Something memorable to any pilot, pilot-to-be, or even those who may have been a one-and-done left seater, is their first flight. It often comes with a flurry of emotions and an overwhelming amount of information.
For those who are unfamiliar, being in the left seat of a plane means you are the Pilot-In-Command (PIC) – aka you are flying the plane, similar to a car as long as you are in the U.S. The big difference when learning to fly versus learning to drive is that (in most cases) your CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) is in the right seat with his/her own yolk and controls ready to take control of the plane in an emergency or to demonstrate a new maneuver.
I feel like I may have come into my first flight a bit cocky having ridden in the right seat as a passenger a few times before. The plane was a Cessna 172, a very popular training plane. I was not expecting to be put in control my first time in the plane, which was my first “WHOA” moment. It was an exciting moment, but still a bit offputting. Things went sideways from there…
Things started off pretty well until I started to feel nauseous. It was not a very bumpy day, but it was a warmer June day. Having come straight from work (where I am always cold), I was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a vest and jeans. I really think it was the heat mixed with the emotions that got the best of me. I stated “You have controls” to my CFI signifying he needed to fly the plane. He handed me a good ole’ barf bag and I started to dry heave as he took us back to ground.
The ironic part was that he was commenting on how well I was doing before I told him I felt like I was going to puke. I was able to hold altitude very well and my handling was great for a first-time flyer. In all honesty, it was probably because I was trying not to move and make myself sick haha.
We debriefed on the ground and he said not to worry, that getting sick was nothing unusual even for a student with several hours. Needless to say, I went home and did all the research I could on airsickness remedies so that I could keep going!
