Its time to Solo

loch1957

loch1957

Pre-Flight
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Jun 29, 2013
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Texas
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Display name:
James
My instructor said if i give him 3 good landings Thursday he's going to solo me. Woo Hoo now I'm nervous lol. Kinda wish he had just sprang it in me.
 
loch1957 said:
My instructor said if i give him 3 good landings Thursday he's going to solo me. Woo Hoo now I'm nervous lol. Kinda wish he had just sprang it in me.
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You wish "he had just sprang it in you"?? :yikes: :rofl:

You will do fine!
 
If your ready make three good landings,relax you should be fine.Good luck
 
you've got to concentrate concentrate concentrate
 
loch1957 said:
My instructor said if i give him 3 good landings Thursday he's going to solo me. Woo Hoo now I'm nervous lol. Kinda wish he had just sprang it in me.
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Good Luck! Had my first this summer. You'll be fine.
 
GOOD LUCK.
ENJOY THE RIDE.
 
"He's at 900ft, up to 3800ft.....what an a**hole."

Good luck, breathe it in, enjoy the view. Don't mess it up :)
 
All the obligatory Airplane! quotes aside (we ARE all pilots of one sort or another, after all), good luck on your solo.
 
Do you like gladiator movies?

Enjoy the solo... You'll always remember it!
 
"a hospital !, what is it !" Its a big building with Doctors and patients, but that's not important right now":rofl::rofl:


Good luck on the solo....you will hear your instructors voice in your head as you go through your procedures.
 
Well i'm off at 7 am to do this, Its going to be a great day!
 
Dear James,

Good luck!

James

P.S. I doubt you need good luck.

P.P.S. Have lots of fun looking over at that empty right seat :).
 
Have fun, it is something you will always remember. And don't worry, instructors don't solo somebody they are not sure of. Blue sky"s.


Jerry
 
I can't wait to read about it!
You are about to have one of the best experiences of your life!

Best of Luck!!!
 
loch1957 said:
Well i'm off at 7 am to do this, Its going to be a great day!
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Let us know how you did, but don't be upset if it doesn't happen. I was supposed to solo on my 16th birthday. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans with 20 knot x winds.

But wear a lousy t shirt this morning and bring a spare shirt...

Good luck
 
Congrats! Relax and remember what you've been taught, don't tense up and do what feels right when you're up there. You shouldn't encounter anything you haven't already and as others have said, your CFI won't let you go if he/she doesn't feel you're ready for it. You'll never forget this day! Don't wear a nice shirt, bring that one as your spare!
 
I left the house promptly at 7:00 A.M. to drive to the airport. I fly out of Lancaster Tx. so its an hour drive. Tried to relax but I had little success, even thought about stopping and getting some smokes (I quit years ago), but decided that wouldn't help much. For some odd reason the drive took an hour and a half (seemed like three days). I arrive at the airport early thinking I had time to sit and drink some tea before my instructor arrived. He was early dang it!!! I went and did my check list hoping the repeditive nature of that would calm my nerves, it might would have worked but I kept going over the same part of the list several times. Well I thought the Ercoupe is definantly preflighted today. I pulled the plane out of the hanger just as John walked up smiling and saying "are you ready to do this?". I wanted to say "no can I go home now", ok not really. We went out and did 5 touch and goes but it seemed I couldn't do anything landing related correctly. He looked over on my 6th attempt and said "full stop, its time". I was thinking "did you just see those last few attempts". He then gave me a brief test with basic stuff like stall speed and radio frequency of the airport.

It took me an hour to walk all the way to where the plane sat waiting on me, it was at least 75 feet from where we sat. I get in and grab the checklist, as I'm going down the list I put my headset on and the muff fell off and I couldn't reach it. So I unbuckle myself and get out so I can find it. John walks up and says "you change your mind?" Uhm nope its under control so he walks off. So the planes running and I'm ready to go, we had been doing touch and goes on 13 all morning to which I headed back to 13. Looked up and the perfect calm day was now 9 mph from 31 so I turn around and go the other way. First time I dont listen to AWOS I end up going to the wrong runway. I taxi to 31 and do my engine run up and pull to the hold line, I have to wait on a bonanza to land. Did I mention we saw one plane during our earlier touch and goes? Well now its near lunch time and theres 5 planes buzzing around. I make the call that I'm departing and push throttle in. I really needed a cigarette about then but I think John have would frowned on that. I hit 60 mph and I raised the nose and let her fly off the ground as smooth as silk. HOLY CRAP WHATS WRONG I thought, my normal climb rate of 80 mph and 600 feet per minute was not the same this trip. Without that 195 pounds I was climbing like a rocket (at least to me). I was not expecting that much of a difference so I had to reduce that rate because my normal altitude for my xwind was 500 feet which I got before I was past the end of the runway.

I flew the pattern even not trying I was still climbing fast, I leveled of and reduced power, "ok I have a minute to relax". But nooo! there was those pesky 5 planes still in my way, as I turned final I lined up , everything was good except for 4 red lights. I eased in the throttle a bit and I was perfect. Nice and stable and I knew I could make it, rounded out and waited a couple seconds and flared. I just heard a squeak and I was on the ground, smoothest landing I have ever done. The nervous went away, I was grinning from ear to ear and I took off again to do two more. Those annoying 5 planes weren't bothering me now, I was having a ball. I made two more and those three were best ones I have ever done, soft gentle and smooth.

I taxied off and took the plane back to the hanger and put it up. I walked to the cafe where my instructor was waiting. He shook my hand as did a whole bunch of pilots. "He then said turn around and dont move". I did not get the warning of take a second shirt in time. So now I have a log endorsement to fly solo and an air conditioned shirt. It was a fantastic day!!!!!!
 
Now on to that dreaded check ride, but as my instructor said "you are a pilot, you just have to prove it to an examiner". I still have a lot to learn but its getting more fun by the day.
 
Great story! From what I've read here (and experienced in my first solo) is that your experience is typical with a lot of pilots (nervousness, plane feels weird with no CFI in the right seat, etc.), except we don't all grease our first solo landing you dog :D

Feels good to get your shirt cut doesn't it? You'll remember that date like your birthday.

CHEERS!
 
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