Tell me about your first solo flight

[1900cpt]

I agree with bobbysamd on the instructor nerves. When you sign your first solo off, you rare probably more nervous than the actual student. Even though you know they are ready, it is still pretty scary for you.

For instance, I had a student of mine actually leave the pattern for a while...that scared the cr@p out of me. What i told her when i juped out was...."go fly around the pattern a few times, then come back after a few landings."

Well she interpreted that as "go fly around for a while then come back for some landings." Talk about being scared. When i looked up in the pattern and didnt see her>>>>OH SH!T. Where did she go?!?

Well, she decided to go to the practice area for a few minutes to calm her nerves..then came back for the touch and goes.

1900cpt

 

[FearlessFreep]

When getting my solo flight for my Private License I was just very happy that the instructor got out of the plane!

It was a piece of cake and will be for you as well. Instructors are not going to let you go unless they are very sure that you can do it! I read an incident in which a soloing student had an engine failure during his 3 landings. He responded to the situation as trained and had no problems, landed without incident.

Just as everyone says the improvement in performance without the other person is very noticeable.

My actual first solo flight was not during my Private training. The first one was in a single seat ultralight, so from the first takeoff to the first landing I had never flown it before. They just had a radio that they would give you instruction as you would fly. It was great fun! They gave us a little instruction in a C-150 before they threw you into the ultralight.

When I soloed for the Private I already had at least 100 hours flying ultralights and probably close to 50 hours flying Hang Gliders. So I was pretty happy when the instructor got out so I could have some fun on my own!

Kick it! You'll have lots of fun! It's a gas!

Good Luck!

 

[Caveman]

The day of my solo my CFI said today is the day. After a couple of landings he got out and said, "Have fun". 1st time around some drunk guy (literally, more on that later) pulls out on to the runway when I was on short final. I sidestepped right and went around. The guy takes off and starts doing lazy 8's inside the pattern! There are two other airplanes in the pattern besides the nutcase and me. I continue on around the pattern but I'm kinda freaked out by whats going on. The problem was that I didn't know how to get out of the flow of traffic. I know, I know, just turn away from the airport. Seems so obvious now, but at 15 hours I was clueless. Anyways I just keep motoring on to base and final. I make a crappy landing on the nosewheel and blow out the nosegear strut seal and the drunk guy eventually gets arrested. If nothing else it was different. Have fun! ;-)

 

[HMR]

Man, those 152’s climb like a rocket when you’re by yourself!
I agree, it’s much more nerve-wracking for the CFI watching his first student solo. I remember mine well. It was last June. I had my student drop me off at the tower. By the time I climbed the stairs into the control room, my student was ready for takeoff. The controllers handed me a headset with a mic. I watched with pride and anxiety as Frank lifted off for the first time all by himself. I turned my head just in time to see the airplane on short final about to land gear up. The controllers were on the other side of the control room looking at something else. I tried to yell something into my mic but couldn’t find the push-to-talk switch. I tried to alert the controllers but all that came out was “heh er ooog uhhh”. They finally noticed me jumping and pointing but… too late. The plane did a belly slide down the runway and the airport was closed. My student just shrugged and went sightseeing for an hour. I wore a hole in the carpet pacing around. When the airport reopened, Frank came back and did three perfect T&G’s.

 

[TurboS7]

My first solo flight was Feb.8 1972, I was a junior in high school. It was in a Luscombe 8-A on a dirt field called Townsend field at Waxhaw, N.C. We did about 5 stop and goes then my instructor got out.( a mission pilot that flew the DC-3 Chief Tarriri around-Airliner World June 2002)The first landing was a three point with a little skip. The next two were perfect. My Dad got the complete thing on 'Super 8" and we now have it in video. When I soloed my wife her time came and I jumped out. She said," not today" and nothing I did or said could get her to solo. The next night we went out and she did a perfect job-women......

 

[Ravengirl]

Ahhh, January 20th, 2000. It was a windy, mostly overcast day at SNA. I knew I was supposed to solo, it was just a matter of how well I did on the first few landings, and if the wind would be OK. I remember everything about it, from what the tower controllers said to the tail number of the airplane.

We flew the pattern and I landed rather well three times. Greg told me to stop and let him off onto the grass between the terminal and runway 19L. He told me to call the tower and tell them that I was going to do my first solo. He wandered over and stood staring, and the tower told me good luck. And I flew.

The first takeoff, I was in shock, and on climbout, I was in awe. Yes, an 18 year old student was shocked by the new and improved climb rate for the mighty C152! About then I set my mind to keeping Greg out of the plane as much as possible.

Third time around it got windier, and I noticed someone standing on the roof of the terminal parking garage. It turned out to be my father, who had decided to show up with a video camera and a borrowed transceiver and film the entire thing.

When I landed, Greg was overjoyed, and hopped back in. Dad showed up and I kind of yelled at him, but secretly, I still like to watch that tape every once in a while. Nothing of my shirt was cut off, because I was wearing a sweater. And the Sunrise tradition of a bad polaroid was foiled because the camera was out of film.

Stephanie

 

[ACE]

It is normal to be nervous. Just do what you were taught you will be fine. I myself had two good landings and bounced the third. Good luck to you!!!!!!