Tell me about your first solo

Sulako · Post by **Sulako** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:13 pm

Hmm, circuits are going well. I haven't bent the wingspar for at least 3 landings. Now if only I could get over my crippling fear of heights, I'd be set. The guy sitting next to me is saying something, so I'd best smile and nod. On final, I'll try to flare this time. Ahh, that was a nice touchdown, I bet I looked exactly like Tom Cruise if he flew a 152. Wait a minute, what did he just say? Let him out here? But we are in the middle of the runway. Umm, okay. I'll just shut down the airplane then. No?

Sweet zombie jebus, I'm alone in the airplane. Aight, remember the basics. Do I need carb heat on takeoff? Got..to...think! Push the red knob forward and steer with my feet. Ahh there I go, I'm already up to 20 knots. Now 30! This thing is a monster! 60 knots now, so I think I'm supposed to pull back. Yup, that did the trick, I'm now airborne and all alone! This is sa-weet! I now have the power of life and death over all those puny mortals walking and driving their cars below me! Wait, I'm supposed to do something now.

//(high-pitched, squeaky voice) "Zulu Charlie Tango, downwind for a full-stop, cleared to land"

Wait, was I supposed to say that last part? Whatever, I'm flying solo! Aight, I should do the downwind checklist 'cause this thing is pretty damn fast and it's a handful to fly, and I don't want to get behind the airplane at a critical moment. carb heat on, rpm back to 1,700. Aight, I'm set up for landing. I think I'll land without flaps, I don't want to overload myself. Damn, this runway is small. When I fly a jet I hope I don't have to land on any puny 8,000' ones like this, I'll go off the end for sure. Aight, here I go. All alone, I'm going to pull this off. The runway is coming up fast fast fast, I can barely react in time.

Nice, I think I only bounced once! The instructor said I should taxi in after one circuit, and I agree. I'm exhausted! Aight, here's the ramp area, so I guess I'll shut 'er down and walk in. I won't forget the parking brake this time.

Hey guys, thanks for having the confidence in me to let me go solo! Sure, I'll stand outside to get my picture taken. Captain Sully at your service! You want me to slowly back up against this wall while you get your camera in focus? Certainly, I'll think of a nice pose for the....egad! I can't breathe, icy cold water is all over me. Wtf? Oh, nice one guys. The old "bucket of cold water dropped from the hangar roof" trick. Ahh, what do I care. I may be damp, but I'm a 152 Captain!

18 years later, I'm can still remember it in minute detail.

So what was yours like?

BusDriver · Post by **BusDriver** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:36 pm

I barrel-rolled the bitch and brought her in for wheelbarrow landing!

ozone · Post by **ozone** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:48 pm

Well I will tell you in 3 more flights! Can't wait to go on my first solo. Will be different with no one by my side tho

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:07 pm

it was a beautiful warm summer day, soloed a Fleet Canuck on the grass infield at Toronto Island Airport.

August 23/ 1953

Cat

laticsdave · Post by **laticsdave** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:15 pm

CYLW - runway 15, before someone moved the north pole! Summer of 98 (hmm... change the year and I bet I could make a catchy song out of it!)

. One right hand circuit in "Jake" - GJKE, before it got bent and "Pro" resurrected it. Remember it climbing out like someone had stuffed a red hot poker up its arse - guess Ron really was heavier than I thought!
Nice landing - plane was useable afterwards.
Many beers that night!
Now, if only my students were as good as wot I woz

!!!!!!!

Out of Control · Post by **Out of Control** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:54 pm

I'm still here

scm · Post by **scm** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:12 pm

one circuit in an underpowered citabria..gotta be more gentle with the elevator - tails a lot easier to move without the 200 l b person in the back.

thinking back i wanna fly taildraggers again - C172 isn't as fun

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:12 pm

May 29, 2003

Sault College Zlin C-GJOR. (A newer Zlin with no cowl flap. One less thing to remember on the downwind check.

