Woohoo!

[JBRanger]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just solo'd yesterday!!! It was GREAT!! My feet still haven't touched the ground!!! I know now I have to really dig in. Thanks for everyone's advice!!

 

[Snakum]

Congrats!

I solo'd (the first time) in 1996 and I can still remember every single minute of the flight.

Best of luck in training!

Minh

 

[JBRanger]

Thanks so much,

Yea, every pilot I have told has reminisced(sp?) about their first solo and it has made for some great conversations!!

 

[side stick-n]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

From what I remember, it's an awesome feeling. 1982, Ormond Beach, FL. By soloing, it's obvious you are already "dug" in. Just don't do anything to alter your direction and keep at it until you achieve your goal.

Good Job!

 

[bobbysamd]

First Solo

Congrats!! There's nothing like your "first time."

Mine was in April, 1982 at Page in Oklahoma City. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It took me a bunch of hours to get there. I remember climbout on my first pattern and how I was whooping it up.

My instructor did not cut off my shirt tail. That disappointed me. So, a good friend of mine who was a pilot and who had encouraged my getting started with training cut up my t-shirt and signed it off for me. He told me he framed his, so I did the same with mine. I always cut off the shirt tails of students I soloed because I felt that was a vital part of the fun and ritual.

Good luck with the rest of your training.

 

[bigD]

Ahhhh....Summer of '94. Venice Florida. Huffman Aviation. A Cessna 150. Three landings on Runway 13.

What an awesome experience! Although I almost managed to get myself killed. On my very first trip around the pattern, a guy in a 182 made a straight in approach to 13 without making any calls on the radio, and finally said something when I called my base to final. He said he was a quarter mile final as well. I looked all around, didn't see him, so I figured he was above me and instead of firewalling the throttle, I landed right at the very beginning of the runway, and sure enough - the Skylane floats down ahead of me and lands about midway down the runway. He does a touch and go, and leaves the pattern without a word.

First solo, and already I'm filling out a NASA report! Not an illustrious start to my flying career, but it's 8 years later and no NASA reports since! ::knocks vigorously on wood::

Learned a couple of things too. That guy might have been foolish to do a straight in and not tell anyone, but I still should have seen him while I was in the pattern. I didn't. Also, in hindsight, I might have been better off moving to the left or right instead of continuing the approach. I made the right call that he was above me, but if he didn't decide to land further down the runway, we would have both been fooked. My grandfather took a couple of good pictures of the both of us on final - I'd guess that the 182 was about 50 feet above me. Pretty scary. I use the pictures to remind me to keep my head on a swivel when in the pattern!

The next two patterns went without incident, however.

 

[Air Al]

I just soloed last month...what a rush!! I will always remember that day.....hot, hot, hot. My shirt looked like I had just jumped into a lake...Iam blaming the heat...but its more likely my nerves, knowing it was up to me to get that bird back on the ground in one piece. For the second landing....a deer was reported on the runway on my final....just what you want to hear during your first solo. Anyways, looking forward to the next time till Iam back in the air.

 

[Timebuilder]

I soloed on a gusty day, in a Cherokee 140. On my first circuit, I caught a stiff gust after turning to final, and popped up a couple of hundred feet. So, after my first "real" go-around, I completed my first three solo landings.

It's an experience that's right up there with my first jet landing.

Well done!

 

[JBRanger]

HEY!

Thanks for all of the great replies guys. Have really enjoyed reading of others' adventures in flying.