Memory Lane--your first solo?

Memory Lane--your first solo. . . How well do you remember it?

  • Vividly. I can describe it in grahic, digital-quality detail.

    Votes: 56 70.9%

  • Kinda. . . But I definitely remember getting the shirt tails cut.

    Votes: 15 19.0%

  • Uh. . . sort of. . . maybe. It's either age or I was scared poopless when I done it.

    Votes: 8 10.1%

  • I'm still waiting to solo.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    79
  • Poll closed .
C

CowboyPilot

Guest
We clipped the shirt tails off another budding aviator yesterday and he swore he'd never forget the day he first solo'd.

Got us to talking. Who remembered their first solo?

We were split about half and half as to how well we remembered it. Mine was over 32 years ago and is just a haze. But another old geezer solo'd over 50 years ago and remembers every detail.

How 'bout you--what and how much do you remember?

Regards.

-JD
 
I don't reckon I count - it was less than a year ago - but I honestly don't see how I would EVER forget any of it! I mean, really! :D :D :D
 
Yup. 40 years ago next September 15. Cessna 150F, N8188S, Fullerton, California, instructor James G. Gelder, a very patient and very nice man.

19670915.jpg


-- Pilawt
 
The most memorable part of my solo was how the Tomahawk actually climbed after the instructor got out. The rest of the time was spent watching the other 5 or 6 folks in the pattern - I was too busy to really notice that I was alone. :) But that good airplane - N9087A, which I also flew for my PP checkride - got parted out later that year.

--Cedric
 
I remember mine ... but had to look up the date ... 5/23/78 ... C-150 from NAS Flying Club. NAS Millington, TN. I remember most of the details of the solo ... the instructor getting out, the "don't let me f*%#@ this up" prayer as I taxied back out, the "do the checklist, do it again, do it again" on the pattern and the "whoo hoooo!!!!!" on touchdown, the "well done" from Chief Gregor. Had to ponder a few minutes for the name of the field, tho, ... Arlington Municipal is now a housing development. http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TN/Airfields_TN_W.htm
 
1984, RAF Lakenheath in the UK(Ron you flew Ardvarks from there too, right?). N51590 a Piper Tomahawk. Went up in the pattern with my CFI Sean. We pull back to the aeroclub he gets out asks for my medical and says "while I sign this you go do three take off and landings and then come back".

Of I go and I do the best to and am feeling great until final.. That is when I realize I have to land this sucker without anyone next to me to bail me out if I mess up. I do a great job, best landing ever! Back around again to an ok landing, third time I am feeling great, lot of confidence, worst landing ever. But at least I did not bend anything!
 
I remember almost driving off the runway when I tried to close the open window on takeoff in the little 15duece.
I also remember my first day of driving a car solo when I almost hit a parked car while I was trying to light a smoke.
I'm glad I made those stupid mistakes early on and didn't get into any trouble.
I also remember on my second solo flight tower asked if I could do a LAHSO, and I responded "uh, I don't think so". Tower said ok. Some other flight instructor came on the radio and said, "good call Dave". I still wonder if it was a test, or if they didn't realize I was a student pilot.
It's funny, now that I've been doing tons of flying, mostly doing the traffic watch, how tower expects me to do all kinds of crazy stuff (well, not that crazy really)....LAHSO, best forward speed to the numbers, short approaches...you name it, they've asked it. They consider me a pro, and it's flattering, especially considering I took my first flight lesson three years ago last saturday.
 
My solo was a memorable incident! We started out doing the usual touch and goes, and finally my instructor suggested it was time for me to solo. I jumped at it, as I felt very confident at that point. We taxied to the base of the tower (Class D) where he did the endorsements, climbed out, and went up the tower to observe from that viewpoint.