)

Intructor B. Roberston jumped out at the foot of "Hangar Hill", and wrote down some stuff on a piece of paper. Start, Up, Down, Stop. I was to record my Start Hobbs time, time up, time down and Stop Hobbs.

Taxied Charlie Golf, took off rwy 30. Climbed like a rocket! (So I thought.) Didn't get the flaps up at 200'. Climbing this fast, who has time to do that... in ONLY 200 feet?!?!?!

Before turning crosswind, I did a look around for traffic and noticed no one in the seat next to me. WTF!?!?! This is fucked! I'm alone! COOL!

Made it to downwind, did the checks really fast, praying that they wouldn't give me a runway change. If they did, I'd say "Say again?" and be totally screwed.

Now I had a good few seconds till base, so I thought I'd show off to all of the people on the ground. I started rocking my wings to say, "HI!" to all of the spectators watching. (I'm sure it just looked like I was trying to hold the wings level.)

Then I thought, "@#$!! They might kick me out for this, and I've lost 100 feet. SHIT!"

In the Soo, Tower likes you to call base, rather than downwind if you're doing circuits.

"Sooooooo..."

What the @#$!? Is it ground or tower. I forget!

"Tower.... This is GJOR turning left base 30, full stop."

Whew!

A little power reduction, some flap. Trim for 85. Hey, it's not trimmed yet, and I think I should turn. There's the runway. That was fast.

OK yank full flap in the turn pull power to idle. Mixture, prop.

WOOOOAAAH! Man I'm low. Them approach lights are looking pretty big. That's right. ADD POWER!

Full power.

"JOR, cleared to land 30, winds somethingorother, altimeter somethingorother." (They could have told me winds six zero at one two, altimeter niner niner niner niner, and I wouldn't have noticed.)

"FJOR"

WOOOOAAAH!! Kinda high.

Idle power, aim at numbers.

HEEEEEEERE they come! OK level out a bit. Balloon like a champ, then fall from the sky- not noticing stall horn blaring.

WOOOOOAH!! Power!

Less power, and hey, I'm down. WHEW!

Taxi back to the hangar, take about 5 minutes to do the shut down checklist.

Grab headset etc. instructor says, "Don't worry about all of that stuff."

Tie gets cut. Pictures taken. Bring headset etc. into dispatch. Ready to fill out flight sheet. (walking like a zombie. What's a flight sheet again?)

I was promptly intercepted and escorted to the shores of Mary Anne Lake's tea coloured water for the traditional swim. 4 classmates took my limbs and hurled me into the murk.

More pictures were taken of my drenched but smiling self.

I dried off in the hangar washroom, and changed clothes- noticing the filty mess in the stall from unknown lake contents. (I pity the clean up crew at the hangar in the spring.)

I obtained my sheet for Hobbs start, up, down, and Hobbs stop times from kneeboard. It was blank.

My guilty eyes turned to my instructor thinking, "This is gonna cost me..."

Without a word from me, he said, "Don't worry ISTP, I already took care of the flight sheet for ya. "

Nice guy, that B. Robertson!

More "hero" pictures by C-JOR were taken.

I forget the person with whom I rode back to the city. But the beers must have gone down really well, because I don't remember the night either!

-istp

Rowdy · Post by **Rowdy** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:42 am

It was a cool drisp october day in good old ladner B.C.. after a few circuits we taxied back and as I was about to pull the mixture my wonderful cohort smacks me upside the head "don't shut'er down.. I'll just hop out.. now remember 3 circuits and bring it back in one piece and damnit rowdy... don't leave the freakin circuit! I KNOW you're going to try"

Off I go feeling like a billion dollars.. do a second run up just to be 100% sure nothings wrong as theres now not someone to fix my @#$! ups with me... taxi out all nice and easy bring the throttle up next thing I know I'm downwind and singing to myself.. felt like someone had pulled a huge weight off my shoulders.. I felt so free and excited and happy and WHOA SHIT time to turn final.. first landing was spot on I felt like a million bucks.. back into the circuit... calling mid downwind to depart local east... tower will have NONE of that

"Zulu Bravo Bravo turn base immediatly.. do not leave the circuit" echoes through my david clarks.. I lose all my faith botch the approach.. wayyyy too higha dn fast.. bounce bounce full power back in the mix..

