First Solo EEK!!

I’m sure you’ll be fine when it happens. Remember, your instructor won’t let you go until he/she feels you can safely get it down again – they have almost as much desire not to see a bent aeroplane or a bent student than you have! IMHO, its best not to be too pre-occupied with the first solo – it comes when its ready.

A few things I remember about my first solo:

1. I was flying a Cessna 150 and could look down and see the main wheels. I saw the main wheel stop rotating after I lifted off, and remember thinking “Oh well, I guess I better get this one right as I’m rather committed now” It was only when I saw the wheel stop rotating that I really realised what I’d gotten myself into! 🙂

2. The instructor didn’t tell me it’d go up faster with only one person on board. I’d kind of got used to where abouts in the circuit the aeroplane would make to circuit height and I’d have to level off, and [with hindsight] had started fixating on getting to that position rather than checking the altimeter. On reaching that point on my first solo, I looked at the altimeter and found I was already 200′ above normal circuit height. 😮 That was when I discovered it went up faster with one on board. I did a gradual decent back to circuit height – whilst I was tempted to push forward rather firmly and rectify the problem quickly I really didn’t want my instructor to be watching and see me do a noticable decent on downwind! Nothing was said, so I kept that little error to myself! 😮

3. Not to worry – despite the self-conciousness brought on by the error, I still managed a half-reasonable landing. It took me around 10 hours to get from having done no flying to doing half-reasonable landing – and I reckon about another 200-300 hours to get to relatively good landings! 😀

4. The Beach Boys song Kokomo just happened to playing on the car radio when I left the flying school after my first solo. Every time I hear that song, even today nearly 15 years later, it brings back memories of my first solo.

Good luck for when it does happen.

Shortly after takeoff I turned right to fly a downind circuit, so of course I looked to my right and saw that the place normally occupied by my instructor was empty. Very empty.

“Neat!” I thought.
Then a second later…”Okay, I’m responsible…better not mess up.”

Back in the 80s, a USAF Undergraduate Pilot Class adopted the motto…modified from the tagline of the film “Aliens”…

“When you’re solo, no one can hear you scream”. :eek::eek::eek:
(Just keep your finger off the mic button).

One thing I discovered in my experience of gliding is that my flying was sommetimes crap so next flight I took three deep breaths and thought the exercise through before I even started my pre flight ritual and it really helped me get rid of my tension. It may not help you but it has to be worth a try.

My solo flight was totally unexpected. I had been having trouble with the flare on landing, and so, I kept flying with the instructor until I eventually got it right. After landing, he jumped out and told me to go off and do three circuits by mself. I wasn’t nervous at the time, more excited. All went well and I flew solo a few more times over the following days before moving onto the solo cross country a couple of weeks later. That was a real thrill!

Im Not Actually Old Enough To Go Solo Yet As I Am Only 13 But I Cant Wait Lol Im Am Alright At Landings (Not The Best Lol) But I Have Completed A Few With The Instructor Just Watching 😛

Only four years to go (When you get past 14 the years fly by 🙂 )

Im Not Actually Old Enough To Go Solo Yet As I Am Only 13 But I Cant Wait Lol Im Am Alright At Landings (Not The Best Lol) But I Have Completed A Few With The Instructor Just Watching 😛

Ive done 10hrs of Flying, been delayed by getting the medical sorted 🙁

Good luck for the first solo. I did mine on May 9th 2004 after just 9hrs 45mins flying training.

I remember it like it was yesterday. A nice circuit I did. While holding short of the runway prior to take off the 771 sqdrn sea king landed in front of me. Awesome sight. The circuit I flew was really nice too with a nice landing to round it off. Couldnt of been more happier. 😎

Just keep well composed and cool, you’ll be fine.

No problem, if the instructor says you are ready, you are! Just keep talking to yourself and you will never be alone, good luck!:)

You kinda get a gut feeling when you are ready and the instructor feels this also . If you are jittery you are probably not quite ready and just need to polish off exercises. When the time comes you will be too busy concentrating and it’s only on the downwind leg that you realise you have any empty seat . Enjoy the moment , I remember mine at Leavesden in 1979 very vividly.

Thanks for the reply 🙂

Mine has been held up by the delay in getting a class 2 medical :-(. I was basically told that as soon as its sorted, and I do three good landings im going solo 😮

My landing are “good” I just flare slightly too early so its a little too hard 🙁

Simply brilliant.

I was so crap at landings I thought I’d never get to go solo. Then one summers evening I arrived for the booked lesson and the CFI said “You are flying with me today”

I thought he was going to break it to me that I would be scrubbed as unteachable.

Despite losing the field on circuit 2 (honest) he told me to land and pull off the active.

“Do you fancy doing one on your own?”

Brain: “NO!!!!”

Voicebox: “Yea sure Phil”

I saved looking at the empty seat alongside me until I was trimmed out in the climb, then I glanced down and thought “Big deal, I’ve done a hundred circuits at least, this is just another”

Landed not too bad and there I was – a pilot at last.

Top tip. Make sure you have a camera with you and get the picture of you, your aircraft and the mile-wide smile.

Good luck

Moggy