Explorer Discovery Flight Overview

The Explorer Discovery Flight is just that, the reason we fly, to explore and travel – effortlessly by air.  To actually go somewhere without being bound by roads.  What better place to go from the Scottsdale airport than one of the most famous airports in the world – the Sedona Airport.  This airport, located on a majestic sandstone plateau in the middle of Oak Creek's red-rock canyons, is so striking and unique that is has been featured in almost every business-jet brochure ever printed.

Package rate: $399
Flight time approximately: 2.2 hrs
Total duration approximately: 4.0 - 5.0 hrs
Time on the ground at the Sedona Airport approximately: 30 minutes

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Explorer Discovery Full Description

The day begins in Sawyer's training-room where you, and if you choose to bring someone along, your guest will be greeted by your Sawyer Instructor-Pilot.  Your Sawyer Instructor will take you through the wide world of aviation showing you things like: how an airplane works, a hands-on approach to how a wing keeps airplanes in the air and why you see contrails in the sky in the same place day after day.  After the hands-on demonstrations, you may realize that you knew more about being a pilot than you thought.

From the training-room, you and your guest head out to the aircraft on Sawyer's flight line.  There your Sawyer Instructor takes you through the various parts of the aircraft, how they work and the multiple layers of safety built into the airplanes used at Sawyer Aviation.  This process is called "The Pre-Flight Inspection" or simply "The Pre-Flight."  You will learn things like why all airplanes wings are intentionally twisted, how aircraft are in a sense electrically grounded in thin-air and what your car and aircraft have in common.

Once the "Pre-Flight" is complete, it is time for what you have been waiting for — takeoff.  You, your Sawyer Instructor and your guest step inside for engine start.  You will hear the control tower and other aircraft as your Sawyer Instructor taxis the aircraft to the end of the runway.  You will see how pilots steer airplanes on the ground; it may surprise you how they do it.  You will hear and see your Sawyer Instructor carefully complete the checklist prior to departure to make sure everything is "Ready for Takeoff."

Then finally – you have thought about it, dreamt about it, and always wondered what it would be like – it is time to fly.  You will feel the controls as your Sawyer Instructor guides the aircraft down the runway and gently lifts off into the sky.  You take the controls and feel the airplane obey your slightest command to gently climb and turn.  Now you are flying, you are a pilot.  No experience necessary to fly a discovery flight with Sawyer.  Through the windows and your fingertips, you will see that flying really is just that easy.  You have waited for this moment for a long time.  Smile, now you are a Pilot-for-a-day.

As you climb away from the airport, your Sawyer Instructor assists you in guiding the airplane north, as you see the city in a completely new way.  You will fly climb out over the famed TPC golf course, Pinnacle Peak, Carefree and past Black Mountain.  Somewhere around Carefree you look ahead and realize you can already see Humphrey's Peak and Flagstaff, nearly 100-miles away, from your new elevated perspective.  As the last remains of Phoenix slip beneath your wings the aircraft settles into it's (approximately) 130mph cruise-speed; no speed limit signs up here.  You are traveling twice as fast as the cars beneath you yet, it barely feels like you are moving as you smoothly power along.  A quick check of the on-board GPS tells you your estimated time of arrival down to the second.  Your Sawyer Instructor helps you guide the aircraft down to the Sedona area as the red-sandstone plateaus, cliffs and canyons fill the windows ahead in the distance.  Some maneuvering and you are set up for landing with one-of-a-kind red-rock geography visible below you and off in the distance.

Time for landing, now.  Your Sawyer Instructor sets up the plane for landing.  You feel the controls as your Sawyer Instructor guides the airplane down towards the runway.  The airplane gently descends until a soft touchdown only noted by brief chirp of the tires.  The aircraft gently touches down and rolls down the runway, turning off for its parking spot.  Engine shutdown, parking brake set, you open the door and all of a sudden, you understand why you fly.  You are somewhere completely different than you were, just seemingly moments ago.  A different landscape, a cooler climate, a fresher-mountain breeze fills the air.  You are a pilot, capable of controlling your destination and your time.  This is just a glimpse of adventures to come as a pilot.  For now, "Welcome to Sedona."

You will have 30-minutes for a quick lunch at the airport restaurant, time to walk around the airport or some amateur photography of the red-rock columns rising around Sedona to the north.  If you scheduled your flight in the afternoon, you will depart Sedona around sunset; a time of day that illuminates the desert colors of Sedona.  We highly-suggest bringing adequate amounts of film for your camera.

As your return flight guides you home, you enjoy a sunset from a mile above the earth.  Sunset and twilight offer a new perspective of Phoenix as long shadows, gold light and later city lights with purple skies fill your view.

Your second landing now, you line up for landing following your Sawyer Instructor through on the controls.  See the runway lights ahead of you.  The airplane settles on to the runway for the second-perfect landing of the day.  The airplane taxis off to its place on the flight line.  It may only seem like minutes but you have been flying for approximately 2.2 hours.  Time that counts toward your Pilot's License at Sawyer should you choose to be a pilot for more than just a day.  You will take home an official Pilot Logbook with your Sawyer Instructor's signature of your flight's completion commemorating your achievement - marked "Flight-Lesson One Complete." Your first step towards the world of aviation.

Package rate: $399
Flight time approximately: 2.2 hrs
Total duration approximately: 4.0 - 5.0 hrs
Time on the ground at the Sedona Airport approximately: 30 minutes

Purchase the Explorer Discovery Flight Gift Certificate Now

Terms and conditions for Sawyer Aviation gift certificates, customers must read before purchasing: Sawyer Aviation - Gift Certificates are prepaid vouchers for store credit at Sawyer Aviation.  Gift certificates may be used for any service regularly available from Sawyer Aviation.  Services are subject to availability and void where prohibited. Gift Certificates are transferable with valid gift certificate number, printed on certificate.  All sales final, no refunds available. Certificates valid up to one-year from the date of purchase or date printed on certificate, whichever is less. Sawyer Aviation does not guarantee specific aircraft and/or personnel at time of gift certificate purchase unless tied to specific reservation, charter quote or other similar signed agreement.  Similar aircraft or comparable personnel will be provided unless otherwise noted.  Services are scheduled on a first-come, first serve basis.  Please contact Sawyer Aviation department manager for additional details or with further questions prior to purchasing.