Now 4th in the circuit and number 7 for the field.. do a long downwind to make way for a twin coming in and I touch the numbers spot on roll out nicely.. easy on the brakes and shut her down back on the ramp.

I felt good.. no one saw the second landing.. I felt even better.. but still admitted to being a shitty pilot with a huge lack of skills yadda yadda

Picture time.. lots of pictures.. pictures everwhere.. YIKES THAT WATERS COLD! didn't cut my collar or tie though (I'm not a tie fan)

I remember every second of that flight 4 years ago... and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Glad I could share with you aweome avcanaders

rotateandfly · Post by **rotateandfly** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:10 am

I soloed in early December of 2002. I remember being really nervous, i was anticipating my solo so I brought a friend and my parents along. After two circuits with my instructor he said "thats ok, make it a full stop" and soon after I was off on my own. I remember it climbed fairly quickly and the 152 was slightly more sensitive to control inputs. It was sort of a hazy day but as i climbed on crosswind the sun shone right at me for a few seconds and that really made an impression on me, because here I was living a dream!

My instructor really gave me confidence, and also his sweet ass headset for my solo which made me feel even more cool than i already was! Also he picked me up and spun me around once i was back on the ground.
Good times!

airbournesailor · Post by **airbournesailor** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:18 am

For me the first solo wasn't as memorable as the first solo to the training area. The first circuit happened so fast and I was in such a giddy state it hardley registered what had just taken place.

For my first solo to the training area my instructor told me to practice steep turns and STALLS!. HASEL check (profusely sweating) 45 degree bank to left, add power, keep nose up, roll out on opposite heading. Can't beleive I just did that, all by myself! Did another couple and now its time to do a stall. To myself, can't do it, have to if you want to become a pilot, after a long argument with myself did an HASEL check, took a deep breath, power to idle, maintain altitude, stall horn blaring, nose drop, check forward - full power speed up, pull out. When straight and level I put both hands in the air and let out a HELL YEAH and continued with more advaced stalls.

Got back at the school where some commercial students and an instuctor asked me how my flight was and I embarassly told them I had been terified to do stalls by myself but I did them anyway. I'll never forget the instructors reply, " are you nuts, I never did a stall by myself until I was an instructor, let alone on my first training area solo" I felt like a fighter pilot.

182driver · Post by **182driver** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:08 pm

The sky was angry that day, chappies. Jean-Claude, my instructor, had his doubts, but I could tell he was going to give me the nod. Despite that last touchdown--sure, it got away from me a little bit there, but it was only a nosewheel, and the school has 3 other airplanes just like this piece of shit.

Besides, that flaring thing is tough, and I can't expect to be an expert after only 44 hours as an airman. Flying is like good wine or fine art, blokes--it can't be rushed.

Sitting on the end of the runway after a particularly spectacular landing, we paused to let the brakes stop smoking and really got into it. After a heated argument about who was in fact more scared (winner--me) I head-faked Jean-Claude and distracted him just long enough to pop his seat-belt
off and shove him out the door.

I still roar with laughter to this day when I think back to him sitting on his keister shaking his fist at me as the swelling roar of the mighty 150 filled the air as I rammed the throttle home. That Jean-Claude! What a head-case!

The 150 pranced and rocked down the runway and sprang into the air as I smoothly rotated to an impressive 20 degrees nose up. The gentle chirp of the stall horn served as the reminder to ease that column forward, which I did simultaneously while releasing a huge foul-smelling cloud of tension into the cramped cockpit. Stress is tough on the stomach, chaps.

