Originally Posted by FlyingForFun
Every now and then, something happens which means that a first solo isn't going to be a "standard" circuit - maybe priority traffic, for example. When things start to happen, the controllers will always check with me first: "I think I'm going to have to (get Helimed away/get the 737 in/tow the broken aircraft out of the way) before your guy, will he be happy (orbiting/going around/using a different runway/doing circus tricks)?"
Never a truer word. I was bang on 16 hours when I went solo. I called downwind and was advised I was number one. Late down wind I heard the pan call followed by ATC telling me to go off on an orbit until I heard back from them.
For reasons that don't matter here, my time solo commenced from the threshold of the runway in use and I was away within 60 seconds of "taking command". One circuit should have been no more than 7 minutes airborne. As I write this I am referring back to my logbook and the 30 minutes it actually took.
Did I feel prepared for this unexpected event? Yes. Did I have a chart on-board in the event of them not getting the field re-opened and a diversion? No, of course not. You never need a chart when you go in the circuit................