Well done Ch. Flag, and also well done to Mazzy.
Am I jealous of that trip to Malta, well maybe just a tiny bit!
Fascinating accounts, both.
I'm really glad I didn't have jets to contend with on my first solo, on top of everything else. Don't blame you on the carb heat. I'm almost paranoid about it now. You may remember, the aircraft in front of me on my first solo had its engine fail on the runway, probably due to carb ice. A lesson I've never forgotten.
HH