This Class Has Its Ups And Downs

(I’m taking flying lessons at a local flying school. Class has just started, and our flight instructor is lecturing us on the theory portion.)

Instructor: “Flying is really easy once you get the hang of it. It’s a lot like driving a car.”

(Much later, it is time to start actually flying. My turn comes up, and we’re just about ready to move. We’re still on the ground, but we need to move on to the runway.)

Instructor: “Alright [My Name], start steering to the right.”

(I’m a little nervous about flying for the first time, so I start steering the handle in front of me, which does not do anything at all. Although it looks like a steering wheel, it’s actually for controlling the ailerons.)

Instructor: “What are you doing that for? It’s not like driving a car, you know!”