Remembering your first solo flight

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Grasshopper

Filing Flight Plan
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Grasshopper
We always have certain memories about flying, but one that almost all of us never forget, is that first solo flight. It has all the elements of planning, the application of motor skills and coordination, and is a confidence builder that can be applied in many areas of life. In most cases, people grow in so many ways by taking on the personal challenge of learning how to fly.

I remember mine like it was yesterday, a cold overcast April day back in the late 90's in a Cessna 152. A memory I will always carry with me the rest of my life.

Whether it was 50 years ago or just a few days ago, I hope this Thread brings back that time when you first had that great experience of truly being the Pilot in Command.

What was your experience like?
 
Damn that airplane leapt off the ground without 120 lb of flight instructor in the right seat.
 
I was so nervous that I was glad to have it over with. Great feeling of accomplishment afterwards. I enjoyed my first CC solo much more. I was much more confident about flying solo by that point. First time I really felt like a pilot since I had to use all of the skills including navigation. Great memories that will always be with me.
 
November 23, 2012, the day after Thanksgiving. I was in a 1974 Cessna 172N on runway 26 at KRTS (Stead, NV... home of the Reno Air Races).

I flew from Reno up to Stead with my CFI and after 3 touch-and-gos, he took the controls before I could "go" again. He pulled us off the runway and stopped. He asked me how I'd feel about him getting out of the plane. I felt it was time so he stepped out and stood by the side of the runway.

The taxi back down to 26 had me saying "I can do this" out loud to myself. I'd never been in the plane alone before with the engine running. The takeoff was easy and it climbed really good without the extra 265 pounds. It didn't really sink in until I was abeam the numbers and adding 10 degrees of flaps. Runway 26 is right traffic so looking back at the runway was easier without my CFI there. I made a nice landing and went to pick him up.

His policy is first solo is one lap. We flew back to Reno and I met my family for dinner at my brother's house. It was pretty exciting to have soloed that day with most of my family in town.

I think my favorite flight though was my first solo long cross country because I went to an airport I had never been to before. That was in January and it bitterly cold when I landed at Winnemucca (KWMC) and heard the AWOS report "Density Altitude minus 1600 feet"
 
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The only thing I remember about my first solo was how nervous I was when the instructor climbed out. And, how badly I had to pee afterward.

Now, flying home after my PP check-ride; I remember that like it was yesterday!
 
You never forget that first solo.what a rush.
 
I made the mistake of wearing one of my best shirts that day. :redface:
I was so green I didn't realize what came after the solo. :D
 
Stingray Don said:
I was so nervous that I was glad to have it over with. Great feeling of accomplishment afterwards. I enjoyed my first CC solo much more. I was much more confident about flying solo by that point. First time I really felt like a pilot since I had to use all of the skills including navigation. Great memories that will always be with me.
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My first XC solo was today...definitely a more memorable experience than my first solo. The first one was fun, I figured out that my CFI really had taught me how to land a plane but the XC, WOW...I was actually flying the airplane, at altitude, dealing with different controllers, airports and situations all without getting lost, by myself so I had to be sure not eff anything up so bad that I couldn't resolve it on my own.
 
I honestly don't recall a thing about it. The check ride, that's another story.
 
I soloed on my parent's 30th anniversary. It's the only reason I remember the date. Couldn't tell you anything else about the day. Solo was a yawn. My instructor said I was ready to solo after the 2nd lesson, but wouldn't sign me off until I had as many hours as he did when he solo'd. It was a 152, but I couldn't tell you the tail number without going to my logbook.
 
1988 I had been flying the 150, showed up for my lesson and my instructor informs me the 150 is down for maintenance and asks if I want to take the 172. We go out and do about 5 takes off and landings at which point he asks if I want to solo it. I say sure, he signs me off gets out and I do my 1st solo with less then 45 minutes logged in a 172. Most of all I remember looking over at the empty seat beside me as I was climbing out on my 1st solo take off.

Brian
 
It was way back in 2013 if I am remembering properly.
Back then a gallon of avgas would only set you back five and a half bucks or so.

My instructor taught me out of KGLE. I sometimes wonder if he still has his outfit up there. He's older now. Probably in his mid 20s for sure.

Cessna 172. I can still remember the tail number 7710U.

My kids were little and I had fewer grey hairs.
Just to give this younger generation some perspective on what it was like at that time.
I could rent the plane wet w/ the instructor for $145 an hour.

I am sure nowadays its at least $150 an hour. But these are different times.

