LoneAspen
Line Up and Wait
After getting delayed for a little over a week by afternoon winds almost every day at KAPA (Centennial), I finally knocked out my first solo this morning!
Instructor and I did two touch-and-gos to make sure I was ready, and I dropped him off at the hangars, and I went up and did three full stop taxibacks in an SR20.
I was probably about as nervous as most people (if not more because I've seen how busy KAPA can be), but I felt everything went well. I actually wasn't as concerned with the actual takeoffs and landings as I was with making sure I understood ATC's instructions, and correctly following other traffic in the pattern.
I tried to mentally prepare myself during preflight that I was going to do three perfect landings. LOL - yeah, right. They weren't my best landings, but not my worst either. Somewhere in the middle. Probably due to nerves over soloing, and also because of a couple large flocks of geese at the approach end of the runway that I was also having to pay attention to. They didn't bother me on my first two landings, but on the third, one flock took off right as I was about to pass over and I thought I might have to do a go-around, but they stayed low and flew off to the side, so was able to land normally.
When we both went up, it wasn't busy at all, and I thought, "Good - mostly empty pattern, so I won't have to keep mental track of as many other planes." Wrong! When I taxied out, I was behind three Cessnas who were also doing some pattern work, so I had some other company in the pattern.
Also took off and landed on the 35 runways, and most times we've used the 17 runways. So using the opposite runways and having other planes in the pattern was probably a good change-up for me so I don't get too used to operating one way all the time.
All in all, it was the perfect mix of excitement and nervousness, and I learned a lot. Now to knock out the rest of the solo requirements and keep learning! Feels really good to have the first solo checked off the list
Instructor and I did two touch-and-gos to make sure I was ready, and I dropped him off at the hangars, and I went up and did three full stop taxibacks in an SR20.
I was probably about as nervous as most people (if not more because I've seen how busy KAPA can be), but I felt everything went well. I actually wasn't as concerned with the actual takeoffs and landings as I was with making sure I understood ATC's instructions, and correctly following other traffic in the pattern.
I tried to mentally prepare myself during preflight that I was going to do three perfect landings. LOL - yeah, right. They weren't my best landings, but not my worst either. Somewhere in the middle. Probably due to nerves over soloing, and also because of a couple large flocks of geese at the approach end of the runway that I was also having to pay attention to. They didn't bother me on my first two landings, but on the third, one flock took off right as I was about to pass over and I thought I might have to do a go-around, but they stayed low and flew off to the side, so was able to land normally.
When we both went up, it wasn't busy at all, and I thought, "Good - mostly empty pattern, so I won't have to keep mental track of as many other planes." Wrong! When I taxied out, I was behind three Cessnas who were also doing some pattern work, so I had some other company in the pattern.
Also took off and landed on the 35 runways, and most times we've used the 17 runways. So using the opposite runways and having other planes in the pattern was probably a good change-up for me so I don't get too used to operating one way all the time.
All in all, it was the perfect mix of excitement and nervousness, and I learned a lot. Now to knock out the rest of the solo requirements and keep learning! Feels really good to have the first solo checked off the list
