Did you ever wonder what it would be like to fly a plane?
“It’s easier than driving a car,” says Brendan Brannick, an aviation instructor with Carver Aero, Inc. at Davenport Municipal Airport.
For those who have ever wondered what it would be like to be in control of an airplane there is now an option that will let you try it out and figure if it’s a something you would like to pursue as a career or maybe just for fun.
The General Aviation industry has a new initiative that allows people into the cockpit and educates them on the many benefits and the fun of flying. ProjectPilot.org is full of information about this initiative and has a database of thousands of flight training schools around the United States of which many schools offer discounted introductory flights that allow you to take off and fly the airplane for 30 minutes or more.
Recently, I met with instructor Brendan Brannick to see what this initiative was about and to get some pictures from above. After getting acquainted with the controls of the plane and how they work, he said that I would be taking the plane off and flying it.
The surprised look on my face was mirrored by Jaclyn, my girlfriend who tagged along and who also didn’t expect me to be in control of the airplane, but we were put at ease knowing that Brendan would be able to take over at any time with the extra set of controls that these airplanes have.
So we climb up the right wing and boarded a 1980 Cherokee Warrior made by Piper. It has a four-cylinder engine and seats four people.
It is an empowering feeling when you are going 130 miles per hour on the runway and you pull back on the controls and you realize that you just took off and are now flying a plane, all by yourself. You steadily climb up higher and higher until you eventually reach a good altitude. High above the beautiful yellow and red colors of the fall can be seen throughout the farming communities in the northern outskirts of Davenport. It is truly an amazing feeling. And it is easier to drive than a car, mainly because there is no traffic up there.
This is something that many are now experiencing and through ProjectPilot.org many more can try to see if it is something they would like to pursue. Some people learn because of the lifestyle they live and because of job demands, but for a lot of people it is a hobby. Sometimes Private pilot license holders will have the urge for a “$100 burger” and fly a few hundred miles to get a bite to eat at a distant restaurant that could take hours to reach in an automobile.
“It’s fun.
It does require some work and effort, a substantial time commitment,” Brannick explains of what it takes of earn a Private pilot license. “We encourage people if they were curious; to come for a ride and see if it’s something they want to do.”
There are a couple ways people can get started for a career in aviation. People can begin the formal one-on-one training with an instructor such as Brannick who has been flying for five years and instructing at Carver Aero, Inc. for over a year. Or people can learn in college and earn a degree in aviation like he did. Military pilot training is at very low levels and today most pilots come from the private sector.
People can start by earning their Private pilot license in as little as 40 hours of training and practice flying, but typically can range from 50-70 hours and cost about $3,000 – $7,000 depending on region of the country. At Carver Aero, Inc. in Davenport earning the Private pilot license will end up costing about $5,000.
With this license you can rent an airplane and fly yourself for business or to share a special getaway with family and friends. You can even rent a plane to visit with relatives who live across the United States or in different countries.
Contact Carver Aero, Inc. at 563-391-5650, or online at CarverAero.com to get your introductory 30-minute flight in the Quad Cities for only $63.18. To find another place closer to you log on to ProjectPilot.org to access their database of flight training schools and to find out more about this initiative to get more people interested in aviation.
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