First Solo (Pilot)

[davedlg 0]

It's been a longtime goal of mine to get a Private Pilot's license. This morning I accomplished one of the major objectives on that path - the first solo. I flew a cessna 172 born in the same month of the same year in the same town I was.

I had only a brief moment's hesiatation upon hearing from the tower, "Two Four Seven Four Echo, you are cleared for takeoff runway One Seven Left."

I kept expecting something out of the ordinary to happen so I would have a good first solo story. Alas, it was not to be. Just 3 times around the pattern and back to the ramp.

Any pilots out there have a good first solo story?

[racer42 0]

I flew years ago when I was really a kid. I soloed when I was 17, in a 152 Aerobat

After 8 or 9 hours of instruction, my instructor had me taxi up to the service building, shutdown. He said he needed to go to the restroom. He came back opened the right door and said, "ok go ahead and do 3 touch and go's"

I have never been so terrified in my life.

Aside from bouncing a lot on the first landing I think I did OK.

Now I spend all my $$ jumping out of planes. It less stressful.

L.A.S.T. #24
Co-Founder Biscuit Brothers Freefly Team
Electric Toaster #3
Co-Founder Team Non Sequitor
Co-Founder Team Happy Sock

[stevebabin 0]

Congrats!
In a bit of irony, on my first solo, the passenger door opened as soon as I rotated.
Not a big deal to me, I'm used to having a door open in flight.I asked the controller if I could extend my downwind leg in order to close it. My instructor immediately asked the controller to ask me to land before dealing with the door. I think he was more concerned about it than I was! It was a strange feeling to be sitting still, parking brake on, on an active runway at a regional airport while I worked to latch the door. I got it latched and took back off. It wasn't until then that it hit me- I just soloed!

"Science, logic and reason will fly you to the moon. Religion will fly you into buildings."
"Because figuring things out is always better than making shit up."

[brianfry713 0]

Congrats, flygirl1 and I are hopefully going to solo soon. Just a few more lessons first to cover emergencies and get ready to solo. I can't wait.

[MF42 0]

Oct. 17th, 2002.
I was slightly surprised at how quickly the Cessna 172 climbed without the instructor's 200 lbs. Too busy on takeoff and climb to really consider what just happened, but on downwind it really hit me, "Boy, you've done it to yourself good this time. Guess we'll all learn in a minute if you actually know what you're doing here!"

That first solo landing I hammered in so hard I'm surprised the ELT didn't go off. Once the plane stopped bouncing like a rubber ball down the runway, I was so awestruck over what had just happened I just sat there, kind of taking it all in, until the tower yelled at me to get off the runway because other people want to land too.

I made three more trips around the pattern, and remembered how to land without crushing the gear.
I remember tiny details about the plane, my instructor, the weather, other traffic in the pattern, everything. At risk of being burned at the stake for heresy on this site, that first solo feels even more significant than my first skydive.

Congrats, Dave!

Matt

[davedlg 0]

I was really surprised how fast the plane climbed without the instructor in it. The plane I flew is known for being terrible at climbing because it has a cruise prop. With the instructor I would just barely get to pattern altitude in time to pull the throttle back and start the decent. Without the instructor, I reached pattern altitude before turning downwind every time.

My first landing was probably the best one I have made to date. It was my second one that could have used some work.

[SkydiveJack 1]

Quote

I kept expecting something out of the ordinary to happen so I would have a good first solo story. Alas, it was not to be. Just 3 times around the pattern and back to the ramp.

Any pilots out there have a good first solo story?

Yeah, I have a good first solo story. It's exactly the same as yours. And thats a good thing!!

You will probably encounter abnormal situations as you continue flying. I hope no one has strange things happen on their first solo although it has and will happen.

Congratulations on the first big step!! Safe flying.

[PsychoBob 0]

Congrats. My first solo was in an Aeronca Champ in 1978 when I was 16. I can still remember the excitement and apprehension as if it were yesterday.
BTW, I'm an air traffic controller at Pensacola, FL. Tower. If you ever fly through give me a call.

"I'm not a gynecologist but I will take a look at it"
RB #1295, Smokey Sister #1, HellFish #658, Dirty Sanchez #194, Muff Brothers #3834, POPS #9614, Orfun Foster-Parent?"

[quade 3]

Ya get your shirt tail cut off?

Picts?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[riggerrob 558]

Yes!
That first solo is always a rush!
My first solo was in a Cessna 150 - during the winter of 1978 - a few months after my first jump.

[ffejdraga 0]

I had been jumping for 6 years before I added flying to the mix. My instructor was the local jump pilot. We took of from the airport where the planes were based, and flew it over to the dz airport.(K0B5 to KORE) It was a Friday, so a handful of jumpers were around to jump. As we pulled up, my instructor jumps out and says , ok, you are on your own, 3 times around and come back.

