Solouk,
Many,many congrats on your solo - it's interesting that you felt so relaxed. I can't help but feel that you can be under less pressure when on your own - I find it sometimes difficult in the circuits to both listen to the "boss", and carry out all the checks, maintain correct height/speed/heading, talk to ATC etc etc etc and try to take in what he's telling me at the same time, leading me to forget things (like carb heat - another bruise on the right arm!!)
I am still awaiting my first solo. It was supposed to have happened last Tuesday - too windy, then Wednesday, too windy also. I was pretty confident it would be last Saturday, but the large anti-cyclone that brought the quiet weather, also brought a load of fog which persisted at EMA all day.
However, I arrived today, and the weather was perfect, good viz, pretty high cloud and a crosswind of around 6/8 knots. Great ,I thought, perhaps I'll finally get to go on my own. NO!! A bloomin' Thomson 757 had booked into the circuits, and we were prevented from doing the necessary 'roundy' bits.
Instead, we brushed up on stalling, with/without flap, and stalling in the turn. Also practised PFL from 4000'. I've never done this from this height, (he usually shuts the throttle at 300' just after take off). What surprised me was that from that height, just how much time there is to try to sort out why the thing failed, and also to choose a suitable landing site. That all went well.
Attempting to Zone in the EMA controlled space again, we were held in orbit for around 15 minutes, whilst all the commercial stuff (and that damned 757) filed it's way in. In spite of EM being a busy commercial airport, I've never had to hold for so long in the 21 lessons I've had from there so far. Still, a small price to pay for living with the "big boys" - I love it!
So, having now put my first solo out of my mind, I'll wait to be surprised - at least that way I'll not get too wound up beforehand. It is such a milestone however, I somehow feel I'll not progress until it's behind me........
Best of luck all,
Mike N
PS - we chartered a Jetstream 31 to take some guests to mid France on Mon/Tues of this week, and it was interesting to visit the guys up front. It was good to see the First Officer really screw up the landing back at luton - we knew we'd arrived there, but wern't sure whether we'd actually landed or crashed!! It was a real beauty - I could see him in action, and he simply failed to flare, and flew it really heavily onto the unyeilding tarmac - how the thing did not break something I'll never know as we bounced down the runway.
Made me feel really good did that!!
PPS I'm back tomorrow, but rain is forecast, so the base and viz may be against me.