Solo cross country - surprisingly dull

[TexasAviation]

Today was my long solo cross country flight! And it was pretty boring, at least as boring as FLYING A MACHINE IN THE SKY can be

Weather was perfect. Prep work was thorough. I never got lost. I just flew from point to point in crystal clear visibility, which made it easy to see where I was on the map at all times.

The communications that I thought would be completely overwhelming a few weeks ago turned out to be easy. That seems to be a recurring theme in my training ... going from overwhelming and seemingly impossible one week, to routine and simple the next.

I've still got to do the short cross country flight, then polish up for the checkride, but this flying thing is starting to feel like second nature to me. I definitely feel like a pilot today.

 

[NickC99]

Congrats! The XC solos were the flights where I felt more accomplished. Going around the patch... eh...

Boring = good! My long solo XC was a little less than boring. I launched after 12 noon on a hot, humid north Florida day. Plenty of thermals to bounce the 152 and me about... :-|

 

[frfly172]

Congrats,sorry you were bored.

 

[brian]]

ME: I just set the AP and take a nap.

the engine will let me know when it is time to switch tanks




Seriously: bring a camera - or at least pull out your camera phone. Pics are pretty cool from the air.

 

[murphey]

Long cross countries in the flatlands are incredibly boring. I try to take someone along for a number of reasons - keep me awake, share the flying, help watch the skies, keep me awake...

 

[Ghery]

Seriously: bring a camera - or at least pull out your camera phone. Pics are pretty cool from the air.

Funny thing about that. I remember my CFI discouraging student pilots from taking pictures while flying solo. Too much distraction. Different thoughts on that abound.

 

[brian]]

Here's a picture of.. Yep, me!

(somewhere over 'who cares' Kansas.)

But Yea, you still have to fly the airplane..

 

[ClimbnSink]

Hey you aren't supposed to admit airplanes are boring. You might be a sailplane or helicopter pilot, keeps things interesting.

 

[Unit74]

I was scared out of my mind..... Flew from Carlsbad, ca to Riverside Muni, to Bracket and back to CRQ. Look at the maps and you'll understand. Add a bit of SoCal haze inland and top it with an encroaching marine layer upon arriving home where the field was basically being taken over as I was on final..... Yea....worst day flying ever for me. Ever.

So be thankful it was uneventful....it could have been much worse!

 

[96gs917]

Congrats on the X-country. I am prepping for mine, but putting in a lot of solo time having recently been cleared to fly to the practice area, and an airport about 15 minutes away.

Flying on my own, which at one point seemed like an impossibility, is an unbelievable feeling that I hope never gets to be routine.

 

[somorris]

Flying and boring don't go together in the same paragraph . You must have been doing something wrong.

Congrats on your XC.

 

[KennyC]

Congrats, you've come a long way! And boring just means that you were prepared.

 

[MikeELP]

Here's a picture of.. Yep, me!

(somewhere over 'who cares' Kansas.)

But Yea, you still have to fly the airplane..

Isn't that pretty much ALL of Kansas?

Mike

 

[Circuit Flyer]

Congrats, Texas Aviation!!

 

[jordane93]

Congrats! My long solo cross country for my commercial requirement was really boring as well. I think I logged 8 hours solo that day.

 

[Mike Smith]

I did mine last Saturday. Hot and hazy,, bumpy as could be. Wasn't boring, but it wasn't exactly fun either.

 

[Hank S]

I did mine last Saturday. Hot and hazy,, bumpy as could be. Wasn't boring, but it wasn't exactly fun either.

Yeah, that happens, it's all part of the price we pay for those beautiful flights like I had Tuesday evening. My student XCs weren't boring, I was too busy filling out the Nav log and matching the windshield view to the sectional, to say nothing of checking my position.

But the feeling of accomplishment! Feeling like I was a real pilot! Welcome to the fun part of learning to fly, where it all comes together.

 

[MickYoumans]

Even though I fly the same XC's going back and forth to work each week, I never get tired of flying. Every time I cross over I-20 and see the traffic I say a little prayer of thanks for being 'up here' instead of 'down there'. Flying for 45-50 minutes beats two hours in traffic any day for me.

If you are shooting pictures with a simple point-and-shoot camera or iPhone camera I don't see where it is too distracting. If you were shooting with a more complex SLR, yes I could see where that could potiently be a problem.

Here are a couple of iPhone pics I shot this evening flying home from work. The first is Lake Murray in South Carolina. The second is Plant Vogtle.

 

[MickYoumans]

Plant Vogtle

 

[NJP_MAN]

Plant Vogtle

Cool pic. I had pics from the inside back in 2007 or so.

 

[woodchucker]

I'm a new PPL, as of August. Most of my solos were uneventful except for one.... down in mid-Utah the winds started going berserk. Gusting around the compass. Got the plane down and up again and enough was enough. Just took my first XC post-PPL last weekend. KBTF - KBOI for my $500 burger, and returned that day. Total of 6.1 hours. Fantastic flight, except the fact that COM1 seemed to be only working within a 10 nm range (KBOI was relaying instructions and clearances through another aircraft), the winds were gusting 20 kts up the runway, and on the return I got caught in some mountain gusts that set the plane into a 30 degree down-bank dive momentarily. I got back just as the sun was setting... thankfully. I wasn't in the mood for full night landings.

Don't take anything for granted. Ever.

Pictures include the Spiral Jetty in Salt Lake, KBOI, the mountains that created the fun return trajectory, and sunset.

 

[LDJones]

Even though I fly the same XC's going back and forth to work each week, I never get tired of flying. Every time I cross over I-20 and see the traffic I say a little prayer of thanks for being 'up here' instead of 'down there'. Flying for 45-50 minutes beats two hours in traffic any day for me.

If you are shooting pictures with a simple point-and-shoot camera or iPhone camera I don't see where it is too distracting. If you were shooting with a more complex SLR, yes I could see where that could potiently be a problem.

Here are a couple of iPhone pics I shot this evening flying home from work. The first is Lake Murray in South Carolina. The second is Plant Vogtle.

I can fire up and shoot a pic with my DSLR much quicker and easier than my iPhone!

OP, Congrats on the solo Xc!

 

[35 AoA]

Congrats! Like others have said boring is good. Mine started with getting stuck in a snow storm and ended with a failed alternator and then being nordo once the battery ran out and taking the light gun signals to a landing. Not exactly ideal

 

[MrGumpo]

I just got back from my second XC solo.
2.8 hours, Sn63 -> KAVK -> KANY -> Sn63
Time sure flies when you're flying, I had plenty to do even though the radio was quiet like only western Kansas and Oklahoma can be.

I will say this, GPS is the best thing to happen to avaition since the airplane. You can quote me on that.

 

[NHPilot]

Finish my long XC last week and it was anything but dull. Got cleared into Boston class B airspace en-route to Hyannis. Got vectored right over Logan and snapped this pic!