Solo next weekend

Irish_Armada

Irish_Armada

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Oct 8, 2011
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Irish Armada
Just an update, I'm scheduled to solo next weekend and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm sure by Friday I'll be getting a bit of anxiety but in small doses I think that's probably a good thing. I'm a (every other) weekend warrior and am at about 17 hours so it's taken a while to get here. Fortunately, my last two lessons have been a ton of fun and gone really well so my confidence is high. Speaking of, had my best moment of flight training so far: we did a "tower tour" and flew over to KSMF to do some pattern work around some of the big Southwest boys and I GREASED (in my head anyways) a landing in front of a loaded 737 that was stuck at the end of the runway probably awaiting IFR clearance from wherever it was going. My CFI and I were slapping high-fives for the next 10 minutes and I was beaming the rest of that day. Hoping for similar success this weekend...:eek:
 
Good luck, you will love it! My solo was somewhat recent (September 2011), but I remember every detail of that day. Didn't have a chance to play with big boys yet, but in due time.

BTW. Wear an old shirt (or so I heard, mine is still intact)
 
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I think Funkeruski said it best... lol

Seriously, that is great news- yes, you will feel butterflies but like everyone here told me-- they help to keep you focused. And one other thing, if I may add-- when the plane is lighter, it might take a little bit longer to put it down. Everyone told me that it would hop off the runway, which it did, but as far as it floating a wee bit longer than usual, I wasn't prepared for that. So if that happens, patience grasshoppah...

And have fun!
 
Have a great time during the solo. Still remember mine like it was yesterday and it was like 4 months ago. Your story about Southwest brought back great memories of my first solo. I was chased in by Southwest during my first trip around the pattern solo and just exited the runway as he was in full flare basically touching down. So cool to think about now- not as cool at the time! Enjoy your solo!
 
Tracey said:
I think Funkeruski said it best... lol

Seriously, that is great news- yes, you will feel butterflies but like everyone here told me-- they help to keep you focused. And one other thing, if I may add-- when the plane is lighter, it might take a little bit longer to put it down. Everyone told me that it would hop off the runway, which it did, but as far as it floating a wee bit longer than usual, I wasn't prepared for that. So if that happens, patience grasshoppah...

And have fun!
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Flat Stanley should help to weigh the plane down. I don't think the FAA would mind if he tags along.
 
Make sure they cut your shirt tail and take a picture. Even without all that, it's a day you'll never forget.
 
i got the chocks - good luck
 
UPDATE: we didn't solo yesterday due to a 9 knot crosswind. I was disappointed but obviously was not about to go up in those conditions for my first solo ride. It turned into a great opportunity to practice crosswind landings with my CFI, as we haven't gotten much opportunity to do so just by luck of the weather. Funny how that works: day of my scheduled solo has the worst crosswinds that I've seen in 5 months of flying. Ah well.
 
Good call. I'm just down I-80 from you and I've stayed on the ground because of gusty crosswinds. Maybe next weekend.
 
Hey, you're not that far from me!

There have been a lot of winds lately. Haven't posted about it, but flew over the weekend, gusts btwn 20 - 30, thank goodness I wasn't able to pick up the AWOS or I would have been scared. Landed OK on the coast for a quick dinner and all is well (night flying to boot).

When is your solo now "scheduled" to take place?
 
How many degrees of crosswind was it? Just curious.
Hope it goes well this coming weekend.
 
FlySince9 said:
I guess ignorance IS bliss...:D
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Totally. And when I left in complete darkness with a scary cloud layer coming down (well ok holding steady at 2500 and the TPA was 1000 but still....) the winds were WORSE. I thought night was supposed to be calm. Winds gusting to over 20 knots, straight down the runway, plus or minus 20 degrees, takeoff was a piece of cake (and turns out I'd mixed up a digit on the freq with the AWOS when landing so I was now able to pick up the AWOS). Scary to fly low and slow over the ocean due to the Bravo keeping us off shore but great practice for my upcoming XC which is located down the coastline..... now I know I "can" do it at night if I have to. Freaked out at dinner when I saw O69 had gone from clear below 12,000 to marginal VFR (1800 o/c) and hurried back. BF's first "real" turbulence too.... one large drop out of the sky and some other smaller bumps.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Scary to fly low and slow over the ocean due to the Bravo keeping us off shore but great practice for my upcoming XC which is located down the coastline.....
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That's one thing I am not looking forward to. I have a Bravo airspace that starts at 500' and is over the ocean. So much for 500' from any person, vessel or structure. Let's hope there are no scuba divers who can read my tail number. Going through that Bravo is not an option, since it's for JFK airport...
 
