Know people who learnt to fly in America and they were all taught this 45 degree downwind joining thing Paul is talking about. However, I have never come across it in England – is it just an America practice?
Sorry to sound random, just curious.

You can Dean – its just when you get someone who’s a bit large sat next you that fuel becomes a consideration.

I blame, our consumerist, Americanised culture where being obese is acceptable myself 😉

Waiting for the next installment with baited breath… 😉

Don’t they say that anyone who says they’ve never felt airsick has either never flown or is lying?

I remember feeling sick when i was lining up on my first solo but I think that was fear!

A Sukhoi. Enough said.

Not a REAL glider then! :p

What do I fly? During the week, a desk! At weekends, anything that I get the chance. Last trip was in a PA 28-181 from Old Buckenham with the CFI and prior to that pax in a PA38 out of Norwich.

I thoroughly agree AF! Taught me quite a bit about powered aeroplanes though – which has proved handy!

No problem with jovial banter.

If you really enjoy discussing ways in which you can use your flying prowess to ‘impress’ members of the opposite sex, and then want to lace it with ‘insider’ references there’s a General Discussion Forum here for just that purpose.

Feel free to use it.

If you want to talk about flying – welcome 🙂

Moggy

And it was you wasn’t it that noticed the thread had gone off topic, for which I was grateful.

Miaow!!!!

CYTZ – City Center Airport in Toronto. This is my favorite for at least two reasons.

For many, many years, and as recently as 1996, my wife and I wnted to take up flying. After our intro flights, we realized the time and $$ investment required and reluctantly backed off.

Then in 2002, I was having a biz dinner at the CN tower in Toronto. The CN tower has a revolving restaurant. As our table revolved to face Lake Ontario, I saw a nice small airport (I guess it was the elevation of the tower) where I could, in the setting sun, see several small airplanes land and TO. At that moment in June 6, 2002, I made two decisions;

1. Learn to fly
2. Land at this airport on my next visit to Toronto

So, mid July, I simply blocked off time in my calendar and started taking lessons. As part of taking lessons, I was introduced to Sporty’ a catalog store located at I69 (Claremont County Airport) just outside Cincinnati. On the cover, they featured 6 of the most picturesque airports in NA. Guess, which one I recognized? Yes, CYTZ. I do not remember the rest, but I am sure Meigs was one of them before that thug Mayor Daley tore it down later.

So, that resolve, at the CN tower overlooking CYTZ, resulted in my working on getting my License in ’03 and I promptly flew to CYTZ at the very next biz opportunity. As I made my entry into the circuit, I could see, in the distance, the mist rising from the Niagara Falls.

As I turned final, a gigantic (it was that close) bird (with real feathers) swoped down into my flight path. I instinctively swerved and landed without incident. I explained my evasive move to tower and there was really no issue. Apparently, par for the course at this place.

Now, the airport is on prime land, minutes from Toronto downtown, and is an island to boot. Several commuter airlines operate from here instead of from Pearson Int’l which is on the far outskirts of the city. After disembarking, one catches a 2 min ferry ride to mainland.

After concluding my biz, as I hopped on the ferry to take me back to the a/c, I was approached by a local reporter. She was doing a piece on this airport and wanted my opinions on it. Apparently, was a move afoot to close this airport, and like Meigs, convert it to more of a public use space. The only difference being that there was at least some public debate on the matter.

I made my impassioned plea to keep the airport as is, and I pointed out its advantages to the city.

1. Proximity to downtown – good for business and tourists.
2. Picturesque to boot.

I have not followed up on the airport’ continued status. I have not seen anything in the press. Perhaps, Canadians resident here can update us all on its status. I hope it is allowed to remain a GA gem.

What a brilliant story – you’ve made me really jealous!!!