I ran the checklists, but when I tried to release the brakes in the PA-28, they would not release. Now this had happened once before, when I had pulled the brakes on too tightly, and undoubtedly had done this again (what nerves???). The problem was that the tower was being inspected by FAA personnel that day. I had the choice of pulling harder than I dared on the brakes to release them, or exiting the cockpit and re-entering head first to see if I could see what was wrong under the control panel (and visualizing the FAA looking down on a student pilot with his head under the panel), or calling for help. What with the FAA’s noses looking down on me, pride got shoved to the rear and I decided the best action was to call for help. I exited the cockpit, and my CFI exited the tower on the fire escape way up there, hollered down to see what was wrong. I yelled back “stuck brake” and he called the FBO for the maintenance guy on duty.

10 minutes later he shows up and, with a mighty tug, frees the parking brake. He said nothing but his look was clear: “F***ing Student Pilots…” and further words not fit to transcribe.

After that, all was well. Three trips around the pattern, left pattern first then right pattern (for inbound IFR traffic) and a final lap left traffic.

“Well done!” from the tower and now it is just a wonderful memory…

4198F - PA-28-181

-Skip
 
Yep. Just over 4 years ago.

My first attempted solo landing was also my first non-practice go around. An idiot pulled onto the runway when I was on short final. When I got back to the FBO, my instructor told me that guy had a habit of taking the runway without checking for traffic.

My instructor then filled out my log book, cut my shirt, and took me next door for a couple of celabratory beers. :D
 
All I remember about my first fixed wing solo was having to go around because I had a horrendous drift to the left -- almost put the Warrior down in the grass. I do remember on my climb out on upwind thinking "You *%$#$. You better figure out how to get this thing down on the ground because there's nobody here to help you!". I made 3 or 4 landings that didn't break me or the airplane, so I guess I did ok...

My first helicopter solo was just about a non-event except for my initial liftoff to a hover. I knew the helo was going to be squirrely and butt heavy without the extra 175 pounds of CFI in the left seat, but it still surprised me. I don't suppose it took me more than a couple of seconds to get it under control, but it sure seemed like it took an hour. After that the patterns were booooorrrring.

History sort of repeated itself the first time I flew our R44 solo, A that time I had about 30 hours of dual in R44's including the ferry flight back from LA. A friend flew me up to pick up the helicopter after the dealer had inspected following the ferry flight. In was in a hangar in his back yard in a rather confined area requiring about a 50' climb straight up.

After doing my runup and system checks I spooled up to operating rpm, tested the low rpm warning horn, and then started pulling pitch. The helicopter came up long before I expected it to and I had in too much left pedal and so it started to spin to the left. I corrected that, got into a stable hover, and then climbed out. My recollection is that I only needed about 18" of MP to go straight up (with two people on board, I need around 21 to just hold a hover!). That, by the way, was the very first time I had done a true vertical takeoff...
 
I remember both very well :)

The first was July 21, 1975 and a woman my dad was dating (and surrogate mom to me) met me at the terminal when I was done. Her husband and 3 kids had been killed in a GA crash 18 months before, but she was so supportive of my passion. I didn't finish my PPL that summer...the CFI went on to the airlines with little notice to his students.

The second time I soloed was August 30, 2006. I finally finished my PPL 12/29/2006.

31 years between solos.:yes:
 
Great fun; my instructor told me it was coming, and when I had done three TGL at our designated roundy-round strip (TKI), he told me to pull off at the FBO and shut down; counseled me that the plane would fly friskier because it was light, and told me to do 3 or 4 times around.

It all went great, though I remember well looking to the right and seeing that yawningly-empty seat to my right.

When I made my full-stop, the tower congratulated me, and I wondered how he knew it was my first solo, then I realized: my instructor was standing right out there in front of the tower the whole time, kind of obvious.

No shirt-tail cutting, though; was told the owners of the school (both airline types) did not approve of such shenanigans.
 
