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I would recommend for any HN user that hasn't done it before, to go and fly a plane. There's something so surreal about flying, having the freedom to move acro

I would recommend for any HN user that hasn't done it before, to go and fly a plane. There's something so surreal about flying, having the freedom to move across 4 axes (and more if you fly a helicopter), compared to the two that your car gives you. Getting up in an aerobatic plane is even more fun. The feeling when you're in the middle of a barrel roll, pulling 1 G so you still feel stuck to the seat, but when you look outside everything is upside down, it's amazing.

cjrp 8y ago
There's also something amazing about seeing an area from the sky, especially one you know well at ground level. All sorts of topographical features and structures which you didn't know about are revealed. Almost all flying clubs / schools offer "trial" or "experience" flights. Even if you have no interest in getting your own license, it's a great way to spend an hour or two!
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  The tiny problem is you go for the experience flight and come down addicted. At least that's what happened to me. :)
Retric 8y ago
Airplanes are generally considered to have 3 degrees of freedom: Pitch (elevators and or ailerons), yaw (Rudder), roll(ailerons). Speed can increase lift but so that might count, but pulling back on the stick does the same thing as moving the wheel to adjust elevator trim.
- barrkel 8y ago
  6 kinds of freedom: rotation for all 3 axes, and change in velocity along each of the 3 axes. Cars have two kinds: steering and change in speed. Planes have about 4: pitch, yaw, roll and thrust.
saiya-jin 8y ago
Paragliding is cool too - much slower process, but you are really out there, not behind any glass, hearing the wind in your ears. And the stuff you can make with the wing is beyond ability of any machine. Equipment is super cheap compared to planes, and once you have it flying is basically for free. There are some drawbacks - its passive flying, so you are at mercy of the weather, wind and your skills much more than rigid construction with powerful engine.
Steve44 8y ago
> I would recommend for any HN user that hasn't done it before, to go and fly a plane. 'When I were a lad' I was in the Air Training Corps had got to fly in quite a variety of military aircraft. I thoroughly enjoyed it and at the time pretty much took it for granted, it's only as I've got older I appreciate the experiences I had. I've since flown in civilian small aircraft and helicopters a few times since and now appreciate how much more 'fun' the military stuff was. Even the Chipmunk, originally a 1940s two seat basic trainer, was so much more exciting to fly than a modern Cessna. Sadly I didn't get a fast jet flight, I was 1st reserve for a Hawk flight and went through all the ejector seat training but sadly the cadet in front of me stayed healthy and spent a couple of hours blasting through the Welsh mountains.
abawany 8y ago
This gliding in a plane-like structure (http://www.milehighgliding.com/ http://www.milehighgliding.com/) was a pretty good substitute for this non-pilot. The glider was towed up to 12k feet by another plane and then let go - the resulting 10 or so minutes of near-silent gliding in the mountains of Boulder, CO was pretty amazing.
SEJeff 8y ago
This so much! There was this amazing aerobatics squadron in Aurora, IL named the Gauntlet Warbirds that would take you up in an Extra 300L and teach you aerobatics for 30 minutes. I managed to do it and it was simply unbelievable.

cjrp 8y ago

There's also something amazing about seeing an area from the sky, especially one you know well at ground level. All sorts of topographical features and structures which you didn't know about are revealed. Almost all flying clubs / schools offer "trial" or "experience" flights. Even if you have no interest in getting your own license, it's a great way to spend an hour or two!

NeedMoreTea 8y ago
The tiny problem is you go for the experience flight and come down addicted. At least that's what happened to me. :)

Retric 8y ago

Airplanes are generally considered to have 3 degrees of freedom: Pitch (elevators and or ailerons), yaw (Rudder), roll(ailerons). Speed can increase lift but so that might count, but pulling back on the stick does the same thing as moving the wheel to adjust elevator trim.

barrkel 8y ago
6 kinds of freedom: rotation for all 3 axes, and change in velocity along each of the 3 axes. Cars have two kinds: steering and change in speed. Planes have about 4: pitch, yaw, roll and thrust.

saiya-jin 8y ago

Paragliding is cool too - much slower process, but you are really out there, not behind any glass, hearing the wind in your ears. And the stuff you can make with the wing is beyond ability of any machine. Equipment is super cheap compared to planes, and once you have it flying is basically for free. There are some drawbacks - its passive flying, so you are at mercy of the weather, wind and your skills much more than rigid construction with powerful engine.

Steve44 8y ago

> I would recommend for any HN user that hasn't done it before, to go and fly a plane. 'When I were a lad' I was in the Air Training Corps had got to fly in quite a variety of military aircraft. I thoroughly enjoyed it and at the time pretty much took it for granted, it's only as I've got older I appreciate the experiences I had. I've since flown in civilian small aircraft and helicopters a few times since and now appreciate how much more 'fun' the military stuff was. Even the Chipmunk, originally a 1940s two seat basic trainer, was so much more exciting to fly than a modern Cessna. Sadly I didn't get a fast jet flight, I was 1st reserve for a Hawk flight and went through all the ejector seat training but sadly the cadet in front of me stayed healthy and spent a couple of hours blasting through the Welsh mountains.

abawany 8y ago

This gliding in a plane-like structure (http://www.milehighgliding.com/ http://www.milehighgliding.com/) was a pretty good substitute for this non-pilot. The glider was towed up to 12k feet by another plane and then let go - the resulting 10 or so minutes of near-silent gliding in the mountains of Boulder, CO was pretty amazing.

SEJeff 8y ago

This so much! There was this amazing aerobatics squadron in Aurora, IL named the Gauntlet Warbirds that would take you up in an Extra 300L and teach you aerobatics for 30 minutes. I managed to do it and it was simply unbelievable.