Pilot-Dave
Pre-Flight
I flew my first solo flight yesterday morning! I flew in a Diamond DA-20 out of KUMP (Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport). It was great; Three take offs and landings as sole occupant of the aircraft 
and pretty decent landings too, if I do say so myself.
My first two landings were so good in fact I was almost upset that I was all alone and had noone to witness them. (almost) The last landing was good too, but the first two were compartivly awesome.
I've been ready for this for a quite a while. I probably have a few more hours under my belt than your average first solo - but this is mostly due to scheduling issues. The flight school had a hard time getting me on the schedule with their chief flight instructor (for doing the pre-solo phase check) ... but I just kept flying/scheduling lessons with my CFI (even though I was ready to solo but couldn't since I hadn't been able to do the phase check flight yet). So my pre-solo hours just kept increasing. I wasn't too upset by this really as I considered it all to be valuable practice. Once I'd finally had the phase check complete, the first 2 or 3 flights afterward had just really crappy winds/turbulance and neither my CFI nor myself wanted those conditions to be my first solo.
But yesterday we got it done! I'd scheduled the flight for the early morning and it worked out perfectly. The winds were calm, and it was early enough that (although still 80-something) the crazy heat we've been having wasn't yet in full swing, and wasn't problematic in anyway.
As I took off, entered the pattern, and announced my positions (untowered CTAF airport) I heard a double click after my first few transmissions. I forgot to ask my CFI afterward, but I believe/believed that was him quietly reminding me he was listening and available if needed.
I was excited, but too focused to be as giddy as I deserved to be. I was also less nervous when flying solo than I thought I would be ... and I think in some ways I was less nervous than I sometimes feel when the CFI is with me.
I'm excited to move on to the cross country stuff.
and pretty decent landings too, if I do say so myself.My first two landings were so good in fact I was almost upset that I was all alone and had noone to witness them.
(almost) The last landing was good too, but the first two were compartivly awesome. I've been ready for this for a quite a while. I probably have a few more hours under my belt than your average first solo - but this is mostly due to scheduling issues. The flight school had a hard time getting me on the schedule with their chief flight instructor (for doing the pre-solo phase check) ... but I just kept flying/scheduling lessons with my CFI (even though I was ready to solo but couldn't since I hadn't been able to do the phase check flight yet). So my pre-solo hours just kept increasing. I wasn't too upset by this really as I considered it all to be valuable practice. Once I'd finally had the phase check complete, the first 2 or 3 flights afterward had just really crappy winds/turbulance and neither my CFI nor myself wanted those conditions to be my first solo.
But yesterday we got it done! I'd scheduled the flight for the early morning and it worked out perfectly. The winds were calm, and it was early enough that (although still 80-something) the crazy heat we've been having wasn't yet in full swing, and wasn't problematic in anyway.
As I took off, entered the pattern, and announced my positions (untowered CTAF airport) I heard a double click after my first few transmissions. I forgot to ask my CFI afterward, but I believe/believed that was him quietly reminding me he was listening and available if needed.
I was excited, but too focused to be as giddy as I deserved to be.
I was also less nervous when flying solo than I thought I would be ... and I think in some ways I was less nervous than I sometimes feel when the CFI is with me. I'm excited to move on to the cross country stuff.
