First solo . . . finally!

Windchill

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I was able to take my first solo flight. This event has been long awaited as my next flight was supposed to be a solo when Uncle Sam decided to activate me and deploy me for 5 months. Five months of awaiting the solo and knowing when I returned I would have to take a few flights just to freshen up frustrated me . . . but I took it with a grain of salt.

My fiance came out with me and went up with my instructor and I as we made sure I was ready to solo. I practiced steep turns and power-off stalls for the shear enjoyment of turning my fiance into a nervous wreck, but she handled it well except for the power-off stall. An emergency landing away from the airport, a few touch-and-goes at the field with an emergency landing thrown in there and we were good to go.

I parked the plane so my instructor could endorse what he needed to . . . then I was off. After a preflight, I strapped myself in, and took care of business. I didn't really get to realize he wasn't there as I was busy doing what I needed to do . . . After taxiing out, off I went . . . 'into the wild blue yonder.'

A little hectic, one plane and I were on a collision course but after contacting each other we got it sorted out. I was staying in the pattern for 3 touch-and-goes and he was coming in for a full stop on the runway crossing my active one . . . but he switched to my runway to stay on the same page, and to avoid each other he did a right pattern, me a left, and I told him I would extend downwind to give him space and time to land and get off the runway.

After my first landing, as I lifted off, the tower announced they were open and told me to stay in left pattern. There was a plane coming in on ILS approach tower cleared to land. Knowing this could be a problem, I contacted tower when I was "preparing to make left turn to base runway 26..." even though he told me to contact him as I turned into base. This helped him remember he had me . . . as he said "503 make this a quick final" meaning turn to final now. The plane coming on the ILS was too close and knew it so he told tower he would circle. I landed, took off and the other plane came in. Another potential hazard taken care of.

Traffic was quiet for my third approach and it showed in my landing as I think my final stop landing was the smoothest landing I will ever have in a 172.

It was nice to finally solo and know that up there by myself I have the smarts to get out of potential hazardous situations. I understand this doesn't make me hot stuff and that there will be other times . . . but it's coming along.
 
Congrats! You will remember your first solo forever. Did you get your shirt tail cut off?
 
Congrats man. You got to do touch and goes on your solo? My instructor made me come to a full stop on all 3 landings.
tongue.gif

Smokey.................................
 
Nah, didn't get the shirt cut off but that's okay. My instructor had another lesson to get ready for and was preparing to hop in the plane when I finished. He had enough time to come over, say congrats and shake my hand--then hop in the other plane with a student and take off.

Today, I got to the FBO 2 hours early . . . I thought I was scheduled for 4:30 when I was actually scheduled for 6:00. We would have gone up when I got there but he had a scenic flight scheduled, so he asked, "want to go ahead and solo while I do this scenic flight?"

Of course I couldn't turn that down!
 
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Nah, didn't get the shirt cut off but that's okay. My instructor had another lesson to get ready for and was preparing to hop in the plane when I finished. He had enough time to come over, say congrats and shake my hand--then hop in the other plane with a student and take off.

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That's a shame. Your first solo should be considered as a hugely important milestone by not only you, but your instructor.

Shame he didn't give you more consideration than a slap on the back.

To each his own, I guess.
 
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That's a shame. Your first solo should be considered as a hugely important milestone by not only you, but your instructor.

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You know, when I did my first solo, I was kind of like, okay, cool. I wasn't one of the people who floated on home afterwards, because it was something I expected to do. Yes, I felt good about accomplishing it, but not giddy.

I think my instructor was happier about it than I was!
 
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You know, when I did my first solo, I was kind of like, okay, cool. I wasn't one of the people who floated on home afterwards, because it was something I expected to do. Yes, I felt good about accomplishing it, but not giddy.

I think my instructor was happier about it than I was!

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I was the same way. I am always focused on the finishline(the PPL) and soloing was just the halfway mark.
 
Eh. Guess I'm just a traditionalist that way then. Each step of the journey for me has been worth remembering.

I don't blow off any of it or disregard any of it as blase'.

Maybe just me though.

To each his/her own. (said that a lot today).

R2F
 
I'm just not the kind of person who gets too excited about anything and I keep a pretty level head about the things I do. Let's put it this way, when I was playing golf with some buddies, and drained a 25 foot putt a few days ago, I didn't do any fist pumping or anything like that. I just walked on over to the hole and picked up my ball.

When I succeed, I'm kind of like, okay, cool, now what.

It's when I fail that I get emotional.

But don't think for one second that I didn't feel good and that I didn't feel proud when I did that first solo.
 
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