A few more updates:-
2nd solo flight - after a few dual circuits, my instructor hopped out and sent me off for a few on my own again. Very busy circuit with a few aircraft making really big circuits - I followed one Tecnam that was abeam the threshold as I turned downwind, and still had not turned downwind when I reached the threshold despite my slowing to 85kts downwind. Net result - 3 go arounds in an hour due to the spacing going to hell.
Also had my first birdstrike on downwind - can't tell you what it was, except that it looked huge and glanced off the top of the leading edge of the wing after I tried to dodge above it - evidently it decided to climb too. Fortunately no damage to anything other than my trousers...decided to call it a day after that.
3rd solo flight - first flight without an instructor onboard at any point, just pick up the keys and go. Just beginning to think I can handle flying the circuit solo, when the tower decides to reverse the circuit direction and I realise that I'm not sure how to deal with it, so I opt to do a full stop and re-enter the new pattern once it is established again. I sit on the ground for a few minutes cursing quietly and adding more things to the ever-growing list of things that I know that I don't know but should. The rest of the circuits go relatively smoothly - there is almost no wind and the airplane seems to want to float for ever on each landing.
I had a lesson cancelled yesterday due to poor weather, so I was missing my fix for the weekend. My normal instructor doesn't work Sunday's, so I called up another flying school to try flying a tail dragger instead. So I found myself inelegantly climbing into a Citabria this afternoon after being shown round the beast.
Had an absolute blast of a lesson - off to the training area, and few turns and stalls to get the feel for it and back to the field for some circuits - squeezed in 7 circuits as the light was starting to fade all in less than 50 minutes!
Such a different experience from the PA28's....I drive away realising that I'm hooked and will have to go back for more.