First Solo's...when was yours and what in?

[delta96]

Alon Aircoupe, Biggin Hill (Surrey & Kent Flying Club) flying scholarship.
23/7/69, two days after Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon and just as proud.

[Overtorque]

1987 in a Cessna 172 G-RUIA at Humberside Airport. Sent solo by the inimitable Glen Stewart (RIP), Soloflight Aviation.

[Dan Winterland]

Hey Roland, ditto! First solo in a Slingsby T31 WT919 on 11 Apr 80 at RMAS Condor, Arbroath. Sent by Lovat Fraser. We have more than just our good looks and svelte physique in common!

First power solo, Chipmunk WK633 at Swinderby on 10 Jul 85 when Uncle Ted decided I was far too dangerous to fly with. I enjoyed it so much, I went back there as an instructor.

[ACW599]

Ah, de Havilland . . . Chipmunk T10 WZ862 at UWAS, RAF St Athan, 4 Mar 73. Sent by the late, great Steve Holding, may he rest in peace.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

7 Feb 1977 after using all the course flex available - 1FTS JP3A XM412 at the satellite airfield for Linton in those days (Church Fenton). Not counting the various leaps from perfectly serviceable Beaver under a double-L canopy in Cyprus as a lance-jack 2 years earlier.

Didn't fly anything with a fan on the front 'til 7 years later when I did a PPL to go with the ATPL(H).

[wub]

Hey Thud; I jumped from the same Beaver in Cyprus with Geordie Raine's Jumping Beans, at around the same time as you.

Oh yes, Slingsby Prefect - 1966.

[airborne_artist]

perfectly serviceable Beaver

Don't think any aircrew would ever leave a Beaver that needed servicing

[Maxibon]

It was in March 1988, Church Fenton XM475, JP Mk 3A. I got a print of 'Goodbye Mr Chips' on E Bay last year with the farewell to the JP and blow me, if the Mk 3A in the picture wasn't the very jet. Small world but wouldn't like to paint it an' all that.

I think the wierdest fact of going solo was just how light the rudder pedals were until I quickly realised that it been the rotund QFI that had inhibited any previous movement of said bar. Probably far too much effort for him to move his legs. Idle fat knacker - thanks for eventually sending me into the murk of the back seat

[Bob Viking]

Fond memories

First ever: Grob Viking at RAF Upavon 1993
First mil: Firefly 260 at RAF Church Fenton 2001
First Jet: Hawk at RAF Valley 2002
First real Jet: Shaguar at RAF Akrotiri 2004 (after a whole 2 hours and 50 minutes of dual time! An hour of playing with the burners and waxing cruise ships! Awesome.)
BV

[Roghead]

I did think about it.... but why not?




RAF Syerston October 1964.

[trilander]

First solo glider T21 at Cosford 1974

First solo aeroplane Tiger Moth at Cranwell in 1980 I had 20 min on type,

[Toddington Ted]

First Solo - a few years ago now!

First Gliding Solo: Kirby Cadet (T31?) at RAF Gaydon Warks 1971.

First Civvy Solo: Cessna 150 G-ATIE at Staverton (now Gloucestershire Airport) 16 May 1972.

First Mil Solo: Chipmunk WB671 Roborough 4 Dec 1978 when I was undertaking Flying Grading along with Airborne_Artist!

Scariest Solo: Piper PA28 140 G-AYJP at BZN on 24 May 1993 when I didn't understand Brize Radar's chatter and then lost the frequency - a hasty circuit and landing before a big Vickers Funbus had time to appear - who needs radio!

[L J R]

Thanks A Artist, I thought I was the only one a month behind the times.

[Melchett01]

Bulldog (suprised how few of them have been mentioned), the mighty UBAS at Cosford, summer 95.

IIRC, it was on runway 24, which meant you had to cross a railway embankment, literally on the airfield boundary, which meant you crossed it at about train height! Luckily nothing coming during first solo, but did have a few interesting moments of me crabbing down finals (sh!te flying rather than weather) looking along the track and seeing a very worried train driver looking back at me from not a million miles away.

[Yellow Sun]

I suddenly feel old!

First Solo - Kirby Cadet at RNAS Abbotsinch 1963.
First Powered Solo - Beagle Terrier at Carlisle 1964
First Military Solo - Jet Provost 3 at Barkston Heath 1966

YS

[transientdroop]

My First Solo

Fist solo ever: Piper Tomohawk (!) at Cheltenham and Gloucester Flying Club - RAF Flying Scholarship in August 1990.
First solo mil: JP3 at Linton in June 1992.

[LunchMonitor]

Tomhawk, Cardiff 1984, flying scholarship.
"Number 8 to land calibrator on 6 mile final"
Longest first solo ever at Cardiff at the time.

[LunchMonitor]

Sorry I lied:
First solo: Venture glider Cosford 1982(but it wasnt as scary!)

[VH-GRUMPY]

In Primary Control Zone

One advantage of learning to fly at Canberra (AUstralia) is that as a student you get to fly in Class C airspace mixing it with commercial and military aircraft.

First solo in 1979 - PA28-161 VH-ASX required two orbits to permit a B737 on final land and then an instruction to a departing B737 or B727 to hold at the holding point 'due first solo'.

When I landed after 20 minutes both RPT Cpts congratulated me - I was really chuffed.

[Had Enough 77]

First ever solo- C152- Flying Scholarship Fife Airport, Glenrothes. July 1995.

First Military Solo- Bulldog- West Freugh June 1997.

Each one a great experience!