Alan Thornton reports on his trial lesson, and decides that flying is addictive

There I was, waiting my turn on the runway at Bournemouth International to take off. But first I had to let the Ryanair Boeing 737 ahead clear the runway.

For me, piloting the Piper PA-28-181 Archer lll was the stuff of my dreams.

Ever since I was a small child, flying an aeroplane had been my fantasy. And at age 60, I really thought I had left it too late.

But now, thanks to my wife buying me a Bourne2fly gift voucher, here I was doing just that.

In the Solent School of Flying briefing room, over the planning map, my instructor Richard had discussed the course we’d be taking during our 30 minute session: out over Bournemouth town, cross Corfe Castle, and turn back in over the Old Harry Rocks.

Then, from outside the cockpit, he pointed out the various controls. Safely buckled into my seat—the left hand seat!—I put on the headphones, and we reviewed the instruments and controls in more detail.

Pushing the joystick makes the ailerons on the tail move, and enables the plane to go up or down. Turning it like a steering wheel turns the plane.

The pedals, which move the rudder left and right, are mostly for manoeuvring on the ground. Then, how to use the throttle for take-off: ‘move it briskly, in one smooth motion’. What, did he really mean that I’d be taking the plane off myself? Gulp!

But sure, I heard Richard say: ‘You have control.’ Then air traffic control over the phones: ‘G-JADJ, you are cleared for takeoff.’

So, line up on the runway, listen carefully to what Richard said, and in moments we were airborne.

Travelling at 100mph at 1500 feet, I watched the landmarks unroll in front of me.

And yes, I was doing the hands-on flying while my co-pilot Richard made the vital tweaks to the plane’s trim, so that it flew straight and level. Candidly, after this and thanks to his management, the thing practically flew itself.

Instructor Richard is an ex-Navy flyer, and his professionalism gave me immense confidence. To my eyes, the instrument panel looked complicated enough to be in the 737, but fortunately he took care of all the technical adjustments along the way, so I that all I needed do was concentrate on the basic controls.

‘It’s a hazy day, we can’t see the horizon—check the wing tips to see if they are level’.

A few minutes later I turned the joystick left to circle Corfe Castle, and the plane banked smoothly. This involved my making some detailed corrections to engine speed and climb, and then I asked Richard to take over and we circled one more time so that I could take a photo.’

After my having lined the Archer up for landing, Richard settled her down on the runway, and back to the flying school.

So I am now the proud possessor of the experience of a lifetime, and have a Certificate of Achievement to prove it.

They say flying is in the blood, and I can well believe it. Interestingly, I hear that to get a Private Pilot’s licence over a couple of years would cost no more than joining a half-way decent golf club.

But first, there’s an important step: The guys at Solent School of Flying also run Bournemouth Helicopters. And a half hour trial flight in one of their Schweizer training helicopters wouldn’t break the bank…