First flights as a PPL ✈

[150 Driver]

You only expand your boundaries by pushing against them.

The weekend after my licence arrived I went and bought my plane. Cheap, cheerful and the same as I'd learned to fly in.

The first solo post licence issue was bringing it home, from Exeter to East Anglia (circa 200 NM).

First leg was Exeter to Shoreham, getting controlled airspace clearance across Bournemouth to find Shoreham was phenomenally busy - hadn't realised it coincided with a fly in. Because of that the photographers were out and I have a treasured photo of me crossing the perimeter fence - not many can say they have that on their maiden flight.

Second leg was even more interesting when weather closed in having crossed the Thames (with hindsight I should have foreseen this but...), quick 180 and into Rochester for an unplanned overnight stay.

Next day got even more interesting than that when I lost the alternator. Managed to get a Mayday call out (wouldn't do that now but at the time it was needed) before the radio died and then into Cambridge.

Three things helped me on those flights. Luck was on my side, but so was familiarity with the plane and more importantly a damn good instructor who taught me to fly, not just to pass the test.

After that excitement I did a load of consolidation flights locally, and at the first opportunity got my IMC (IRR).

I still prefer solo flying to having passengers. First passenger was a month after all this - around a dozen solo flights - and I stuck to a local one, taking the view at that stage that navigating whilst having a passenger might be a step too far.