I joined the big S club today!!

2Airtime2

2Airtime2

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Nov 5, 2015
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197
Location
Raleigh, NC
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Cherokee 180c
I SOLO'D TODAY !!!!

I got my medical this morning and when I got to the truck I text my cfi to let him know. I wasn't expecting to fly today but he text me back a little while later and said he and the plane were available. I said lets do it.

3 laps with 3 good landings and then I pulled over towards the fbo. We talked a few minutes and he asked if I was comfortable with the crosswind. I said "I feel good, I can do this". Wind was 180 degrees @ 7 and we were using runway 23 (5kt xwind component).

3 laps with full stop. 1st landing was good. 2nd landing I had a slight bounce. 3rd landing I floated a little (probably not my fault, likely a gust :wink2:) then I re-established the settling and sat her down very gently holding the nose off the ground for a bit. Taxied over to him for 2 thumbs up, congrats, and high 5.

Awesome feeling.

I initially had a problem with my landings but it all of the sudden clicked for me last week. I was at 22 hrs before today. Including today's 6 I have 26 un-assisted landings in a row.
 
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Congrats man! That's awesome!

:cheers:
 
Congrats.....

Now..... Just try to get that smirk off your face over the next 2 weeks..:rolleyes:;)...

:cheers::cheers::cheers:
 
2Airtime2 said:
I SOLO'D TODAY !!!!

I got my medical this morning and when I got to the truck I text my cfi to let him know. I wasn't expecting to fly today but he text me back a little while later and said he and the plane were available. I said lets do it.

3 laps with 3 good landings and then I pulled over towards the fbo. We talked a few minutes and he asked if I was comfortable with the crosswind. I said "I feel good, I can do this". Wind was 180 degrees @ 7 and we were using runway 23 (5kt xwind component).

3 laps with full stop. 1st landing was good. 2nd landing I had a slight bounce. 3rd landing I floated a little (probably not my fault, likely a gust :wink2:) then I re-established the settling and sat her down very gently holding the nose off the ground for a bit. Taxied over to him for 2 thumbs up, congrats, and high 5.

Awesome feeling.

I initially had a problem with my landings but it all of the sudden clicked for me last week. I was at 22 hrs before today. Including today's 6 I have 26 un-assisted landings in a row.
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Congrats on the solo!
 
Congratulations, now on to the cross country stuff. Enjoy!!
 
Congrats. See, old dogs can learn new tricks!!! Now you will pass me as I can't get a CFI and weather to cooperate so keep us up to date on the rest of the process
 
txflyer said:
It's a day you'll never forget! Congrats! :cheers:
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Congratulations!!

Not to distract (or detract either) from anything but I just looked at my logbook and I soloed 4/7/74 and, to be honest, I don't remember that. I do remember the weekend I passed my checkride in '76 and I remember my training mishaps along the way but, for some reason, solo doesn't stand out.
 
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Congrats, soloed Dec. 6 1965, with 5hrs, 40 mins. total time after landing! Still remember it well. And still love that feeling just as the gear leaves terra firma!
 
Congratulations!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Spotter626 said:
soloed Dec. 6 1965, with 5hrs, 40 mins. total time after landing!
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There you go braggin' again!! :rofl::D

My dad solo'd in the early 70's at 7 hrs. Going back and thinking about it and looking in my logbook I should have solo'd around 14hrs. I figure me keeping the reading glasses on cost me about $900. On the day my landings clicked I left the glasses off and I nailed landing 4 through 16. The last 6 were at night. I now have almost 30 un-assisted landings in a row and find it easier to learn what I'm being taught since my mind has been freed up of landing stress. Last couple of flights I put my readers on the tip of my nose for instrument reading and just look over them for landings.
 
Kind of late to the party, but congratulations!
 
Flew 1.3 hrs for my 2nd solo flight yesterday, scared to get too far away from airport.

Finished work early then checked on the weather, good. Called my flight school to see if a plane was available, yes, I'm on the way. Text my cfi and said I'm going up. I could not get the map screen on the gps but was able to get the airport info displayed which gave heading to get there.

I did a few touch and goes then headed to a nearby lake we do maneuvers over. Got 1/2 way to the lake and turned around to make sure the airport was still there and that the gps was giving me the correct heading to take to get there. Turned back towards the lake and did some clearing turns, S turns, and turns around a ground reference point in each direction. Then back to the airport for more touch and goes and pattern work.

Wind was 7-8 kts but right down the runway. It was a little bumpy below 3000' so I did my practice at that altitude. Had 8 good to pretty good landings and played with timing on getting the 3rd stage of flaps in on final. With that headwind when I got them in early I had to add power.

I'm understanding why what we are striving for is called a license to learn. We definitely learn a lot with our cfi's beside us but when he/she's not there I think going up by yourself helps to ingrain that knowledge and technique.

This is getting funner and funner. :lol:
 
Congrats! What a great feeling and accomplishment!

My dad soloed in 1972 at 15 hrs. I soloed in 2014 at 18 hrs. I think the planes were easier back then.:wink2:
 
Loveair said:
I think the planes were easier back then.:wink2:
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That has to be it.

My dad worked at the airport in the avionics shop. I bet he had dozens of hrs of actual flying time before he even took legit lessons (he solo'd at 7 hrs). His boss and some of his co-workers were pilots and took him up often (I'm told).
 
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