Time sure has flown by. I still remember it pretty clearly.
Of course that was back when Go Pros were all the rage so I still have the video which helps the old memory.

What a great day it was.
 
MAKG1 said:
Damn that airplane leapt off the ground without 120 lb of flight instructor in the right seat.
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Yes...HA!! My Instructor was about 250 lbs. and on my first solo takeoff my 152 was climbing like a rocket that I had to throttle back!
 
Don't really remember to be honest. Couldn't tell you how many landings I did.
 
First solo in a C150 (Aero Club) at Osan Air Base, S.Korea in 1974. After my third touch and go, tower advised that my CFI said I could do a few more. I said something to the effect of negative, I'd do a full stop. Guess I didn't want to push my luck or something. :)
 
I have no recollection of that day. Seriously.
 
My first solo was at New Bedford, MA (EWB).

Winds favored 14. There is an old cemetery right before the threshold of runway 14. Kind of a sobering experience feeling flying over a bunch of tombstones every time in your first solo.
 
It was nearly 50 years ago (1967). The first two trips around the pattern were quite routine. However, when I turned downwind for my third and final landing, I was surprised to see two airplanes, obviously flying together, coming at me - right at pattern altitude. Some quick evasive action was in order, and I made a low pass across town in the process. I returned to the airport and landed without incident. Never saw those two planes again (they weren't local, and didn't land at that airport).

Dave
 
Mine was in 1996 in Lafayette, IN, but I can't remember anything else about it.
 
I just remember looking in the back of the 152 to see if anyone was there.....

And forgetting to pick up my instructor....
 
Back in the late 60's, MGY, Cherokee 180, 9505J. I remember the aircraft and N number because about two years later, I experienced an engine failure (ate a valve) in the same aircraft. I remember everything about that and not much about the first solo. :wink2:

Cheers
 
There had been a bank robbery, followed by an attempted hijacking and shooting earlier in the day. I headed to the airport as soon as it reopened. The news crews were there, doing their remotes for the 5pm news. They were positioned to get the airport in the background, so that airplane in the pattern, over the shoulder of the reporter, was me.

I remember doing things exactly as trained. Everything was fine until I took a peek at the empty seat next to me when I was on downwind the first time. That's when it hit me that I really was alone. I told myself, "Self, you are the only one that can do this." Landing went just fine, so did the next two. Then I scheduled my next lesson and went home for a beer.
 
October 8, 1978 in a 1946 Piper Cub. Dad climbed out and told me to do three touch and go's. I remember how much quicker it got off and climbed with 200 less pounds in it...even with only 65hp.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I remember it clearly.... It was the most memorable moments of any aviation rating I have achieved.
 
September 15, 1967, Fullerton CA, C-150G N744JG.

student_license.jpg
 
I just remember my instructor (a chap by the name of "Dale Goodnight") hopping out of the plane and sending me out to do my three full stops. This apparently was not lost on the control tower who after my first takeoff inquired if it didn't fly a whole lot better without that fat guy in the right seat.
 
RevDMV said:
I honestly don't recall a thing about it.
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I don't remember my first solo either. I recall in detail other milestones from my private pilot training, my second flight lesson and my solo cross countries, but not my first solo.
 
I'll never forget it. It was New Year's Eve 2011 and my wife was en route to pick me up after my training flight.

I had no idea I was going to solo, but next thing I knew, he jumped out and said "Give me three good ones!" and closed the door.

So no fancy camera's on board, no distractions, just me and the airplane - alone. I rotate and get airborne and it hits me that I'm actually solo in an airplane. A combination of complete elation mixed with a little panic. ;0 I feel the blood flow out of my legs a bit but the smile on my face is ear-to-ear.

Once I get midfield downwind, I hear my clearance to land but it's in an oddly familiar voice. My wife had arrived early and was giving me my first clearance to land.
"You're clear to land runway 26 my love." Well so much for clear visual to the runway... I cleared the sudden condensation from my eyes - must have been dusty - and setup for final.

The video tells the rest from my wife's point of view. Obviously a little nervous so the camera is shaky.

I'll never forget that day as it was one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this, as I love reliving that moment in time.

 
It was 43 years ago at age 17... My memory of it is really of the Super 8 movie my mother took as I was making the landings... I don't remember much of anything else except that my instructor was sick that day and a substitute was told to let me go...