JC had mentioned that an airplane would perform better without his lardy ass sitting next to me, and I have to say, he wasn't just whistling Dixie. That 150 was like a wild bronco, and it took both hands plus my foot on the right-hand yoke to level it off. "Whoa big fella!".

The feeling of finally being in command was indescribable, chaps. My chest swelled with pride. My face creased into a broad expression of joy as I beamed. My brow contorted with concentration, and the far-off rumble of my excited farting pummelling the seat cushion beneath me was drowned out by the thunder of the 90 horses galloping through the air in front of me. I felt like Santa!

The landing was a piece of cake. I set the 150 down ever so gently on the nosewheel, and mashed the column full forward to hold that beast on the ground. Some would say I "departed" the runway at that point, as I did pick up some turf from the infield, but as I explained later, I just misjudged my taxiway exit. Rome wasn't built in a day chaps, so go easy.

Apart from the mini-brawl that ensued in the flight school over the misunderstanding of some select aviation traditions--(dumping water on someone's head where I come from is just like insulting my mother, so JC got a mouth full of knuckles), everything went well.

I brought the house down in the bar that night as ladies swooned with my tales of bravado and fisticuffs. As the Hobbs meter turns, another aviation hero is born. Beautiful stuff.

Dog · Post by **Dog** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:27 pm

March 20 1993, C-152 C-GNLZ, 6.5 dual 0.6 solo. It was raining and I did circuits till my money ran out.

Pilot_adam · Post by **Pilot_adam** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:49 pm

Dog wrote:March 20 1993, C-152 C-GNLZ, 6.5 dual 0.6 solo. It was raining and I did circuits till my money ran out.

You did it with 6.5 Dual !!!!!

I am gonna be soloing soon hopfully,Can't wait ..

Cheers

Miss Mae · Post by **Miss Mae** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 7:07 pm

I did my first solo in July of 98 in YXU, my instructor told me "1 touch n'go then a full stop"..I did 2 touch n'go's..I was having too much fun!!

Jim N · Post by **Jim N** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:46 pm

Mine was a non-event- I was quite underwhelmed. Guess I was just well prepped...

Did a 'normal' lesson in the circuit. The last two had been dedicated to a short trip over the bay for some air work practice then return to the circuit for T&Gs. The flare judgement was working that day. My main problem was still the tendency to white knuckle and not be fluid in control inputs. I was pretty relaxed, so things were going well. We called for a full stop on downwind after a half dozen circuits. Parked in the stall, I pull the mixture to ICO. My instructor immediately pushes it back up and just looks at me. Confused all I could say is " WTF are you doing?". He laughed and said "You think you can do that by yourself?". The light went on in my head. "Hell yes" was of course my reply. He pulled my SPP from under his pad on his kneeboard. "One T&G and then a full stop is all I want to see OK?" With that I was off.

I had played hooky from work to train so there was only one other plane in the circuit. Wind was light and down the pipe. Great vis and high scattered layer- perfect first solo weather. The plane seemed to lunge into the air with so little weight but otherwise seemed routine albeit roomier. I managed to trim the approach properly and stay calm so my first solo landing ranked as one of the best I had done. The following full stop wasn't that great only because I was thinking I was the man and not concentrating fully. Carried too much speed into the flare and floated then bounced. Just a small bounce though. Wouldn't you know that was the one the instructor saw- just making sure I wasn't trying to sneak in another T&G. Overall a good time. I think the fact there was no build up to the event made it go so well as I wasn't nervous. I did feel a bit down about not being pumped about it though.

A more memorable moment for me was the first flight after the PPL. Over Pitt Lake solo doing spin after spin by myself. That gave me the feeling that I think I missed on my first solo. That is when I truly felt I was a 'pilot'. Maybe it was just the thrill of not having the tail separate after so many spins but that was the 'moment' for me.

JOE BOY · Post by **JOE BOY** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:30 pm

January 20th 1998 first solo on ski's whitewater lake. WOW! what a day something I will never forget. Thanks Tom!

