My First Solo Cross Country

[Josh]

Yeah, if you are heading south from OAK, you gotta hit 1C9. My favorite local field by far. And since we've not had rain in a long time, it has been good to go for winter use, which is nice. Just don't try and land on the water; it does look like a runway in the sunlight. And, if you are down that way, pop over the hill towards the coast and visit me at WVI

 

[FL410]

Congrats! My first one was quite the rush as well, although I'd say the long XC instilled more confidence into me. While we're on the topic, what is the minimum distance you have to fly to count the time as XC?

 

[aloft]

Good job, but at some point, be sure to push your navigation skills by going someplace you don't know the way to, like Columbia or Marysville or Red Bluff--anyplace you have to actually navigate to. For example, flying from Napa to Reid-Hillview would be a legit XC, but worthless as a navigation exercise.

 

[PhotoPilot]

[ QUOTE ]
Good job, but at some point, be sure to push your navigation skills by going someplace you don't know the way to, like Columbia or Marysville or Red Bluff--anyplace you have to actually navigate to. For example, flying from Napa to Reid-Hillview would be a legit XC, but worthless as a navigation exercise.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second heading to Columbia! It's a short walk into town and to the state park along a nature trail that starts right in the airport parking lot. Nice break in the middle of a flight. There's also a cool flight school on the field that has a great old Stearman. They teach aerobatics, as well . . . Nothing like a few inside loops over the Don Pedro Reservoir!

Just watch out for the ultralights without radios that use the turf landing strip (closed to airplanes

)

 

[flyguy]

[ QUOTE ]
And, if you are down that way, pop over the hill towards the coast and visit me at WVI

[/ QUOTE ]

WVI was the first uncontrolled field I ever landed at. My instructor and I were down there about 3 weeks ago.

I'm on a part 141 syllabus right now and don't have a whole lot of leeway in where I get to go and what I get to do. I have to go and do what the syllabus tells me. Once I go for my commercial I'll be on a 61 syllabus and will probably be doing the majority of my solo flying out of flying clubs and small FBOs in order to save a ton of $$. I'll take that oppritunity to hit all of the fly-in restaraunts and such, and if anyone around this area wants to split some time I'd be all for it. I'm really looking forward to that phase of my training!

 

[flyguy]

[ QUOTE ]
While we're on the topic, what is the minimum distance you have to fly to count the time as XC?

[/ QUOTE ]

At least one leg greater than 50 nm to log XC. Later on in my syllabus I'll have to fly long XCs that will be longer than 100 nm.

 

[pkloop]

First CC and solo are the best and unforgetable!! Very memorable moment for me however...first time I was told Cessna xyz contact departure. Don't know why but first time I heard that I felt like a "real" pilot

 

[flyguy]

Since I'm bassed at OAK, I have to contact Norcal departure even when I go to the practice area, so contacting departure wasn't that big a deal to me, but it was a rush being handed off the first time I soloed to the practice area. That's why I think that was my most memorable flight.

 

[pkloop]

[ QUOTE ]
Since I'm bassed at OAK, I have to contact Norcal departure even when I go to the practice area.

[/ QUOTE ]

And thats a great way to train. Being in "the mix" since day one