I flew a plane for the first time (not in Microsoft Flight Simulator)

I ditched wing mirrors and a steering wheel for wings and a yoke in my first ever flying lesson.

Though motoring journalism ranks quite highly on the ‘cool jobs’ list, younger Ben wanted to be a jet pilot. While pretending to be in Top Gun is yet to happen, I did finally get to fly a real plane.

Okay, so the Piper PS-28 is hardly the same as something capable of supersonic flight. But as I pulled up to the West London Aero Club at the White Waltham Airfield, I realised I would be high enough to end up a squishy mess on the ground if things went wrong.

Fortunately things went right. Due to being late, hello London traffic, my instructor had to give a rapid-fire briefing. I would be in the air for sixty minutes and get to control the plane while cruising over where they filmed Downton Abbey.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or go here.

Take-off

Scrambling into the small, propeller-driven aircraft, it was time to watch someone with 20 years of flying expertise run me through all the various safety checks. Levers were levered, switches switched, buttons buttoned.

Once air traffic control had given us the all clear and the engine was humming away loudly, it was time for me to use the go-faster lever AKA the throttle. That and some pedals, which steer the plane once moving.

Now, I had previously taken off many times in Microsoft Flight Simulator and in far larger planes. However, there was no Xbox controller in sight. I was actually in control as we followed another airplane to the landing strip. Which is actually a large grassy field.

The throttle felt heavy, which was no bad thing as I was supposed to maintain a jogging pace over fairly bumpy land. The steering pedals were equally meaty too – far harder to press than in a car.

As the tiny plane in front took to the skies, it was time to line the airplane up and look down the line. More flight checks were checked and I was told to switch from fuel tank A to fuel tank B. Now it was time for the fun bit.

The instructor did not need to give me much incentive to go full throttle and as we were shaken to bits and picking up speed, with the aircraft becoming less and less keen to stay on terra firma, it occurred to me there was no turning back.

To 3,000ft (but not beyond)

Pulling the yoke back, thankfully physics did its thing and we began a slow ascent into the skies. I was told to keep the horizon below my usual level line and reach 2,000 feet, which I can tell you now is rather high.

At this point, Captain Ben had become a thing as my instructor gave me various instructions and bearings to stick to. At first, it was hard keeping an eye on all the various dials while trying not to fly us into a flock of parakeets. But as the lesson went on, it all started to click.

Once the instructor realised we were not going to make local news, we undertook some gentle turns and set a course for various landmarks far below. One of which is where Downton Abbey is filmed. Briefly I had visions of ruining a romantic scene.

We then ascended again, this time to 3,000 feet. The instructor briefly took over as flying into clouds is apparently not the best for visibility. Not just ours but for any of the other many aircraft in the vicinity. Including a commercial jet though it was far higher-up.

At this height, things are very, very small. But rather than get out the tea and scones for an in-flight meal, it was apparently time to try some steep turns. Now, in a car this involves steering left and right while battling understeer or oversteer.

In a plane, you need to use a combination of the pedals and yoke to keep things smooth and efficient. It was at this point the instructor reminded me that later lessons would involve learning how to restart a stalled engine, which sent a shiver down my spine.

We also did not get to do any barrel rolls, loop-the-loops or anything else that would result in the real life equivalent of the Microsoft Flight Simulator black screen of death. But I will say it felt so peaceful and calming cruising through the skies. Like a giant bird.

Conditions were clear, sunny and wind seemed to be having the day off. Compared with a flight to the Isle of Man in a much larger aircraft, this was smooth and relaxing flying. There was no fear – only the concentration of keeping things level and absorbing all the info being poured into my ears.

Staying trim

We had one last lesson to undergo at 3,000 feet and it was about trim. No, I was not going to get my haircut. This is about making the plane do all of the hard work of maintaining a level path and to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

My instructor told me that letting go of the yoke and seeing whether the plane wants to rise or fall would tell me whether I needed to roll the trim forwards or backwards to counteract. Having been in the air a while, I was starting to feel and hear whether the engine was being given the easiest job.

Eventually, the trim was set and I could now play SnowRunner on Steam Deck. Just kidding, it was time to land on my terms and not gravity’s. Due to a solo learner in front of us who went rather wide and was holding us up, my instructor took the reins for a speedy overtake.

As such, I was not able to perform the landing because of the higher landing speed and tighter angle. However, my instructor told me to loosely hold the yoke to get a feel for what she was doing. Whatever it was, we landed far smoother than any EasyJet flight I have ever been on.

Alive and well on grass again, it was my job to guide us in (once we had lost enough speed) and then park next to another aircraft. This is easier said than done when you have a wingspan measured in metres. But we made it, no one died and I was absolutely buzzing.

Was it worth it?

During the flight you just sort of get into a groove and like with driving, it becomes largely automatic and muscle memory-based. It was not until I hit London traffic again going home that it dawned on me. I had just flown a plane. At 3,000 feet.

The fact it would cost around £12,000 to earn my licence was somewhat off-putting although I would love to do it. As it turns out, flying a plane – even without jet engines and missiles – is absolutely epic.

Did Microsoft Flight Simulator virtual reality help? Absolutely. Some of the sensations VR tricks your brain into feeling were present and how planes like to move felt similar. It is just that, as with many things in life, there is no substitute for the real thing.

And on that note, thank you for flying with Captain Ben. Be sure to like, subscribe and help yourself to in-flight biscuits in the comments. Let me know if I should take to the skies again. Until next time! Take care, bye.