Most pilots say that their first solo is their most memorable flight.
For me, my most memorable flight, besides my most recent one, has been the Trial Instructional. Mainly because I've only just recently started lessons, and I'm still some way off from the solo. Looking forward to it, though.
I still remember how I felt as I stepped onto the airfield for the first time. I was filled with excitement and apprehension. The airfield had grass runways, and was privately owned.
For as long as I could remember, my lifelong dream was to become a pilot. As a kid, I read everything I could about planes, went to airshows and watched aviation videos. Every plane trip I had with my family was, for me at least, an awesome experience. Nothing seemed better than to be able to actually fly myself one day...
Forward to the present. And here I was, standing on the grass next to a small, white, low-wing bubble canopy airplane. It seemed like one of mankind's greatest inventions.
I had never flown in a GA aircraft, let alone a smaller Light Sport Aircraft. As I climbed into the cabin, I was presented with a dozen instruments on a panel, along with an electronic flight display, but I understood what each instrument displayed and what they meant. We completed the pre-start checklist.
And the engine started.
We then began the taxi. It took a couple of minutes to get to the adjacent runway. Another checklist, and we were ready.
Full throttle. The acceleration was amazing as we travelled along the runway. After a few seconds, my flight instructor applied back pressure and the aircraft rose. And we were flying.
I could have rivalled the Cheshire Cat with the grin on my face. Levelling off at 3000 feet, my instructor gave the control of the aircraft to me.
This was it; the one thing I had ever wanted for as long as I could remember: flying a plane.
