Tarheel Pilot
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2007
- Messages
- 603
- Display Name
Display name:
Tarheel Pilot
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 180
Airport: Concord Regional Airport, Concord, NC
Runway in use: 20
Take offs: 3 duals/3 solos
landings: 3 duals/3 solos
Today was a BEAUTIFUL day for a solo, we have partly cloudy no to light winds with not much of a crosswind. The pattern was partly busy, there was other aircrafts taking off and landings etc. Me and my instructor Jim Garret taxied from the North ramp to Runway 20 at 1305. We did the normal run up, the before take off checklist, etc. There was a problem with a traffic that was either too low for the radar to pick up, or has a malfunctioning transponder. However, that was cleared before I took off. My first three landings with the instructors was great! The first pattern was a little too big, but I tighten it up for the rest of the flight. After we did the first three landings I taxied up to the main terminal and Jim jumped out and I was finally PIC. I contacted tower, got clearance to taxi back out. Finally, I felt like a real pilot! I was sweating alittle, but mainly I was just so dam excited! After holding short for a landing traffic, I took off, which was rough because I didn't have Jim beside me anymore which shifted the CG of the aircraft. I was also being tossed around with a few light trade winds, however I was able to get it under control. I did the usual pattern, came in just right, but I cut the power too soon and planted my first solo landing, I also sided loaded, not off to a good start. I taxied back and took off again. This time once I got to downwind and called it, the tower had me extend my down wind to get behind a twin. So I put in my first set of flap, but really didn't put in the other two till final. I also kept the power in a little higher than I normally would. After I set it up for a long final, everything was PERFECT! The airspeed was perfect, the time I put in the flaps were perfect, the power was PERFECT! Remembering my earlier planted landing, I kept my power in until flare, and that resulted in a greaser! My final take off and landings were great! I was in the groove, in the zone, I stayed five seconds ahead of the aircraft and even though I leveled off high, I pull the power back a bit and dropped it down to pattern altitude in a short amount of time. When I was turning from base to final, a twin was told to go ahead and take off ahead of me, expedited. I decided to give the guy some time by slowly my descent and speed down by dropping all of my flaps, pull the nose up a bit (while maintaining my final airspeed) and basically just hung back for awhile until he was airborne. I then copied my last landing and did another greaser! After I taxied off the Runway, Tower came over the radio and said "63R, taxi to the ramp, and good job." "Taxing to the ramp, Thank you, 63R." When I taxied to the ramp, and opened up the door, my mom, dad, brother and sister in law were there, and it was great! Today was a PERFECT day!
I'll post pictures later.
Sean Summer; First Solo on March 10th, 2007!
Airport: Concord Regional Airport, Concord, NC
Runway in use: 20
Take offs: 3 duals/3 solos
landings: 3 duals/3 solos
Today was a BEAUTIFUL day for a solo, we have partly cloudy no to light winds with not much of a crosswind. The pattern was partly busy, there was other aircrafts taking off and landings etc. Me and my instructor Jim Garret taxied from the North ramp to Runway 20 at 1305. We did the normal run up, the before take off checklist, etc. There was a problem with a traffic that was either too low for the radar to pick up, or has a malfunctioning transponder. However, that was cleared before I took off. My first three landings with the instructors was great! The first pattern was a little too big, but I tighten it up for the rest of the flight. After we did the first three landings I taxied up to the main terminal and Jim jumped out and I was finally PIC. I contacted tower, got clearance to taxi back out. Finally, I felt like a real pilot! I was sweating alittle, but mainly I was just so dam excited! After holding short for a landing traffic, I took off, which was rough because I didn't have Jim beside me anymore which shifted the CG of the aircraft. I was also being tossed around with a few light trade winds, however I was able to get it under control. I did the usual pattern, came in just right, but I cut the power too soon and planted my first solo landing, I also sided loaded, not off to a good start. I taxied back and took off again. This time once I got to downwind and called it, the tower had me extend my down wind to get behind a twin. So I put in my first set of flap, but really didn't put in the other two till final. I also kept the power in a little higher than I normally would. After I set it up for a long final, everything was PERFECT! The airspeed was perfect, the time I put in the flaps were perfect, the power was PERFECT! Remembering my earlier planted landing, I kept my power in until flare, and that resulted in a greaser! My final take off and landings were great! I was in the groove, in the zone, I stayed five seconds ahead of the aircraft and even though I leveled off high, I pull the power back a bit and dropped it down to pattern altitude in a short amount of time. When I was turning from base to final, a twin was told to go ahead and take off ahead of me, expedited. I decided to give the guy some time by slowly my descent and speed down by dropping all of my flaps, pull the nose up a bit (while maintaining my final airspeed) and basically just hung back for awhile until he was airborne. I then copied my last landing and did another greaser! After I taxied off the Runway, Tower came over the radio and said "63R, taxi to the ramp, and good job." "Taxing to the ramp, Thank you, 63R." When I taxied to the ramp, and opened up the door, my mom, dad, brother and sister in law were there, and it was great! Today was a PERFECT day!
I'll post pictures later.
Sean Summer; First Solo on March 10th, 2007!
