I'd planned to go the week before but it was storming like crazy, so put it back to this Saturday which worked out perfectly. A cloudless, windless, pure blue afternoon. Plus Camden airport was exactly halfway to Bowral where Sarah and I were heading for Mum's 60th birthday party.
Anyway it was a little nerve-wracking as Steve, the Aussiest person I've ever met, had me jump into the front seat, told me which buttons to press to start the plane, told me to grab the stick and then started taxiing to the runway. With no explanation he told me to push the throttle all the way and pull back on the stick and suddenly we're up in the air! Bloody hell that was a bit scary.
Steve explained all the controls and had me climb, level off, do some turns to the right and left, then he took control for some "basic aerobatics" as he called them. A loop, a roll, a couple of wing drops... they didn't feel basic at all when you're headed straight for the ground and suddenly you're upside down looking over your head at the earth! Amazing feeling, like a scary fairground ride but the g-forces are much stronger and it's way scarier knowing you're not attached to anything. I'm not one for feeling sick, but I was a bit queasy actually.
Anyway the rest of the flight was fantastic, cruising back and forth, incredible views out to the Blue Mountains and the ocean and the city skyscrapers. Landing was a bit nerve wracking as well, but it ended up being really soft, barely a bump. Nothing like commercial airlines.
Being in the front the whole time was a very weird sensation. Even though Steve obviously had the controls as well, you really feel like you're the one driving because you're in the drivers seat. I felt a lot of responsibility! Great fun though, highly recommended.
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