Which "First" is the best?
 

Which first experience is the best/most memorable for everyone?

1. First time you ever got airbourne in an aircraft
2. First time you took control
3. First solo
4. Passing skills test
5. Sending someone on their first solo
6. Topping 1000 hours
Any others?

For me, sending the first student on their first solo is the most memorable thing, even more mind blowing than my own first solo. The complete unknown, wondering if I'd done the right thing, I could barely watch the landing in case he veered off the runway, or simply landed it on the nosewheel, but he brought it in to a very nice touchdown, and everyone actually congratulated me!

I still get butterflies when I send someone on their first solo, you just never know what they might do without you on board, no matter how many perfect circuits they've flown with you.

My most memorable 'first'' has nothing to do with aviation. :)

My most memorable first aviation achievement must still be thatfirst solo, in an RAF air cadet glider in 1983.

Being a pilots forum, I thought it went without saying I meant aviation firts.

Feel free to share any others though :}

Undoubtedly it was leaving the comfort of the circuit on my first solo cross country.

BB

First time IFR entering the clouds, flying controlled in IMC. then this was surpassed by short time after at 6000 ft popping out in top and sitting about 30ft above an OVC layer as far as you can see...

I barely remember my first solo nav. First time I flew over my house was quite memorable - seeing my parents waving up was pretty cool.

First (vertical) ride on a Bang Seat should stick in most people's memories.

Never having pulled the handle (thankfully) my ejector seat hours are memorable, but not that memorable.

Definitely my first solo - non-radio from an obscure airfield in Yorkshire, 30 October 1992.

G

First night solo land away cross country in the Beechcraft Baron in 1970 from Hamble to Southend for a touch and go and return.

At the age of 19 years to be solo in that fantastic machine at night was unforgettable.

In the good old days we all got a ride on the Test Rig to inspire confidence.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/43823021/Ejection%20Rig.jpg
If you rang the bell at the top you got a special prize!

Never got a go on that sadly, I'm too young probably.

Did have the handle in my hand twice that I recall, both got dangerously close to being ultra-memorable for this Flight Test Engineer's taste, and are memorable enough.

G

My first spin, loved it!

My first.
 

My first time I was at 3000ft and the prop was no longer spinning.
Mmm its a little quiet all of a sudden.

First solo unquestionably.

and

Opening my second ATPL exam cert to find that I had passed all my exams.

First realisation I could spell airborne......and of course the first go at P1. K4 glider for me at RAF Upavon a million years ago.

Happy Christmas to all.

GGR

First time sending a student solo

And first time with commercial pax in the back. I just had this huge feeling of being a fraud. They had payed good money to have me flying them with a grand total of 1 hour and 6 landings in the aircraft under my belt.

Did you watch that one, or did your casual attitude develop later?

Nope and didn't give the a debrief afterwards either.

I never watched any of the 30 or so folk I have sent solo. And funny enough none of them crashed and even if they had done there would have been bugger all I could have done about it anyway.

But then again maybe you could have swished your hamble cape round your shoulders and lept into the air and saved the day.

Persoanlly I just trained them properly to start with and when I sent them solo I had no doudt in my mind what the outcome was going to be.

"I never watched any of the 30 or so folk I have sent solo"

Best way.

As the student see's that you didn't look back and sa you walk straight into the cafe for a brew. It gives them the impression that you think they are good enough. Which of course they are.

brew? more often poo, 15mins of peace bliss.