ettsn
Pre-takeoff checklist
I finally soloed last night! I was at 26.7 hours prior (now 28.6). Instructor started telling me at about 14 hours I was "pretty much ready to solo", but we were having fun doing XC and working on PTS stuff, and each of my last several lessons didn't have "first solo" amenable weather. So it's been on hold for a bit. Thrilled to finally be solo! 
We went up for a few circuits together, and my CFI was completely hands off. On the third downwind, another plane was inbound so the tower asked me to short final. CFI keyed the mike and told tower we'd "direct final" and pulled power -- "your engine just died, put me on the ground". No worries, we've done this drill before, so I flatten to best glide and turn for the numbers. Eased in a notch of flaps at the threshold and put it down about as gently as I could've without power. Felt pretty good about that one. Touch and go, and turning downwind, CFI keys the mike and says this one's a full stop. Turns to me and says "take me back, you're ready".
He runs over to the tower to observe, and I taxi out. Runup complete, I make the departure call and I line up. Big gulp, not really nervous, but a little anxious perhaps. Transponder, lights, power up, rudder and I'm away. At Vr I ease back and it POPS off the ground and immediately rolls left! Wasn't expecting that! But I guess with 200 or so fewer pounds in the right seat, it's gonna fly a little differently, right? Anyway, quickly correct and climb. At my usual crosswind altitude, I begin my turn -- dang, I'm not over my usual spots? Oh yeah, I was climbing a bunch faster, duh. No worries, correct and all is good. On final, I'm at the top of the slope, but still looking pretty good. Flare at my normal height, and maybe it was a combination of the 7kt headwind and the lighter weight, but it ballooned on me! Gained probably 10 feet almost instantly, so I put a touch of power in and tried to ease it down but had a bounce. Dang. Okay full stop and taxi back.
Regroup and absorb the lessons learned. MUCH better takeoff, and was hitting my marks pretty well. More traffic inbound. Tower asks me to keep it tight and sneak in ahead of the inbound. Okay, done this plenty of times. Everything looked pretty good, but I carried a little more speed than I meant to and landed a little long (still easily in the first third). "Not too bad, but the last one, I'm gonna nail!" I tell myself.
Meanwhile, the ATIS changed from India to Juliet, so I listen to the new ATIS on the second comm during my taxi back. Tiny tweak to the altimeter and the wind has moved up to 10kt, but almost right down the runway, so no worries. I line up and call "Gwinnett ground, Skyhawk XXXX with Juliet for VFR departure on 2-5 to remain in the pattern..." I get back "XXXX, Gwinnett TOWER clears you for departure on 2-5" with a good-natured snicker. Dang, so much for perfect.
"Apologies Tower, Cleared for 2-5..."
The last circuit went pretty much as planned, and the landing was my nicest of the day. Called tower "XXXX clear of the active" and got "The Russian judge gave you an 8.5, but the rest of us thought it looked pretty good -- congratulations on your solo! Monitor Ground .8" Smiled all the way back to the FBO!
We went up for a few circuits together, and my CFI was completely hands off. On the third downwind, another plane was inbound so the tower asked me to short final. CFI keyed the mike and told tower we'd "direct final" and pulled power -- "your engine just died, put me on the ground". No worries, we've done this drill before, so I flatten to best glide and turn for the numbers. Eased in a notch of flaps at the threshold and put it down about as gently as I could've without power. Felt pretty good about that one. Touch and go, and turning downwind, CFI keys the mike and says this one's a full stop. Turns to me and says "take me back, you're ready".
He runs over to the tower to observe, and I taxi out. Runup complete, I make the departure call and I line up. Big gulp, not really nervous, but a little anxious perhaps. Transponder, lights, power up, rudder and I'm away. At Vr I ease back and it POPS off the ground and immediately rolls left! Wasn't expecting that! But I guess with 200 or so fewer pounds in the right seat, it's gonna fly a little differently, right? Anyway, quickly correct and climb. At my usual crosswind altitude, I begin my turn -- dang, I'm not over my usual spots? Oh yeah, I was climbing a bunch faster, duh. No worries, correct and all is good. On final, I'm at the top of the slope, but still looking pretty good. Flare at my normal height, and maybe it was a combination of the 7kt headwind and the lighter weight, but it ballooned on me! Gained probably 10 feet almost instantly, so I put a touch of power in and tried to ease it down but had a bounce. Dang. Okay full stop and taxi back.
Regroup and absorb the lessons learned. MUCH better takeoff, and was hitting my marks pretty well. More traffic inbound. Tower asks me to keep it tight and sneak in ahead of the inbound. Okay, done this plenty of times. Everything looked pretty good, but I carried a little more speed than I meant to and landed a little long (still easily in the first third). "Not too bad, but the last one, I'm gonna nail!" I tell myself.
Meanwhile, the ATIS changed from India to Juliet, so I listen to the new ATIS on the second comm during my taxi back. Tiny tweak to the altimeter and the wind has moved up to 10kt, but almost right down the runway, so no worries. I line up and call "Gwinnett ground, Skyhawk XXXX with Juliet for VFR departure on 2-5 to remain in the pattern..." I get back "XXXX, Gwinnett TOWER clears you for departure on 2-5" with a good-natured snicker. Dang, so much for perfect.
"Apologies Tower, Cleared for 2-5..."The last circuit went pretty much as planned, and the landing was my nicest of the day. Called tower "XXXX clear of the active" and got "The Russian judge gave you an 8.5, but the rest of us thought it looked pretty good -- congratulations on your solo! Monitor Ground .8" Smiled all the way back to the FBO!