Meanee said:
That's one thing I am not looking forward to. I have a Bravo airspace that starts at 500' and is over the ocean. So much for 500' from any person, vessel or structure. Let's hope there are no scuba divers who can read my tail number. Going through that Bravo is not an option, since it's for JFK airport...
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What route of flight? I've been cleared VFR through the NY bravo a bunch of times. Actually, I've been cleared through more often than not. Are you a student pilot?
 
matthammer said:
What route of flight? I've been cleared VFR through the NY bravo a bunch of times. Actually, I've been cleared through more often than not. Are you a student pilot?
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Student for now. Hoping for a checkride in 2 weeks. Route would be, for example, going from KLDJ to KFRG. I can stay a bit to the south, with 1500 foot ceiling, but I do not want to be that far out above the water, and this low.
 
Meanee said:
That's one thing I am not looking forward to. I have a Bravo airspace that starts at 500' and is over the ocean. So much for 500' from any person, vessel or structure. Let's hope there are no scuba divers who can read my tail number. Going through that Bravo is not an option, since it's for JFK airport...
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Wow, the worst of mine is 1500' and that is a VERY small area over the ocean. The rest of the time I can be at 2000 or higher. 500 sucks.
 
It's not that bad... NY Bravo is more complicated, I believe. There are 3 MAJOR airports in the same Bravo. My home field, KLDJ, 23' elevation, and 800' TPA, Bravo starts at that 800'

http://skyvector.com/?ll=40.633859414296694,-73.92485505807247&chart=119&zoom=4

Plus we have this fun thing cutting right through it. I have to constantly tell briefers that No, I am NOT going there. It requires special training and certificate that you must possess in order to fly there.

http://aasf3-ny.org/4-Standards/Documents/PUBLICATIONS/Training/NY exclusion kneeboard.pdf
 
Holy cow you're right. But, in general, I am glad to live near fairly complex airspace. It has taught me to respect:

Heavies
ATC
Weather
Keeping Eyes OUTSIDE the cockpit

Something I might not have learned in a "the middle of nowhere" place.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Holy cow you're right. But, in general, I am glad to live near fairly complex airspace. It has taught me to respect:

Heavies
ATC
Weather
Keeping Eyes OUTSIDE the cockpit

Something I might not have learned in a "the middle of nowhere" place.
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I live in the middle of nowhere and quite often have a 747 doing touch and goes on the parallel runway next to me.
 
Tracey said:
I need to get better at this, I'm terrible at it.
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I was too, during my training, terrible at it - and heck, last weekend, with very little moon, clouds as low as 2800 feet overcast, a dark ocean and dark mountains, I was pretty much IFR and looked at my instruments a lot. So in that case I had the eyes inside the cockpit going on. I got to use GPS and iPad for airspace, terrain, and other guidance too which was a first. I don't know why the GPS beeps since "terrain" didn't seem that close, I'll have to find out when it beeps (500 feet? 1000 feet?)
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I was too, during my training, terrible at it - and heck, last weekend, with very little moon, clouds as low as 2800 feet overcast, a dark ocean and dark mountains, I was pretty much IFR and looked at my instruments a lot. So in that case I had the eyes inside the cockpit going on. I got to use GPS and iPad for airspace, terrain, and other guidance too which was a first. I don't know why the GPS beeps since "terrain" didn't seem that close, I'll have to find out when it beeps (500 feet? 1000 feet?)
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You obviously did well keeping your eyes outside on your checkride! That's something I think I might get nabbed for (if I ever get to my checkride that is!).
 
Tracey said:
You obviously did well keeping your eyes outside on your checkride! That's something I think I might get nabbed for (if I ever get to my checkride that is!).
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Don't worry about what you will do wrong or right on your checkride. I sucked at cross countries and that is what the DPE said I did the best on my checkride. I kicked butt at slow flight but had to do it over (he could have failed me) during my checkride. So you never know. Best to not worry about it now.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Don't worry about what you will do wrong or right on your checkride. I sucked at cross countries and that is what the DPE said I did the best on my checkride. I kicked butt at slow flight but had to do it over (he could have failed me) during my checkride. So you never know. Best to not worry about it now.
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Excellent advice, thanks Kim. I will take that to heart!
 
