Notarock
Filing Flight Plan
So I have been reading this site for awhile but decided to come out of the dark corner and make a post.
My background in aviation includes
1. Watching the movie Airplane about 100 times
2. A very short love affair with throwing myself out of a plane that I gave up on this summer because I became uneasy with the risks
So, I have no real background at all.
After deciding I didn't want to skydive, I felt empty and just wanted to be in the sky. I woke up one day and thought, why not be a pilot?
So I impulsively called the local flight school at a nearby airport and showed up for a discovery flight.
Being a bit unsure of myself, not sure as the only female student if I'd even be taken seriously, I started the journey.
After the first 4 hours flying, I was sure that I was wasting my money. I was starting landings and I was terrible, and on top of that, I had a tendency to swear like a pirate and play damsel in distress simultaneously when a landing went wrong.
Clearly I wasn't made for flying.
A few drives to the airport I wanted to just give up. Around 12 hours I plateaued.
I could land with a lot of verbal assistance, but I wasn't making an inch of progress.
Then after a few more hours it clicked. Something clicked and my feet used the rudders with little thought, I was able to multitask and control airspeed, flap and watch altitude and make radio calls without forgetting something.
I still swore now and then landing, but it was reduced to one word and was followed by immediate correction of the issue. (As well as the usual question from my CFI who asked if I was going to swear with passengers in the plane?) I went home one day and realized I was finally confident.
The word solo was brought up at 16 hours, but I was assured that we would do it at a neighboring airport since my home base was a short field runway and very narrow, with little room for error.
Another 4 hours and a month passed, plagued by terrible weather and a terrible work schedule, solo became a distant thought. Until this week.
On Tuesday, another flight cancelled because of bad weather, my CFI informed me at the end of ground instruction the plan for my next lesson, weather depending, was my solo.
I wish he never told me, time allows your imagination to grow very creative.
I also opened my mouth and told some pilot friends about my upcoming big day...which I realized is even worse, because what if my CFI was joking, or I screwed up all my landings and he changed his mind...I couldn't even image the shame!
Fridays weather was perfect. I arrived at the airport and change of plans...we are staying at home doing landings and take offs on our short runway. I go with it, figuring the majority of my bad landings happen here and the only thing I can do it try. I did four circuits, with not a word from the right seat, until he told me to stop and get my logbook out.
Oh boy, I figure now is the time I should confess and let him know I've been faking my cool demeanor and confidence all day. All I manage to say though is
"hey, I'm a little nervous", to which he replies:
"You shouldn't be, but a little nervous is good"
Then he hops out of the plane.
I was thinking to myself ,well that confession didn't go well.
I shrugged, got ready and made my radio call.
Then I took off.
First thoughts:
1. Man this plane is trying to jump off the runway
2. I knew it was going to climb quick but I'm almost at pattern altitude and I just turned crosswind.
3. As I turned downwind the grandiosity of the moment hit me. I was not a bit nervous, I was excited, I talked to myself the whole leg of the pattern.
I glided a lot more landing, but I expected it. I taxied off and I heard my CFI over radio congratulate me and tell me simply: do it again.
So I did.
Then I did it a third time.
I was singing the batman theme song to myself on my downwind...you know the nanananana Batman!
And forgot to reduce my RPM's and put flaps...I did it eventually but it was actually the first time I swore my whole first solo. I was proud.
Another amazing landing, I was ready to bring the plane home when my instructor asked if I wanted one more. And I did, so I did.
As I pulled up to the fuel pumps and got out of the plane, I was more excited than I could have imagined. In fact I was told after I was probably the most excited student after soloing they've seen in a longtime. As I stood for pictures with the plane, the older pilots that drink coffee in the office every morning opened all the windows along the side of the building and all I could see was hands hanging out the numerous windows, all clapping.
My standing ovation. The mental picture of the whole day I will never forget. A few came out to tell me my landings were actually really nice as well.
So that was my solo. Moving on, but I can't imagine another milestone being as big as being in a plane, above the earth, by yourself for the very first time.
Hope to be able to contribute here more and more as I gain experience.
