During my lesson, as soon as we hit an altitude of 800 feet, the plane was in my hands and it was my job to keep the plane straight and level and make turns, climbs and descents.
During a typical first lesson, you'll ride with a certified flight instructor will who conduct the take-off and landing (phew), but once airborne, it's typically all on you. During my lesson, as soon as we hit an altitude of 800 feet, the plane was in my hands and it was my job to keep the plane straight and level and make turns, climbs and descents. I also learned that generally, by lesson three or four, you can take off on your own and by lesson 20, you can "attempt" a landing.