It feels like I am cheating...

From my first flight I have only used Paramount Flight Services at KJQF in Concord, NC. JQF is a towered airport under the Charlotte Class B umbrella, a very good place to learn! I knew I wanted to learn at a towered airport, I originally thought I wanted to learn in a low wing aircraft and after attending an open house, I knew I wanted to train with an instructor I met named Ron.

I initially trained in a Piper Archer II for my first 3 lessons but there was something that bugged me about that plane. The right front seat back always popped off during flight. It didn't affect the plane in flight, it just bugged me. My thought process was if that was broken and never fixed, what else might break? I just wasn't comfortable with a plane that seemed neglected.

I transitioned to a 1981 Cessna 172P (N50863). I enjoyed the view from the high wing airplane and was feeling pretty good about my decision to switch. As my training progressed, things started to happen to 50863 as well. The alternator field fuse kept blowing in flight, the nose wheel shimmy dampener badly needed replaced, radio's and instruments always on the fritz, etc... All in all the plane seemed to consistently get worse without anything being fixed. It just seemed that every time I would fly, the plane would be at about 85% or less. Most times my instructor said "let's just go so we don't waste our time", but it was always frustrating and sometimes a little scary! At one point late in my training I had such a bad experience with the plane on a solo flight that I decided I was done with flight training! It was a terrible flight in that plane and I just assumed all rental aircraft were POS's. Luckily, I have a wife who encouraged me to go back and finish. I originally wanted to switch schools, but I really wanted to finish with Ron. He was the one part that kept me coming back to Paramount and 50863.

After 3 months of deciding what to do I came back to Paramount with a goal of finishing as fast as possible. I had 32 hours at this point. I wanted to be done, pass my check ride and get out by 40 hours, the FAA minimum! A very aggressive goal to say the least. I talked to Ron and he seemed to think I could do it. Over the next few weeks, and 41.3 total hours, I finished training, passed my check ride and was now a licensed pilot!

That was then, when I was training. Everything seemed so new to me and it was hard to take a step back and look at things for what they were. I was always so excited to fly that it was easy to overlook all of this for the shear excitement of what was happening.

Now here I am, 5 months after my check ride and I have logged only 6 hours of flight since getting my ticket! Crazy? Maybe not... In the 3 times I have flown since getting my ticket I have had issues with 50863. Little things that really didn't bother me too much since I am so used to them from training in that plane. But, now I have passengers, none of which have ever flown before!

The first time, nothing major, just a little issue with the fuel sumps under the wings. Easily corrected and was not a factor, but still another issue. The second time was with a buddy of mine who was visiting. I had noticed that the nose strut was fully extended on the ramp when walking up to the plane. I asked to person at the school and he said the A&P had done that during the last 100hr because it wouldn't hold pressure and it wouldn't be a problem. So, we went up. When returning to the airport, I did everything right. As I was flaring to land, the nose wheel hit first and the plane began to porpoise. Nothing big, I performed a go around. I landed the next time around, this time with a much more exaggerated flare to ensure the nose was clear. Only after we got in the car to go home that my friend told me that the bounced landing and go around had scared him. Not something I ever want to do to someone who had never flown GA before!

The third, and last time, I flew 50863 I had my 9 year old son Kyle with me. This was a special trip for the two of us, it was the first time he had ever flown with me! We decided to head out to Hickory NC (KHKY) and take a look at the museum they have on the field there. The trip out was uneventful. A little bumpy but nothing major. Leaving was a different story. On our take-off roll, at about 45kts, the nose wheel started to shimmy terribly causing the plane to shake. In the split second it took me to figure out what was happening, the plane quickly leapt from the runway and we were flying. The vibrations slowly stopped and Kyle and I looked at each other. Then he told me "I am scared, but I know you are a good pilot and we will be OK"! That is exactly NOT the way I wanted our first flight together to go... As we flew back to Concord I debated what I wanted to do. I wasn't sure what had happened to the nose wheel. Was the wheel loose? Had something broken off? There were a lot of questions going through my head! The safety of my son was first and foremost! I thought about calling the tower and asking for a flyby to have them take a look, but I decided not to. I just figured I would make a serious soft field landing and hold the nose off as long as I could. I did just that. I held the nose off for a long time and as I set it down, there were no vibrations. It was a major relief to say the least!

It was then I knew that I did not want to fly 50863 anymore... Strangely, it was a hard decision. It was like breaking up with a girlfriend of 18 months. One that treated you badly, didn't much care for you and always caused you stress, but still, girlfriend none the less...

This week I scheduled a checkout flight with another rental outfit at a nearby airport. It's non-towered, a little bit further to drive and the plane is a little older than 50863 but it is in much nicer condition, and, to add icing to the cake, it's cheaper!

I am really looking forward to starting this new relationship with my new mistress! I hope it lasts a long time and she treats me as well as I will treat her!

CessnaSteve