16 Year Old Solo- another "shirtail"

[taters]

Today was a great day,
One of my students Kevin soloed on his 16 Bday! how often does that workout!
..I have been flying with him on and off since he was 13 and it was really cool to finally say "leave the engine running" and watching him do such a great job, especially with all the traffic in the pattern today at LNK...I asked him to do 3 touch and goes and he gave me 4.His parents came out to watch and of all times for there video camera to break...After he landed for the 4th time he taxied into parking and his grin was visible from 50 ft away. I proceeded to cut his shirtail out and have him sign it....(This is a great aviation tradition I wonder how many other instructors still do this?) The only problem is that he has grown about 2.5 feet since we started flying, I really think today was the last day he can fit in a Cessna 150 and will have to learn the PA-28-180 now! I wish I had that "problem" when I was his age..

 

[maddog52]

Today was a great day,
I proceeded to cut his shirtail out and have him sign it....(This is a great aviation tradition I wonder how many other instructors still do this?) ...

Congratulations on your student solo. We still cut the shirtails for our students and they go up on our "Wall Of Fame" in the office. Of course we're gonna need some more space soon. I've got a couple of cockpit videos of first solo flights. It's interesting and alot of fun to see the various reactions.

 

[DutchessFlier]

CONGRATULATIONS Clay and to your student!!!

Got my shirttail cut off and decorated by my CFI. Its sitting folded up in my flightbag along with the flightplan for that flight: "First SOLO in the Pattern" which I enclosed in a plastic sleeve and keep on my kneepad. Both items go on every flight with me...I will never forget that day!

 

[AuntPeggy]

Congratulations to you and your student. Hope he continues to enjoy it.

It is a great tradition. I actually wore two shirts so that one could be cut up, but my CFI didn't follow the tradition. Disappointed.

 

[wpierce]

Congratulations to you and your student. That must make you pretty proud.

I had two "first" solos, spaced about 30 years apart. Neither time did my shirt tail get cut. I didn't know about that the first time, and was a little disappointed it didn't happen the last time.

 

[Gmaper]

Congrats to instructor and student. I wonder who is more proud?

When I soloed in 1957 on my 16th birthday the shirttail tradition had not yet been born. In my case, partly because I was the "airport kid" and partly because my Mother probably egged them on, I was ceremoniously carried across the grass runway and tossed into the canal that ran parallel to the runway. This was my second time in the canal in a few months, the first having been to take inspection covers off the wings of a J3 that had ground looped and gone into the canal.

 

[EvilEagle]

Congrats to instructor and student. I wonder who is more proud?

When I soloed in 1957 on my 16th birthday the shirttail tradition had not yet been born. In my case, partly because I was the "airport kid" and partly because my Mother probably egged them on, I was ceremoniously carried across the grass runway and tossed into the canal that ran parallel to the runway. This was my second time in the canal in a few months, the first having been to take inspection covers off the wings of a J3 that had ground looped and gone into the canal.

I got my shirttail cut off when I was 16 (not on my birthday). I can feel your pain Gmaper - when we first solo'd the T-37 in UPT, we got thrown into a big tub of water (about the size you put our for cattle) - I solo'd in December, when they threw me in, there was about 2" of ice on the top that I quickly broke through. Man, that was cold!!!

 

[bbchien]

Clay, the new tradition is to video the three landings.....then the *.avi file goes on a video player (most 6x 9" picture frame displays will play an AVI file continuously) up on the FBO wall......

I still have my cut off shirt tail from my 16th Birthday. Just happened the weather was stellar.

 

[Jeanie]

Well, my CFI didn't cut my shirt for my first solo and I was disappointed. When I complete my CFI rating I plan to continue the tradition - Might warn the student to wear a shirt they don't mind having cut up when they are close to solo...

 

[taters]

I always tell them "dont dress up for this..you will see what I mean"...Great comments guys...It really is a great tradition...I have a box in my office with all of my shirtails....Great memories with each of them

 

[maddog52]

I got my shirttail cut off when I was 16 (not on my birthday). I can feel your pain Gmaper - when we first solo'd the T-37 in UPT, we got thrown into a big tub of water (about the size you put our for cattle) - I solo'd in December, when they threw me in, there was about 2" of ice on the top that I quickly broke through. Man, that was cold!!!

Boy that sound familiar!! Here'sa pic of megetting thrownin the tank in Dec. '86. That's ice floatingin it

 

[taters]

Thats priceless!

 

[maddog52]

Added another shirttail to the Hansen Air Group "Wall Of Fame" today. It was also the first solo sign off for our new instructor. Here's a pic of our wall. It's filling up and we are trying to decide which wall to use next. Not to brag, (okay maybe a little), 7 of those shirttails are from Able Flight students.

 

[somorris]

Too bad about the changing traditions. I had my shirttail cut off when I soloed and still have it. Brings back memories.

 

[SCCutler]

My shirt-tail remained uncut. I was so disappointed, having read about that tradition for so very long.

Ted said, "Naw, we don't do that around here."