Off I went, did fine, loved it all, noticed the performance sans instructor, came back. As I was walking back form the plane, I noticed everyone smiling, standing at the fence. I was grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly I realized their grins hid evil, as a barrage of eggs came at me. Yep, instead of getting my shirttail cut, those motherfuckers egged me! It wasnt so bad, except for the one egg that hit me square in the ear, whipped at me by a former Marine.

Despite all that it was a great day!

jeff D-16906

[tri160 1]

Hey Jeff,
I'm starting lessons with Billy next month. We are going to be flying his girlfriends luscombe 8a. I just put a deposit on a cub replica ultralight. Since I can't jump for a while I may as well fly. When are you coming back to visit?
Mike

[ffejdraga 0]

Mike, that is awesome man.
Is that why I see you are selling your rig?

Billy is the man, and you will have a great time learning from him, as you can already tell.

Good times man, Enjoy every minute of it.

good luck,
jeff D-16906

[Zing 2]

Did my first solo in a Luscombe in 1971. My instructor said that if you can fly a Luscombe, you can fly any airplane. Truly enjoyed that airplane.

Zing Lurks

[tri160 1]

Yes, that's why the rig is for sale. My leg is pretty well fucked. It's going to be at least a year before I can jump again.

[davedlg 0]

Quote

Ya get your shirt tail cut off?

Picts?

Nope, I didn't get my shirttail cutoff. I never got pied for 100 jumps either. (I did wear an old shirt just in case.)

Here are the pics since you asked for em'

[Chrissay 0]

Congrats! I'm looking forward to when I make my first solo. I just started working on my pilots license this summer. Hard to fly and skydive at the same time though

[davedlg 0]

Quote

Hard to fly and skydive at the same time though

Very True. My skydiving has definatly suffered because of flying.

[brianfry713 0]

I usually fly in the morning and then drive out to the DZ afterwards. The money is getting short though.

[Zing 2]

Best of both worlds ... fly to the dropzone, make a few leaps, fly home = great day

Zing Lurks

[vortexring 0]

I heard a story regarding a student flying his first solo: On his downwind leg after calling tower his intentions, the controller noticed he hadn't read back his clearance to land.

Looking at the aircraft the controller noticed one of the wheels was missing! The student was now turning finals. The controller, unable to speak to him on the radio, immediately fired off a red flare, to which the student responded by going around for another circuit.

Unable to transmit to the student, but able to hear him on the radio, his instuctor decided to send up another aircraft with a spare wheel and through hand signals explain his predicament. Meanwhile the student had said he was aware of the radio problem and if anyone could hear him his intentions were to fly around the circuit till he got a green flare.

As the intructors began to formate on the students aircraft, it sadly transpired one of their wheels fell off

Imagine the scene: The student, oblivious to his own aircrafts undercarriage problem is now staring at a Chipmunk with only one main wheel, with his instructor sat in the back pointing frantically at a wheel on his lap. Student:

"That's f**king clever! How you gonna get that back on!?"

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

It's been a longtime goal of mine to get a Private Pilot's license. This morning I accomplished one of the major objectives on that path - the first solo. I flew a cessna 172 born in the same month of the same year in the same town I was.

Any pilots out there have a good first solo story?

Congrats dude! It's definitely a milestone! I still remember my first solo....every minute of it. It was in a 1946 Piper J3 Cub with a 65hp Continental and no electrical system. This was in 1995. From a 1200' grass runway. Oh, the good 'ole days.

Now I just drive the damn bus from point A to point B with a bunch of whiny ass bastards in the back.

I prefer flying helicopters over airplanes these days...airplane jobs generally just suck.

Mike

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Dave CONGRATS!!

I'd link my first solo story, but it was in Februrary and all of my posts for February and March have been deleted.

Doesn't it feel soooo great though to solo?!?

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[soberamprat 0]

did you lose your shirt tail. If not then it needs to happen.

http://www.swoopstudios.com/videos/videos-rex.php

[Pick 0]

My first solo was 21 years ago....as a 17-year-old high school student.

I managed to convince myself that the first approach wasn't quite "right", so I went around......did another trip around the pattern and decided things weren't right yet again.......it ended up being a rinse-lather-repeat kindof deal until I FINALLY got it right and landed on the 4th try.

By the time I parked the airplane and began the long walk into the FBO and up the stairs to the flight training office, I was SURE every eye was glued on me and everyone was mumbling under their breath about the "idiot student pilot that couldn't land."

Another instructor congratulated me on the first solo and commented that there wasn't any shame in going around if everything wasn't exactly like I wanted it........and said "good job".

My instructor just smiled and said he was getting ready to get on the radio to ask if I wanted in-flight refueling or if I actually intended to land before I ran the thing out of gas.....