, we were up – 2,500ft, the meter read.
The time was perfect, and my instructor, sitting next to me, asked me to make a turn, no less, with the plane under dual control, which made me feel safe. It meant whatever I did behind the wheel, he could feel it and vice versa. I dared to make a left turn by slightly revolving the wheel. The plane and my body both inclined down to the left. It was a strange but enjoyable feeling, and a bit insecure as well. Seconds later, I turned the wheel back to horizontal and we went straight again. However, it wasn’t a good turn because the plane slid to the right vaguely while turning.
We decided to do a nice one. This time, I was guided to turn the wheel and press the pedal at the same time. The pedals control the rudder at the back of the plane, which prevents the sliding during turn. I followed the instruction and, sure enough, I did an ideal turn. It wasn’t only confirmed by the turn-coordinator on the flight deck, but also by a compliment from my instructor. I was thrilled.
Next, I pulled up the speed control and we sped up. Not only that my back was pushed back to the seat, the plane also drifted slightly to the right, much to my instructor’s astonishment. No matter, I was getting pleasure from the breathtaking views. Our conversation shifted to the landscape below, and my instructor pointed out to me the city of Melbourne and Philip Island by far, which could both be seen clearly. The blue of the ocean and the sky merged with the green and brown of the land; I would never forget the scene that I witnessed from the cockpit.
The flight got a little bumpy when we were flying over land. But once we soared over the ocean, it became smooth. The air sickness I was worried about prior to takeoff was non-existent. The pressure and the bumpy ascending and descending weren’t that bad at all and I felt great.
After about 50 minutes of adventuring through the sky, it was time to land. Before this flight, I had tried my hand at a faultless landing, but only in a flight simulation game. My interest of flying was piqued again years later, after hearing about a friend’s amazing flying experiences. However, I decided not to “over-control” this task and left the instructor to take care of that, which turned out to be a wise choice. I helped pilot the plane back in track, then he took over the control for landing. Finally, we reached the ground safely.
Compared to landing, takeoff was a cinch. After taking my seat next to the instructor in the cockpit and putting on my headset, he handed me the key and asked me to plug it into the pinhole to start the engine. Speed was applied and the plane began moving. He let me manoeuvre the plane on the runway by the pedals and I directed it to the right track. We started speeding up. By that time, the instructor entrusted me to do the takeoff. That tensed me up somewhat, but I managed to do it. When the plane reached a certain speed, I pulled down the wheel and then we took off nicely. It was that simple.
Thanks also to a lesson that I had to take before the actual flying, which included the basic flying theory, a guided thorough check of the plane, plus an hour’s trial instructional flight.
Never did I think that I would pilot a plane. This is an awesome experience I can boast about for many years to come.
FACT FILE
- You can fly every day of the week in Australia, depending on the weather. If assuming weather conditions are consistent throughout the day, take advantage of the fresh air in the morning.
- To get to the Moorabbin Airport where many flying schools are located, take a 45-minute train ride from the city of Melbourne and alight at Cheltenham station on the Frankston line, followed by a five-minute taxi ride from the station.
- Prices vary at different flying schools, although a one- to two-hour trial flight usually costs around US$80 to US$150 including tax.
- For information, check out Moorabbin Flying Services at www.mfs.com.au or www.moorabbinairport.com.au for other flying schools at Moorabbin Airport.