However, I remember almost every mile of my solo 300 mile Cross country... I left at 9am and got back at sunset on a Cold, Plattsburgh NY, January day... I was feeling tall and proud as I climbed out of my trusty C-152 N67322 with no-one to meet me but a brisk cold wind as I walked to my car...
 
Dang, you GUH-reased that first landing! :rockon:

Archammer said:
I'll never forget it. It was New Year's Eve 2011 and my wife was en route to pick me up after my training flight.

I had no idea I was going to solo, but next thing I knew, he jumped out and said "Give me three good ones!" and closed the door.

So no fancy camera's on board, no distractions, just me and the airplane - alone. I rotate and get airborne and it hits me that I'm actually solo in an airplane. A combination of complete elation mixed with a little panic. ;0 I feel the blood flow out of my legs a bit but the smile on my face is ear-to-ear.

Once I get midfield downwind, I hear my clearance to land but it's in an oddly familiar voice. My wife had arrived early and was giving me my first clearance to land.
"You're clear to land runway 26 my love." Well so much for clear visual to the runway... I cleared the sudden condensation from my eyes - must have been dusty - and setup for final.

The video tells the rest from my wife's point of view. Obviously a little nervous so the camera is shaky.

I'll never forget that day as it was one of my favorites. Thanks for posting this, as I love reliving that moment in time.

Click to expand...
 
My first solo was a non-event. CFI got out and asked me to make another 3 T&Gs.

My first solo XC was a different story. 150 on an incredibly windy day. I really didn't want to go but my CFI said I'd be fine. 5 miles out and I almost turned around, being bounced around like never before. These were the pre-GPS days and sure enough I was lost in no time. The plane was bouncing so hard the compass fell out of its body. I had no idea what to do so I picked it up and pushed it back in. The turbulence got much worse and I truly believed I was going to perish. Incredibly, I stayed calm and thought my way through it. I buzzed a few water towers to re-orient myself and eventually landed at my first destination.

I got a bite to eat from the vending machine and talked to the owner of the FBO and he assured me that the wind had calmed down, reviewed my flight plan for the other 2 legs. Really, he was a much better CFI than my own. The next 2 legs were just fine.
 
Two weeks ago, wasn't overly nervous. Did 4 landings. I haven't had time to embellish my memories yet, I'll let you know in a few years once I forget.
 
It started out the usual way: The CFI jumped out after the first landing of the day and told me to do three full-stops on my own. The first thing I remember thinking to myself once I was airborne was, "Oh ****. If I screw this up, I'm dead." But that brief moment of terror passed quickly.

In the pattern for the third landing, I unknowingly impressed the owner of the flight school by extending my downwind so the aircraft behind me could get ahead of me and land first. I can't remember exactly what the situation was with that aircraft that necessitated giving them priority. I think it was some sort of mechanical discrepancy, but I don't remember exactly.

Whatever the situation was, I announced that I'd extend downwind so the other plane could get ahead of me and land first. The owner of the flight school was listening in, and he commended me for my "quick thinking" ad nauseum once I was on the ground.

I never did understand what the big deal was, to be quite honest. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.

Rich
 
MAKG1 said:
Damn that airplane leapt off the ground without 120 lb of flight instructor in the right seat.
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120?! Yours must be female.

The C152 sprang off the ground without the 200 lbs of my instructor. :D
 
I remember thinking to myself something like "OMG he's gonna let me solo! Be cool be cool... Woohoo!!! Oh ****ttt what do I do next?!!!! Checklist... wooohoo! **** **** checklist"

I remember being hyper vigilant, totally alert. And that's why I remember nothing else about the flight beyond the fact that it was the first solo. I was aware of everything pertinent to the flight at the time but only long enough to move on to the next task. Or it may be because it happened 20 years ago. :D
 
September 4, 2000. C-172N, N75898. I still fly that plane as the club still has it. 3 trips around the pattern. This was after we had a bird strike while flying dual. Swallow zigged when he should have zagged and I got him with the prop. Didn't hurt the plane, but it ruined that bird's day.

We taxied back to the FBO my CFI was working out of and shut down. He signed me off for solo and I called the tower for taxi instructions to rwy 35 at KOLM. Cleared to taxi and then they cleared the local museum's Corsair to taxi out behind me. Did my run-up, took off and the Corsair was still doing his run-ups when I came around for the 1st T&G. The next time around I had the rather unique view of an airborne Corsair - from above. :yes: Third time around was a full stop landing.

Oh, and I wasn't wearing a great shirt, I knew what to expect. :D
 
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