ainokea
Pre-takeoff checklist
Got a major milestone done today. Got my first solo out of the way. Last week my CFI told me that I am almost ready to solo. So the last lesson he told me what he wanted me to do and didn't say a single word during the flight. He wanted me to do power on/off stalls, slow flight, and steep turns and head back to the airport and do 3 laps around the pattern. I was feeling good and got 2/3 soft landings. He then talked to me when were taxiing back to the school and said I'm ready to solo and the next step was too take a pre-stage solo ride with the owner/chief CFI. I took my pre-stage ride last Tuesday with the owner and did some slow flight, emergency procedures, and 4 laps around the pattern. I only got 1/4 soft landings in. The owner gave his blessing and said I am ready to go solo.
So today I met my instructor at school and he told me what he wanted to do. He said that I'm gonna do 2 laps around the pattern and drop him off at the south ramp. So up we go and landing 1 was hard and crappy and I wasn't feeling too good. Lap 2 was also a hard landing and I wasn't feeling good like how I felt the week before. So I asked him if I can do one more lap with him and he said go ahead. Last landing was still hard but better than the first 2 and I was ready. He let me know that the plane is gonna feel lighter since he is no longer in the plane and that was no joke.
1st takeoff and the plane starts lifting at 45 knots. Winds were picking up a bit and started to get a lil bumpy. I float for awhile and land a lil hard but better than the first 3 and taxi back.
2nd takeoff was fine but the landing was a lil scary. Slight x-wind so I using the left and right rudder to straighten myself out and I landed on the mains but hopped a lil bit and I was a lil scared by now but I've done that a few times and got over it.
3rd takeoff was a lil nerve wrecking. Another plane was coming in for landing in the parallel runway and a king air was coming in for landing in the same runway I was using and ATC told me I was #2 and to extend my downwind. I looked in the vicinity of where I would think the king air was coming from and had to ask ATC where the king air was I finally saw it going right base for 28L. I kept on going downwind til ATC called my base and I was cleared to land. This landing was the best out of the day. Not the best landing that I've had so far during my training but not a bad day to end the day. Picked up my CFI from the south ramp and back to school.
My CFI told me that we had a goal to get my solo done before the 1st page and we did it. My second page of my logbook has me as PIC with .5 hours.
Tomorrow is the beginning of cross country flying and we're flying north to KSTS. Pretty excited cause we'll be doing a mini bay tour and flying by SF, Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz.
So today I met my instructor at school and he told me what he wanted to do. He said that I'm gonna do 2 laps around the pattern and drop him off at the south ramp. So up we go and landing 1 was hard and crappy and I wasn't feeling too good. Lap 2 was also a hard landing and I wasn't feeling good like how I felt the week before. So I asked him if I can do one more lap with him and he said go ahead. Last landing was still hard but better than the first 2 and I was ready. He let me know that the plane is gonna feel lighter since he is no longer in the plane and that was no joke.
1st takeoff and the plane starts lifting at 45 knots. Winds were picking up a bit and started to get a lil bumpy. I float for awhile and land a lil hard but better than the first 3 and taxi back.
2nd takeoff was fine but the landing was a lil scary. Slight x-wind so I using the left and right rudder to straighten myself out and I landed on the mains but hopped a lil bit and I was a lil scared by now but I've done that a few times and got over it.
3rd takeoff was a lil nerve wrecking. Another plane was coming in for landing in the parallel runway and a king air was coming in for landing in the same runway I was using and ATC told me I was #2 and to extend my downwind. I looked in the vicinity of where I would think the king air was coming from and had to ask ATC where the king air was I finally saw it going right base for 28L. I kept on going downwind til ATC called my base and I was cleared to land. This landing was the best out of the day. Not the best landing that I've had so far during my training but not a bad day to end the day. Picked up my CFI from the south ramp and back to school.
My CFI told me that we had a goal to get my solo done before the 1st page and we did it. My second page of my logbook has me as PIC with .5 hours.
Tomorrow is the beginning of cross country flying and we're flying north to KSTS. Pretty excited cause we'll be doing a mini bay tour and flying by SF, Golden Gate and Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz.
Last edited:
Congratulations!! It's an event you'll never forget!