Tracey said:
Excellent advice, thanks Kim. I will take that to heart!
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Kim is right! You will indeed do SOMETHING wrong on the checkride. You're human. Just study the PTS and make sure you demonstrate all those things.

BTW, you WILL indeed make it to the checkride. If you don't believe me, just go back and read some of Kim's and some of my posts while we were going through training. For both of us, it just seemed like it would never happen, but for those who are determined to fly, it always does.

From this, the question is do you REALLY want to learn to fly? Well.... do ya'?
 
Tracey said:
I need to get better at this, I'm terrible at it.
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Tracey,

When I was in training 20 years ago, before my short break,:D I just always fixated on the instruments and my instructor was after me all the time about it.

When we finally did our XC to a controlled airport, we did all the stuff there and then took off. As I was climbing out the instructor handed me the hood and said "I think you are going to do well at this." I put on the hood and followed his instructions. I followed a heading and then tuned in a VOR and tracked it. He kept giving me instructions as if the tower were doing it. He told me to take off the hood and land. I took it off and there was the threshold and I landed.

SO.... since you are having trouble looking outside, maybe that cloud has a silver lining. Maybe you're a natural Instrument pilot in the making.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Kim is right! You will indeed do SOMETHING wrong on the checkride. You're human. Just study the PTS and make sure you demonstrate all those things.

BTW, you WILL indeed make it to the checkride. If you don't believe me, just go back and read some of Kim's and some of my posts while we were going through training. For both of us, it just seemed like it would never happen, but for those who are determined to fly, it always does.

From this, the question is do you REALLY want to learn to fly? Well.... do ya'?
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She asked me for those (mine) in private and I sent them to her. I think. Maybe I'm mixing her up with another student pilot I've been emailing. Regardless, I don't think there is any doubt she's going to the checkride.
 
MBDiagMan said:
SO.... since you are having trouble looking outside, maybe that cloud has a silver lining. Maybe you're a natural Instrument pilot in the making.
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Except that you miss all the great scenery flying this way. The attitude indicator is not nearly as scenic as the sights outside the plane.:)

My instructors use to cover up some instruments. They insisted I looked outside the plane. Some of the best lessons came when they'd cover up the vertical speed and the altimeter and made me hold altitude by refrencing the horizon.
 
MBDiagMan said:
From this, the question is do you REALLY want to learn to fly? Well.... do ya'?
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You have NO IDEA. Well actually, maybe you do!!! The answer, in one word or less:

YES!!! Badly. Thanks for the encouragement!
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
She asked me for those (mine) in private and I sent them to her. I think. Maybe I'm mixing her up with another student pilot I've been emailing. Regardless, I don't think there is any doubt she's going to the checkride.
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I think you sent them to another student pilot... you were going to send them to me, but I haven't received them.... I'm sure we student pilots are easy to confuse!!
 
MBDiagMan said:
Tracey,

When I was in training 20 years ago, before my short break,:D I just always fixated on the instruments and my instructor was after me all the time about it.

When we finally did our XC to a controlled airport, we did all the stuff there and then took off. As I was climbing out the instructor handed me the hood and said "I think you are going to do well at this." I put on the hood and followed his instructions. I followed a heading and then tuned in a VOR and tracked it. He kept giving me instructions as if the tower were doing it. He told me to take off the hood and land. I took it off and there was the threshold and I landed.

SO.... since you are having trouble looking outside, maybe that cloud has a silver lining. Maybe you're a natural Instrument pilot in the making.
Click to expand...
Now that's looking at the bright side of things! Maybe one day I will be a natural instrument pilot in the making... but for now... eyes OUTSIDE! :)
 
Tracey said:
You have NO IDEA. Well actually, maybe you do!!! The answer, in one word or less:

YES!!! Badly. Thanks for the encouragement!
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You're welcome! Actually that was not original, as someone else asked me the same question when I was having such a hard time finding and scheduling an instructor. I was at a very frustrating point in my training. I wasn't frustrated with my flying, but with the fact that I could NOT fly and needed to find an instructor.

Yes, I do have an idea of your commitment, because I felt the same thing.

Just like when Kim was posting her frustrations during the pre solo portion of her training, there is something about your posts that leads me to believe that you are COMMITTED. The question was indeed meant as encouragement.

Go get 'em!
 
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