first solo x_country nerves

eric_ocean

eric_ocean

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osprey1
im a pp-asel student pilot, toward the end of my training....last sunday i did my first solo x-country ..all went fine, but things moved along fast....marking my times with check points became tuff and then i hit a cloud formation and had to lower, fortunatly i was near the destination airport but had to get a vector to the airport from ATC the fine fellows at KILM....
This sunday im doining a much longer one with two stops, its got me a bit nervous...maybe there are others like me out there....just gota remember my training, but cant help but to be concerned...
thanks for listening ....eric
 
Sounds like you're doing fine, Eric. I suspect everybody gets some jitters on their first solo x-c flights -- I know I did.

One of the reasons they make you do the solo x-c's is that they will build confidence -- the more you do, the more confident you'll feel. Relax and enjoy them!
 
I agree with Bob. It sounds like you did just fine. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help when you need it. You did what you needed to do to get to your destination and get the plane on the ground. Great job.

Do this next flight and you'll see how much easier it will come to you.

Keep it up...you're so close now!
 
Make sure you're trimmed or if you're still climbing or manuvering, just remember the time until you are in a better position to make a note. Nothing says you have to mark the time right when you hit the checkpoint ;)

Remember your first job is to fly the airplane. If you find yourself putting other tasks in front of that job, you need to reprioritize, and any DE will know this (some may even try to throw you off with distractions and WANT you to tell them to wait a minute). You did fine in your XC though, and I'm sure you'll do fine in your long XC :) Good luck!
 
You sound like you are doing fine. My first solo XC I heard on the ATIS 'ovc at 10,000'. That scared me as I was in in SKC CAVU at the time. I thought they had said OVC 1000. So i asked the tower if ATIS was right and he corrected me, I felt foolish, but I also remember the nerves.
 
wbarnhill said:
Remember your first job is to fly the airplane. If you find yourself putting other tasks in front of that job, you need to reprioritize, and any DE will know this (some may even try to throw you off with distractions and WANT you to tell them to wait a minute). You did fine in your XC though, and I'm sure you'll do fine in your long XC :) Good luck!
Click to expand...

And use your checklists... religiously. There will be so much going on, it will all seem a blur to you. A checklist keeps you focused on procedure and helps make sure you don't forget anything important, especially between phases of flight.

GO HAVE FUN!!! You'll do fine!
 
Troy Whistman said:
And use your checklists... religiously.
Click to expand...

The one thing that always gets me as I switch airplanes is the carb heat. I own a piper and don't need and when I fly the Cessna in Forida I have to use. I cannot tell you how many times I det up for landing and then grab the checklist, run through it and see that I forgot the darn carb heat AGAIN!

Good words of advice from Troy.
 
smigaldi said:
The one thing that always gets me as I switch airplanes is the carb heat. I own a piper and don't need and when I fly the Cessna in Forida I have to use. I cannot tell you how many times I det up for landing and then grab the checklist, run through it and see that I forgot the darn carb heat AGAIN!

Good words of advice from Troy.
Click to expand...
I remember my fixed-wing primary instructor saying "If you don't have anything to do, look at the gages, and think whether there's anything you forgot to do". Frequently there is something ;)

Robinson actually made carb heat easy on the R22 and non-fuelinjected R44's -- the POH requires that you add enough carb heat in flight to keep the temperature out of the yellow caution zone, and that you apply full carb heat at MP's of less than 18". In order to get the MP below 18", you have to lower the collective. When you do that, the carb heat comes full on by itself through a mechanical linkage.

Our new Raven II has an IO-540 so that's the end of the carb heat nonsense :yes:
 
thanks so very much,!!!!i knew that this would help...and it did....amazing the help this site brings me!!!! thanks SO very much.....and the checklist?.....thats one thing i need to remember! it does get to be a blur...your so very right...thanks again ...
eric
 
Hey Eric,

Go for it! You'll do great!

Repeat: "ATC is there to help me. ATC is there to help me..."

--Kath
 
It does get better, really. I just finished my last xc today and it's a world of difference from the first one. I didn't have to have the chart glued to my nose to know where I was, and had a lot more time to do stuff.
 
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