I'd have to look the date up but I remember the flight. Late afternoon - 15 knot direct cross wind. Did 2 flights in the S-233 with the instructor and when I handled the cross wind with no problem he let me go on the third. 3000 foot tow WAY up wind. Did s turns in to the wind A few circles and was back over the field. Aa few more S turns over the field and a penetration speed run had me jut the right place for the pattern but a tad high. Bring on the spoilers gently. Crab left to track to the base turn point. Stay a little high. Turn base and and set up a quick turn to final because of the tail wind. Have the runway made but still a tad high. Add some spoilers and a little slip. Over the landing end now, full spoilers ease out the slip - now- 5 feet ease off the spoilers, adjust for the cross wind. Level out. Bring te spoilers back in. Little more.. touch down just past the first jug line. Hold the attitude. keep the ground track straight. Ease the spoilers in slowly to get to the brake. Light braking.. slow it down - coast up to the flight line . Full brake. Now let the right ring drop.

Sit in the silence grinning from ear to ear, get out and lose the back of my shirt.


I remember my second "solo" also, In a c150 but it wasn't nearly as much fun. I didn't get to do a dead stick landing.
 
CowboyPilot said:
How 'bout you--what and how much do you remember?
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6/24/79... please don't let me screw this up... man, that seat looks empty over there... oh please oh please don't let me screw this up...#1 bounce, #2 bigger bounce, #3 oh what a bounce...that's it, park this thing.

It got better after that.

Dan
 
CowboyPilot said:
We clipped the shirt tails off another budding aviator yesterday and he swore he'd never forget the day he first solo'd.

Got us to talking. Who remembered their first solo?

We were split about half and half as to how well we remembered it. Mine was over 32 years ago and is just a haze. But another old geezer solo'd over 50 years ago and remembers every detail.

How 'bout you--what and how much do you remember?

Regards.

-JD
Click to expand...

I rmember it, kinda hazy though, it was uneventfull and lot's of much more eventfull things have happened in the interveening years. My old 12 track brain has over written a lot of that track....
 
I don't remember mine. At all. My first solo cross country, on the other hand, is pretty vivid - especially the part about getting lost and having a radio failure.
 
September 4, 2000. N75898, a nice C-172N with the Penn Yan 180 hp conversion. CFI and I had been circling the patch, had a bird strike on one approach, stopped, inspected for damage (none, got that swallow with the prop, unequal contest) and went up again. Landed, taxied to the FBO and he signed my solo endorsement and sent me out for three trips around the pattern. While taxiing out the tower cleared the local museum's Corsair out behind me. He was still doing his runups when I came around for my first T&G. He was airborne the next time around. A unique perspective, looking down on an airborne Corsair. :yes: Went around one more time for the worst of the three landings. Taxied back to the FBO and lost my shirt tail. :D

I still fly that plane now and then, it belongs to our club.
 

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It's only been a couple years for me, but I have a memory like a seive, so the details are a bit hazy. For my ASEL solo, I really only remember four things:
  1. I can't believe they just gave me an airplane and I'm allowed to fly it!
  2. Holy cow, this 152 climbs like a bat out of hell all of a sudden!
  3. It sure is quiet in here with nobody talking to me.
  4. I didn't screw it up! I'm the king of the world!
My glider solo took a lot longer. I really had some serious confidence issues in the glider. The three things I remember from that are:
  1. Coming in a bit too low on my second flight into a runway with trees on either side of the approach so that I had little maneuvering room and then having an 80 year old man shuffle accross the runway threshold when I was on short final. I didn't think I had the height to get over his head and my brakes were already closed. Luckily, he finally heard my instructor yelling and accelerated to 'fast shuffle' and made it accross.
  2. My wife sneaking up behind me with the men's room trash can full of cold water and getting me very, very wet.
  3. Walking around for a couple hours afterwards amongst the croud of people out that day to watch the flying with the back of my shirt cut off. I knew that 95% thought I was a nutter and probably homeless, but the other 5% understood that I was one of them now.
Chris
 
I'm not sure anybody cares but:

