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Flight 1 map

PAO -> PAO

Aircraft: 2002 Cessna Skyhawk (Tail #: 972TA) Flight hours: 0.6
CFI: Mike May
***

Flight Summary

A quick twilight flight with a left Dumbarton departure flying over Facebook, Stanford, and Woodside before returning to PAO.

Flight Notes

Skipped an extensive preflight since the CFI taking me up for the intro flight had just been in the plane with another student and we needed to get the flight in before it got dark. After quickly reviewing the instrument panel (“six pack”), we got permission to taxi and do a run up – a process to ensure that the vital controls and components of the plane are in working order prior to takeoff.

After determining the plane was fit to fly, we radioed for permission to take off and entered the runway. I was hesitant to push the throttle in as fast as Mike instructed, but did it anyway and pulled us up into the air at about 65 knots. Immediately uneasy with not being able to see completely over the nose, I hoped that we’d be able to put it down at some point. Shortly after a left turn towards Highway 280 in the distance, we did.

We fly past downtown Palo Alto and the Stanford campus, passing through Woodside before turning left over Los Altos Hills with a heading to the airport. I have time to make some turns, adjust the throttle, adjust the trim, and learn that green and white rotating lights indicate an airport. I look around as Mike takes the controls back for our landing and am surprised to count two others. My guess is that they are San Carlos (SQL) and Moffett (NUQ).

Biggest Surprise

Right after making a left turn to head towards downtown Palo Alto, a synthesized voice in my headset screamed “TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC.” This plane had a radar detection system for other nearby planes and another Cessna was crossing our flight path ahead of us.

Here’s a recording of what I heard as I had full control of the aircraft eight minutes into my first instructional flight:

These recordings are no longer available