After a first solo at less than 10 hours, the second solo was far more memorable.
The school had recently acquired another PA28 which was well run in and due for a bit of TLC. During a couple of circuits with the instructor, I thought that the engine was performing a little bit "off" but put it down to my imagination. I was sent out on my own and did a touch and go. The climb out was less than spectacular, even more so when one cylinder gave up the ghost. I had a large town in Buckinghamshire straight ahead and it was all woods and hills on either side. RT protocol went slightly out of the window and I remember distinctly saying "I'd like to call a PAN please, the engine is running rough". The girl in the tower was absolutely fantastic and cleared all traffic while I limped around the circuit. I managed to get to 800 feet by the end of the downwind leg and noticed that the oil temperature was nudging into the red zone. You know when you are under a bit of stress as your mouth is so dry that your teeth stick to the inside of your cheeks. I managed to bring the aircraft back in one piece and taxied as instructed to the maintenance hangar. The fault had cleared so it was officially "Fault Not Found". Apparently, the engine had 25 hours remaining and the replacement engine was in the hangar, sitting on a pallet. There was also rumour of a plug change that morning due to lead fouling. I must point out though that the fleet was maintained to a very high standard so it was just one of those things.
The school did charge me the full amount which I thought less than charitable but I guess it was quite an education.