Mine was in the middle of a strange summer, living here in NYC. I had stopped flying sometime in the middle of the spring right before I was supposed to solo, after a friend of mine crashed, and died. After a three month layoff, I couldn't stand life without flying and went back to a different airport, for a change of scenery, and flight school. I had had one lesson previously, and realized that I needed to keep flying in my life. I came back the next week, to a different instructor. I remember it so clearly, it was the middle of July, I was nervous because my mom was in the hospital (everything turned out okay) and I wasn't sure where my life was going. I went up with the new instructor for an hour, and didn't feel like I really had flown particularly well, which was probably because it was only my 2nd flight back after a three month layoff. Still, I must have impressed my instructor, because after I landed he said in his great accent, "Okay, rrob, you are ready to solo. Next week, you solo." Not being sure if I was going to be in town a week later, I asked if I could solo now, the instructor thought for a few seconds and decided I could solo today if I wanted to. As he signed my papers the nervousness pooled in my shoes, and I was practically jittery walking back out to the plane. I did okay, and I don't really remember much of the flight or landings, but I know that I survived.
That day was pretty memorable for me.
The plane I soloed in, sadly, was lost in a fatal 6 months ago.

Sorry for such a long post.
 
1/16/1999 N89106 C152

Always worried about how the CFI would know I was ready. That day, the flying just felt great! Couple times around the patch....coming in for the landing and everything is spot on....damn CFI tells me to go around. Frustrated, I executed the go around and then it dawned on me.....he's going to get out of the plane next time. He did and 3 more times around, I was one of those backless shirt folks hanging out at the airport. :D

Kaye
 
I fall in the "too much water under the bridge" category. Heck, I have enough trouble remembering the details of what happened yesterday, let alone 30 :eek: years ago.
 
cwyckham said:
It's only been a couple years for me, but I have a memory like a seive, so the details are a bit hazy. For my ASEL solo, I really only remember four things:
  1. I can't believe they just gave me an airplane and I'm allowed to fly it!
  2. Holy cow, this 152 climbs like a bat out of hell all of a sudden!
  3. It sure is quiet in here with nobody talking to me.
  4. I didn't screw it up! I'm the king of the world!
My glider solo took a lot longer. I really had some serious confidence issues in the glider. The three things I remember from that are:
  1. Coming in a bit too low on my second flight into a runway with trees on either side of the approach so that I had little maneuvering room and then having an 80 year old man shuffle accross the runway threshold when I was on short final. I didn't think I had the height to get over his head and my brakes were already closed. Luckily, he finally heard my instructor yelling and accelerated to 'fast shuffle' and made it accross.
  2. My wife sneaking up behind me with the men's room trash can full of cold water and getting me very, very wet.
  3. Walking around for a couple hours afterwards amongst the croud of people out that day to watch the flying with the back of my shirt cut off. I knew that 95% thought I was a nutter and probably homeless, but the other 5% understood that I was one of them now.
Chris
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my first airplane solo was boring. i just did the three landings and came back, nothing interesting happened. although i do remember being slightly nervous. the landings were good, and each got better, IIRC.

First glider solo was quite fun. took a 2 or 3000 foot tow, towpilot waved me off, as previously arranged, and i glided around. it was the first week of november so there were no thermals, but i did a few turns and enjoyed the silence. entered the pattern and saw that everyone had left! we were operating off a runway that is not near the club "headquarters" and Matt and the towpilot had gone back over there. I decided that since I didnt feel like pulling the Blanik off the runway on my own I would land in the grass infields. made a nice smooth touchdown and rollout, got out, had a big smile. Pretty soon matt came racing over and we put the glider together.

My "second" solo in gliders came the next march, in Marfa, TX and it was pretty cool. After a full day of pretty intense training I was exhausted. We had done a couple 200-250 foot tow failures with return. It seems like those wear me out fast, even if I know they are coming. After last tow failure matt says "ok im getting out, Ill pull you onto runway and you can go solo" I made him wait a few minutes so I could get a break and then off I went. That week of flying was quite fun, did my first real soaring, had my first solo altitude gain. Matt and I went to 12,000 in a texas boomer. And I got my commercial glider in one of the toughest checkrides ive ever had.
 
