Am I so wrong?

[SCCutler]

I did my first solo at KOAK, Oakland International, where I was based. I think I was more comfortable there than anywhere else just because that's where we had practiced the most.

My thoughts - I solo'd at a busy towered field - one at which I had done nearly all my prior pattern work. Just another day at the office, no stress at all.

 

[ajstoner21]

My First solo landing

 

[poadeleted20]

According to Mrs. Steingar, usually.

Who are we to argue with her?

Seriously, it's the CFI's perogative. If it's really going to be too busy for transients, then you go to the FSDO and get a TFR restricting traffic. You can also try to get a NOTAM about "intensive activity" during that period, which may or may not be effective in deterring transients. Otherwise, you work around the transients.

 

[jesse]

According to Mrs. Steingar, usually.

I was flying Young Eagles on Saturday, got in three flights with the airplane fully loaded, so nine kids. This was a very successful rally; I haven't seen that many aircraft on the ramp at my airport since they had IAE events. So lots and lots of traffic. Airplanes coming and going constantly. We flew a lot of kids.

So on flight number two of three I'm coming back in, and there's someone I don't know on the ramp. They're just standing there, between me and parking, off to the side. I would not have hit them taxiing, but wasn't certain that they belonged there or were trained, and there were a lot of people on the ramp that day.

It turned out that it was a local CFI with a student doing their 3 touch and goes for their first solo flight. Now here's where I wonder if I am so wrong. The airport was BUSY. This was a one day thing, the next day I'm certain there was hardly anyone there, and there are at least three other airports within a short flight all of which had little traffic. One is like mine, controlled. Wouldn't it have made more sense to go somewhere with less traffic for a first solo? I know the controller can help with separation, but with that much traffic they can muck it up pretty good too (I've seen it with less, and with that controller at my airport).

Just because we had our little event doesn't mean no one else could land at the airport. But if you were doing you student's first solo, would you really want it to be in the middle of a circus?

Think of it this way. Perhaps the student was trained at this airport. Perhaps the winds haven't been cooperating lately. Perhaps the student finally is ready to solo and things clicked. He wanted to get his student up. Obviously it worked out , so his judgement was correct.

There are a LOT of details that have to line up to solo someone. Maybe all of those details finally fell into place and waiting another day or going somewhere else wasn't an option and could have delayed the student for weeks in his training.

 

[Ddayle]

I solo'ed at Boeing Field, I trained with the Dreamlifter and 757's, Citations, B-17's and Waco's. What is your problem? You make yourself sound "Elitist" although I doubt that is what you intended. What a great thing for your young eagles, you really missed a GREAT opportunity to show your young eagles what they could be doing soon, SOLOING! This was a blessing you missed. Your problem, not the student or CFI. Dave