Mr. Bay · Post by **Mr. Bay** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:21 pm

Made me laugh. 1 of the greatest memories my recent first solo.
Sulako your post was dead on.

flyinthebug · Post by **flyinthebug** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:07 pm

HENRI!!! Classic post bud! Welcome back! Im surpised BD hasnt seen your post yet. Good to hear from ya, GREAT story. Keep em coming.

Me, 1st solo in Oshawa Ont in Oct 84 @ Skycraft Air Transport. C-GYKU
Remember it like it was yesterday and like most, couldnt believe the performance without Joe or Chris sittin beside me.

Fly safe Cheers

Sasquash · Post by **Sasquash** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:15 pm

July 6, 1974 PA28-140 C-FHWH (used to call it hashish wishky hashish) at CYHU, with the Air Cadets. 20 of us or so on the course, half the squadron doing crash and go, instructor jumps off on the taxiway says something like "do one and get back" and off I go. This was in the days when English only was used for communication. Of course I had to screw up, they switch the cadets from 06L to 06R, didn't understand a darn thing and next thing I know there's a bunch of twins around the circuit with me and I KNOW I'm not supposed to be there. Finally asked the controller to please get me on the ground, where I was promptly grounded until I learned the proper language. Never lived that one down with my buddies. BTW, I live in CYWG now, no prob

HuD 91gt · Post by **HuD 91gt** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:20 pm

Mine sounded exactly likes your did, well except, Victoria Ground cleared me to the opposite runway that I was used to... But hey, I never got yelled at so I must have done it half right... right?

LinksInAChain · Post by **LinksInAChain** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:51 pm

HaHa - good topic idea!

C172 in YYT - GNII... Took off runway 29 and got cleared for downwind runway 34... Almost crapped myself figuring out how!

The funnier story about my first solo started much earlier:

A couple of days before I was on the "pre-solo recommend" and was in the flare when the left side of the yoke broke free... You know the older 172's that had the rectangular-shaped yoke joined to the column from the bottom center? Well, what was still connected to the column turned to rubber in my hand and all I could do was reach over with my right hand to grab the metal column for the flare.

... All the while my instructor leaned on his palm with his elbow on the windowledge watching the view! Yup - sure glad I wasn't alone!

Cheers S.G. - hope you're enjoying the big(ger) leagues!

Links

Splake Johnson · Post by **Splake Johnson** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:58 pm

Did about 8 touch-and-go's on runway 27 into the setting sun with my instructor. He hopped out - I did one more.

It was my first experience of both flying solo and flicker vertigo.

I had to pull over on the drive home I was so dizzy - no kidding

fingersmac · Post by **fingersmac** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:48 pm

Like most, I did a handful of touch & go's with my instructor, on a rather quiet morning, before he asked to be dropped off. I felt pretty confident at that point, yet nervous nonetheless. I taxied, took-off and as I was making my turn to crosswind, I looked out to the right to check for traffic and I dawned on me that there was nobody seating there next to me.. it was surreal to say the least!

The rest of the circuit was uneventful, with the exception of extending my downwind leg because of regional jet traffic and wake turbulence seperation. It wasn't something new to me, but it caught me off guard seeing as how peaceful and quiet the last little while had been in the circuit.

Everything continued smoothly until I was on the ground parked by our school's hangar and was subsequently doused with a bucket of water (it was late November though!).

I was up there for 10 minutes or so but it felt more like 10 seconds!

Great day indeed.

cow-tipping-in-the-night · Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:25 am

without warning, the instructor jumped out, just like that.
I didn't even see it coming. then a couple of circuits.
It didn't hit me until after, on the ground, driving home . . . then the feeling of elation and that silly grin that kept creeping back onto my face.

called home collect, using the name "I did my first solo", then hung up so it wouldn't cost anything.

Tell me about your first solo

Tell me about your first solo

First solo

First Solo

Great Thread.