May 12, 2005-Beechcraft Sundowner at KFTY. My Flight instructor shot a video of the (if I may say so myself) three very nice landings. I remember climbing out thinking..."holy smokes, this baby climbs!" and "Oh dear God please don't leave me to my own devices, see me through this!" I do not believe that I have experienced that "aura" since that day. I am 50 (49 at the time) and I must tell you I had a great sense of pride that event took place.
 
Mine was last year, and it was fifteen below and snowing lightly! (but ceiling and visibility were good.) And I haven't been flying for a while now because of $$ issues, so hopefully soon I'll get to do it over again. ;) (I'll try not to bounce this time.)
 
6/19/74. Piper Super Cub. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was also my 16th birthday. I had a lesson with my instructor then he had me taxi to the tower and let him out there. It was a controlled field but it wasn't a very busy one. I remember after one or two landings the controller had me extend downwind so he could land another airplane,,,,, and he forgot about me. Several miles later I had to call and remind him I was still on downwind. My instructor was in the tower so I don't know why he never said anything unless he was wanting to see how I would handle it. Anyway I remember it was a great feeling and the airplane flew so much better with only one person in it. I think I still have the shirt tail.:)
 
Vivid memory. It was my 16th birthday. Being able to finally drive my motorcycle legally on the streets to the airport was a thrill to start with. I was SO glad to be able to fly without my CFI! He didn't smell very good, and liked to hug me in the airplane. He did stuff that nowadays would make him lose his license. Anyway, I was glad to be able to fly without him finally.

When I came in to land, I was too high and too hot, and knew it, but he felt obligated to wave his crutch at me from down there on the runway to go around. He had only one leg, and no prosthesis. I can still see him standing on his one leg waving that crutch at me. I knew I needed to go around and he didn't need to wave his crutch at me! Insert indignant 16-year-old emoticon here! :D
 

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CowboyPilot said:
How 'bout you--what and how much do you remember?
Click to expand...

I knew I was close, and I reserved N6454J on a nice Saturday in late March of 2003. CFI liked everything about my landings except that I always landed left of centerline. So, he told me to make a few landings on the centerline and I could solo.

First time landing on the centerline, I added power for the go and felt a funny shimmy. I pulled power and told Tower that we were aborting the go. Looked out my window, all was good. Told CFI to look out his window - Flat tire. Couldn't taxi even with full power, so we told tower we needed help to get off the runway and shut down.

So we're standing outside on a 9000 x 150 runway at a class C airport, watching all the airliners land on 21 'cuz we closed "their" runway. I turn to my CFI and say, "I told you that centerline was dangerous." :rofl: With the help of the operations staff and some line guys, we managed to get the airplane on the never-used Taxiway Kilo. We rode back to the FBO in the Operations SUV.

Unfortunately, by that point my CFI had another student and the other 172N was already taken, so that was the end of my flying day, with no solo.

That night, under cover of darkness and with police blocking any curious would-be onlookers, the mayor of Chicago committed an atrocious, arrogant act of vandalism when he sent heavy equipment to Northerly Island to destroy the runway at Meigs Field by carving large X's into the concrete. :mad::mad::mad: :(:(:(:(:(

The next day, my favorite bird, N3421E was all mine. After joining in the hangar talk about Meigs for a bit, my CFI and I went around the patch a couple of times and returned to the FBO. It was mostly uneventful. I wasn't afraid at all, and I wasn't as elated as I thought I should be after hearing others' first solo stories. I'd been waiting for this, and I felt ready. It just felt completely... RIGHT. For me to be there, alone with the bird. The only "event" was that I bounced the heck out of the second "landing" (three bounces, each closer to the edge of the runway) and went around. Being an old pro on the radio by now, I didn't tell Tower it was my first solo until I was finished, at which point they congratulated me.
 
My training was at Jax Navy Flying Club at NAS Jacksonville (Navy Jax) and my instructor was a retired Navy mechanic, John Masterson. I'm sure he's passed on long ago now. He spent his last years working on US Customs planes after they were banged up from chasing drug runners. His shop was in the same hangar as the flying club so he was always nearby.

We went up to Herlong as usual for some "crashes and dashes." We did one around and on the second landing, he told me to make it a full stop. I didn't think much of it as a few times we'd jump out, grab a Coke and yack with others around there.