And for what it's worth, I'm very proud to have solo'd at 20 hours, it's what worked for me
My background in aviation includes
1. Watching the movie Airplane about 100 times
2. A very short love affair with throwing myself out of a plane that I gave up on this summer because I became uneasy with the risks
So, I have no real background at all.
After deciding I didn't want to skydive, I felt empty and just wanted to be in the sky. I woke up one day and thought, why not be a pilot?
So I impulsively called the local flight school at a nearby airport and showed up for a discovery flight.
Being a bit unsure of myself, not sure as the only female student if I'd even be taken seriously, I started the journey.
After the first 4 hours flying, I was sure that I was wasting my money. I was starting landings and I was terrible, and on top of that, I had a tendency to swear like a pirate and play damsel in distress simultaneously when a landing went wrong.
Clearly I wasn't made for flying.
A few drives to the airport I wanted to just give up. Around 12 hours I plateaued.
I could land with a lot of verbal assistance, but I wasn't making an inch of progress.
Then after a few more hours it clicked. Something clicked and my feet used the rudders with little thought, I was able to multitask and control airspeed, flap and watch altitude and make radio calls without forgetting something.
I still swore now and then landing, but it was reduced to one word and was followed by immediate correction of the issue. (As well as the usual question from my CFI who asked if I was going to swear with passengers in the plane?) I went home one day and realized I was finally confident.
The word solo was brought up at 16 hours, but I was assured that we would do it at a neighboring airport since my home base was a short field runway and very narrow, with little room for error.
Another 4 hours and a month passed, plagued by terrible weather and a terrible work schedule, solo became a distant thought. Until this week.
On Tuesday, another flight cancelled because of bad weather, my CFI informed me at the end of ground instruction the plan for my next lesson, weather depending, was my solo.
I wish he never told me, time allows your imagination to grow very creative.
I also opened my mouth and told some pilot friends about my upcoming big day...which I realized is even worse, because what if my CFI was joking, or I screwed up all my landings and he changed his mind...I couldn't even image the shame!
Fridays weather was perfect. I arrived at the airport and change of plans...we are staying at home doing landings and take offs on our short runway. I go with it, figuring the majority of my bad landings happen here and the only thing I can do it try. I did four circuits, with not a word from the right seat, until he told me to stop and get my logbook out.
Oh boy, I figure now is the time I should confess and let him know I've been faking my cool demeanor and confidence all day. All I manage to say though is
"hey, I'm a little nervous", to which he replies:
"You shouldn't be, but a little nervous is good"
Then he hops out of the plane.
I was thinking to myself ,well that confession didn't go well.
I shrugged, got ready and made my radio call.
Then I took off.
First thoughts:
1. Man this plane is trying to jump off the runway
2. I knew it was going to climb quick but I'm almost at pattern altitude and I just turned crosswind.
3. As I turned downwind the grandiosity of the moment hit me. I was not a bit nervous, I was excited, I talked to myself the whole leg of the pattern.
I glided a lot more landing, but I expected it. I taxied off and I heard my CFI over radio congratulate me and tell me simply: do it again.
So I did.
Then I did it a third time.
I was singing the batman theme song to myself on my downwind...you know the nanananana Batman!
And forgot to reduce my RPM's and put flaps...I did it eventually but it was actually the first time I swore my whole first solo. I was proud.
Another amazing landing, I was ready to bring the plane home when my instructor asked if I wanted one more. And I did, so I did.
As I pulled up to the fuel pumps and got out of the plane, I was more excited than I could have imagined. In fact I was told after I was probably the most excited student after soloing they've seen in a longtime. As I stood for pictures with the plane, the older pilots that drink coffee in the office every morning opened all the windows along the side of the building and all I could see was hands hanging out the numerous windows, all clapping.
My standing ovation. The mental picture of the whole day I will never forget. A few came out to tell me my landings were actually really nice as well.
So that was my solo. Moving on, but I can't imagine another milestone being as big as being in a plane, above the earth, by yourself for the very first time.
Hope to be able to contribute here more and more as I gain experience.
And for what it's worth, I'm very proud to have solo'd at 20 hours, it's what worked for me
