Smokehouse
Master of the Bounce
- Joined
- May 20, 2003
- Posts
- 26
Well, I did it. I had my first solo at 9:03am today. Got to the airport around 7:30 and did the pre-flight and went back to the instructors office to review a few things on the Pre Solo knowledge exam. We went out to the plane and we went up together and did several touch and go's. As we were departing on the final takeoff, the Control Tower told us that the winds had shifted, so we needed to do a teardrop and basically just land the opposite way we just came in, so we skipped crosswind, downwind and base and turned a 180 to final. The quickest takeoff and landing I have ever seen 
Of course the "teardrop" was something that I have not heard of yet, so I learned something new today!
Well the wind was perfect because it was from 140/04 so it was very light and wouldn't you know it the runway was 14 so no crosswind....how could I be so lucky.
We landed and taxied back to parking, where my parents were ready with the video camera, the instructor hopped out and said, be confident, you know you're ready for this, I told him that I was ready, so he closed the door and said, by the way when you restart you don't need to prime the engine (I actually had that one figured out on my own, but what the heck, one final instruction never hurts
I did the startup, contacted ground and got clearance for the long taxi to 14. I checked my instruments on the way and the instructor told me to do a run-up for practice. Everything was fine. I then headed to the hold short for 14 and contacted the tower.
I said " Tower this is N12345 holding short runway 14, student pilot first solo" Now the controller was great, he acknowledged me and immediately I could tell that he was really taking his time, because he slowed down to student speed. He had me taxi to position and hold, meanwhile there was another plane making their turn to final and he asked them to do a 360 because there was one on the runway for takeoff. I thought that was very nice, and sorry to the pilot who was back there wanting to land, but I am sure her realized that he was in my shoes and more than likely he wanted to steer clear anyway hahaha. I got cleared to takeoff and was not nervous at all, eveerything clicked and felt right. A very smooth rotation and transition to climb and held the heading pretty well too. At 500' and made left traffice to crosswind and climbed to 800' (clouds were getting close). Got on downwind and it was very peaceful, there was a cherokee in front of me that I was told to foolow in. I didn't have to call midfield, cause the controller woudl call me first and tell me that I was cleared for touch and go and was #2 behind Cherokee. I had to call him back and let him know that I needed a full stop and taxiback and he came right back and said ok youre cleared for full stop.
Well the first landing was a little fast and high so there was a slight balloon, but I landed and the tower asked me if I was going to go again, I said yes and he said "well stay with me and taxi back to 14" so I never had to contact ground. The second takeoff was like the first, very peaceful and very exciting and the next landing was more on the glidescope but still a little balloon. Got cleared to taxiback, much the same for the third takeoff, but the third landing was my best, touched down right at the sound of the stall horn, I needed a little pitch up but it was fairly smooth..
The controller calls me and asks if I was done for the day, and I said yes sir, he told me good job and congratulations and told me to contact ground. Well I taxi back with the camera rolling and was all smiles. The shirt was dripping with sweat, combo nerves and the fact that I am in Florida and a cessna is like a small sauna. But boy was I happy, it really felt great.
A few observations though.......when your insttructor closes that door, your whole mindset changes because you have the sudden realization, that if anything goes wrong, there is nobody there to grab the stick. If there is engine failure of engine fire or any number of emergencies that I have been studying, I have to know what to do. So my concentration level was peaked. The other thing is even though the instructor is not sitting next to you, his voice is in your head......."abeam the numbers throttle bacl to 1500rpm, 10deg of flaps, left to base 75kias 20deg of flap left on final 65kias 30 deg flap...PITCH UP PITCH UP!!
So he wasnt there in person but was there in spirit.
I would like to thank my great instructor (28 years old and very calm) and would like to thank the controller, he proved to me that Tower Controllers really are there to help you and he went out of his way to make it easy for me.
WHAT A THRILL!!
sorry for the length
Of course the "teardrop" was something that I have not heard of yet, so I learned something new today!Well the wind was perfect because it was from 140/04 so it was very light and wouldn't you know it the runway was 14 so no crosswind....how could I be so lucky.
We landed and taxied back to parking, where my parents were ready with the video camera, the instructor hopped out and said, be confident, you know you're ready for this, I told him that I was ready, so he closed the door and said, by the way when you restart you don't need to prime the engine
(I actually had that one figured out on my own, but what the heck, one final instruction never hurts I did the startup, contacted ground and got clearance for the long taxi to 14. I checked my instruments on the way and the instructor told me to do a run-up for practice. Everything was fine. I then headed to the hold short for 14 and contacted the tower.
I said " Tower this is N12345 holding short runway 14, student pilot first solo" Now the controller was great, he acknowledged me and immediately I could tell that he was really taking his time, because he slowed down to student speed. He had me taxi to position and hold, meanwhile there was another plane making their turn to final and he asked them to do a 360 because there was one on the runway for takeoff. I thought that was very nice, and sorry to the pilot who was back there wanting to land, but I am sure her realized that he was in my shoes and more than likely he wanted to steer clear anyway hahaha. I got cleared to takeoff and was not nervous at all, eveerything clicked and felt right. A very smooth rotation and transition to climb and held the heading pretty well too. At 500' and made left traffice to crosswind and climbed to 800' (clouds were getting close). Got on downwind and it was very peaceful, there was a cherokee in front of me that I was told to foolow in. I didn't have to call midfield, cause the controller woudl call me first and tell me that I was cleared for touch and go and was #2 behind Cherokee. I had to call him back and let him know that I needed a full stop and taxiback and he came right back and said ok youre cleared for full stop.
Well the first landing was a little fast and high so there was a slight balloon, but I landed and the tower asked me if I was going to go again, I said yes and he said "well stay with me and taxi back to 14" so I never had to contact ground. The second takeoff was like the first, very peaceful and very exciting and the next landing was more on the glidescope but still a little balloon. Got cleared to taxiback, much the same for the third takeoff, but the third landing was my best, touched down right at the sound of the stall horn, I needed a little pitch up but it was fairly smooth..
The controller calls me and asks if I was done for the day, and I said yes sir, he told me good job and congratulations and told me to contact ground. Well I taxi back with the camera rolling and was all smiles. The shirt was dripping with sweat, combo nerves and the fact that I am in Florida and a cessna is like a small sauna. But boy was I happy, it really felt great.
A few observations though.......when your insttructor closes that door, your whole mindset changes because you have the sudden realization, that if anything goes wrong, there is nobody there to grab the stick. If there is engine failure of engine fire or any number of emergencies that I have been studying, I have to know what to do. So my concentration level was peaked. The other thing is even though the instructor is not sitting next to you, his voice is in your head......."abeam the numbers throttle bacl to 1500rpm, 10deg of flaps, left to base 75kias 20deg of flap left on final 65kias 30 deg flap...PITCH UP PITCH UP!!
So he wasnt there in person but was there in spirit.
I would like to thank my great instructor (28 years old and very calm) and would like to thank the controller, he proved to me that Tower Controllers really are there to help you and he went out of his way to make it easy for me.
WHAT A THRILL!!
sorry for the length
