On a Wing and a Prayer

In the mood to try something scary that can also be thrilling and empowering?

Try taking off in one of those tiny aluminum planes that are so light they have to be tied to the ground so a mild breeze won’t blow them away.

We’re talking the Mazda Miata of planes, little two-seaters you can only fit in with your elbows practically stabbing your ribs.

They’re called Cessnas, and they are about as big as a minivan on the outside (but not nearly as roomy inside) and their tires are smaller than those on most cars. The whole aircraft weighs 1,500 pounds compared to 4,000-plus for the average sport utility vehicle or minivan.

“It’s kind of like a beer can,” says Joe Kaenel, a flight instructor at AV8 flying school in Van Nuys. “It’s made of very thin metal.”

Now you are dying to part with the stability of asphalt for the chance to get in one of those things! And it doesn’t help when flight-school owner Lance Alsheimer informs you the company has a $1-million liability-insurance policy.

Could it be because these planes are dangerous deathtraps? Absolutely not, says your instructor. They’re very reliable and completely safe. “They have a great internal support structure,” he says. “These are amazing machines.”

The veteran pilot’s assurance and a thorough safety inspection before takeoff do nothing to ease your fear, however.

You’re about to launch in this squeaky little capsule and you suddenly wish with all your might it was a jumbo jet, perhaps a 747 with meal and beverage service.

You finally build the courage to get in the Cessna and put on a headset, which means that shortly you’re going up. The door is so light there’s an echo after you shut it--with two fingers. The instructor starts the engine and pumps the throttle. The plane approaches the runway wobbling like those old Weeble toys. You feel like it could capsize if you lean over too far.

Second thoughts? Only about a thousand of them! But you’ve paid the $40 for the introductory lesson, so what the heck. You already went through the boring part of the lesson--how the engine works, safety features etc.--so why not stay for the fun, or adventurous, part?

As you gain speed on the runway, the instructor tells you to pull the yoke, which makes you partly responsible for takeoff.

It’s both exhilarating and nerve-racking as you begin to ascend. Soon you have a view of the Valley from about 3,500 feet, and it’s spectacular compared to what you see out of those small, oval windows on stuffy commercial flights.

You really get a sense of what it’s like to fly. There’s all that--air--and you in the middle of it.

On a clear day you can see Camarillo, the crisp hills of Simi Valley and the sharp Santa Monica Mountains. All from Van Nuys.

Even though it’s your first lesson, you’re allowed to steer the plane in whatever direction you desire. Flying at such a low altitude is like driving a car because you must look both ways before turning and make sure other aircraft aren’t too close.

After a few minutes in the air, your instructor insists on demonstrating just how safe these Cessnas are. He wants to make sure you trust the plane by proving that even an engine stall wouldn’t cause a crash landing.

So he proceeds to turn the engine off. Remember, you’re 3,500 feet above the ground! Somehow the silence is not the least bit soothing. Bring back that annoying, loud, buzzing engine noise.

You start sweating profusely and a few seconds later inform your instructor that you get the point. The aircraft continues to glide and slowly descends as he points to a distant patch of grass.

“You see that field over there?” We could easily make it over there and land with no problem, even if the engine really stalled.”

That’s a demonstration most folks could live without. Now, please, crank the throttle and let us reunite with the beautiful land below. You feel like kissing the dirt by now. He restarts the engine, but by this time you’re practically hyperventilating, (it doesn’t help that these planes have no air conditioning) and feeling somewhat faint.

The instructor finally turns the plane and lands it smoothly. First-time students aren’t allowed to participate in landing because it’s too complicated.

“Landing is the hardest thing to do,” Kaenel says. “You must be stabilized and that takes a while to learn.”

Well, you don’t care how you got there. You’re just ecstatic to be back on the ground.

BE THERE

Here is a list of flying schools that offer Cessna training. Half-hour lessons run between $25-$49, one-hour lessons from $60-$85. Call for information and prices:

AV8, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 785-8288.

Bengal Air, 3000 Clybourn Ave., Burbank. (818) 846-8551.

Flight Academy International, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 944-5771.

Green Hornets Aviation, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 988-5591.

Group 3 Aviation, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 994-9376.

Instrument Training Center, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 988-7224.

King Aviation Center, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 988-5152.

Mend Aviation, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 994-9770.

Million Air, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 994-4990.

Sussex Aviation, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 781-1983.

Van Nuys Flight Center, Van Nuys Airport. (818) 994-7300.

Vista Air, Whiteman Airport. (818) 896-5224.