As I turn off the runway he tells to me taxi back and do a short-field take off. I'm in position then he tells me to hang on. I see him taking his belt off and open the door. While I'm wondering what's wrong, he tells me... "Give me three good landings."

I didn't feel fear but I'm not sure what I was feeling. I knew I could do it but was just hoping I could do it right. As mentioned by others, the plane was definitely lighter by a couple hundred pounds and you could feel it in the Florida Summer heat and humidity. The first two went pretty well but the third was a bit shaky but safe and stable. I felt pretty proud at that point. My shirt tail was never cut off but I still had the memory.

I don't remember a lot of flights with him but that's certainly among the few such as one where he had me flying a 152 into Jax International. I touched down with 85 kts indicated. That was a thrill I enjoyed a few more times. My progress checks were with pilots of P-3 Orions and S-3 Vikings. None of the officers in my own squadron were CFI's but I certainly had a kinship with them when I became a pilot. I was always looking forward to watches in the ready room. The biggest difference was experience and choices of aircraft. I had the 152 and 172. They had something close to a 172 in my eyes. I always thought of the "War Hoover" as an over-sized Skyhawk with two turbofans hanging off the wings. Okay, maybe it was a bit more than that. The Skyhawk wasn't equipped to carry nukes. :)
 
I got to the airport and my instructor told me I was going to solo after we take a trip around the pattern. 1 Trip around and he had me taxi him to his car to watch (it was 25deg outside). I went for the first climb out and the plane started making a horible banging noise on down wind. Everything felt and looked ok but I call the tower to let them know (I told them I am not declaring an emergengy at this time). The tower cleared everybody anyway and when I taxied off the runway ground called to let me (and everybody else) know that a seatbelt was hanging out (whew). I opened the door and pulled the belt in. The next 2 landings and takeoffs were uneventfull.
 
I'm pretty vague on the first solo, other than a snapshot of someone taking the runway when I was on short final on landing #2 and doing a go around. But there are many, many other flying memories that stand out much more vividly. First and last flights of each of the airplanes I've owned. First acrobatics. First time getting the leans while hand flying in IMC. First time flying with Diana...
 
Diana said:
Vivid memory. It was my 16th birthday. Being able to finally drive my motorcycle legally on the streets to the airport was a thrill to start with. I was SO glad to be able to fly without my CFI! He didn't smell very good, and liked to hug me in the airplane. He did stuff that nowadays would make him lose his license. Anyway, I was glad to be able to fly without him finally.

When I came in to land, I was too high and too hot, and knew it, but he felt obligated to wave his crutch at me from down there on the runway to go around. He had only one leg, and no prosthesis. I can still see him standing on his one leg waving that crutch at me. I knew I needed to go around and he didn't need to wave his crutch at me! Insert indignant 16-year-old emoticon here! :D
Click to expand...

I must ask--How did he use the rudder? Switch the one leg between the two pedals?
 
I don't really remember mine all that well now and it's only been just short of two years. Like others here I have several other flights that have more meaning to me. All I really remember was that I did not tell tower per my instructors recommendation that I was solo because I felt that if I needed special treatment solo I wasn't ready to solo.

They requested that I do a short approach and informed a Learjet they were number two behind me. I heard a lady pilot state "I've got the Cessna" followed by me landing as short and tight as I knew how and getting off the runway at the first taxiway to watch the Lear land.
 
Pjsmith said:
DOn't mean to hijack.....but how did he properly function the rudder pedals?
Click to expand...

jesse said:
I must ask--How did he use the rudder? Switch the one leg between the two pedals?
Click to expand...
Yes, that's how he did it. Boy, he could sure move that leg fast back and forth. We did a lot of spins before I soloed and he did those well, too.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Wow, you've been flying since you were 16? That is great!
Click to expand...
I ran out of money after that flight (worked at the airport that summer to pay for flying lessons) and started up again in my 30's. The solo the second time around was much, much harder.
 
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