Discovery flights
A discovery flight is exactly what it sounds like: you get in, an instructor gets in beside you, and you go flying. You'll have your hands on the controls for most of it. No licence, no experience and no commitment to anything afterwards.
K24 · RUSSELL COUNTY AIRPORT
New home
calm · 10+ miles
sky not reported · 73°F
Reported 5:15 pm · AWOS-3P 119.6
01
Before anything else we check what the field is reporting — the same numbers shown at the top of this page. If it isn't good flying weather we'll tell you straight and move you to another day. Nobody flies a first flight in bad conditions.
02
The preflight inspection is part of it. You'll see how the aircraft is checked before every single flight, which is usually the point where people stop being nervous.
03
You'll be flying the aircraft yourself for most of the time you're up — turns, climbs, descents, and a look at the lake and your own part of the county from a few thousand feet. The instructor handles the radio and is on the controls for takeoff and landing.
04
If you decide to carry on and train for a certificate, the time you flew counts. It isn't a sightseeing ride that you'd have to repeat — it's the first hour of your training.
Not for a discovery flight. You'll need an FAA medical certificate before you fly solo during training, but nothing is required to come up with an instructor.
Usually yes — it depends on the aircraft and the weight on the day. Say so when you book and we'll tell you what works.
Very common, and completely fine. The instructor is flying with you the whole time and has controls of their own. If you want to stop and come back, you say so and we come back.
It's one of the most common reasons people book. Call and we'll sort it out — the recipient picks the day, which matters because it has to be good weather.
Plan on being at the field longer than you're in the air. The flight itself is the shorter part; the walkaround, the briefing beforehand and the questions afterwards are the rest of it.
