What was your solo time?
What was your solo time?
Join Date: May 2001
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My time will live in logbook forever and will forever annoy me!
Due to the slight 'over-sight' on my AME's part in the UK, he issued me with an FAA Class 2 and 'forgot' to include a student pilot certificate. So there are am ready to solo after 8 hours but am unable to do so because I have no Student Pilot Cert. Cos I was only in the US for 3 weeks I had to get the hours in which meant a 3.5 hour X-country which took me to 11.5 hours. THEN...I had to fly to a different airport to catch up with the only fAA chap in FL who could issue me with a SPC.
So...after all that 4.5 hours after I was ready, I flew back to ISM, out jumped my instructor and off I went.
12.5 hours but should have been sooner. grrrr
Edited for uneccesary 'langauge'
[ 05 December 2001: Message edited by: bow5 ]
Due to the slight 'over-sight' on my AME's part in the UK, he issued me with an FAA Class 2 and 'forgot' to include a student pilot certificate. So there are am ready to solo after 8 hours but am unable to do so because I have no Student Pilot Cert. Cos I was only in the US for 3 weeks I had to get the hours in which meant a 3.5 hour X-country which took me to 11.5 hours. THEN...I had to fly to a different airport to catch up with the only fAA chap in FL who could issue me with a SPC.
So...after all that 4.5 hours after I was ready, I flew back to ISM, out jumped my instructor and off I went.
12.5 hours but should have been sooner. grrrr
Edited for uneccesary 'langauge'
[ 05 December 2001: Message edited by: bow5 ]
Join Date: Apr 2001
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16 hrs. Was ready after 13 but wx & wind was lousy for 3 weeks so kept griding the circuit with the lump next to me.
My father in law solo'd after 7 but that was in the 50's and I'm not sure with JAR you can solo much before 10, can you? Anyway, not ashamed I took so long. I solo'd as soon as I could, when I was ready.
My father in law solo'd after 7 but that was in the 50's and I'm not sure with JAR you can solo much before 10, can you? Anyway, not ashamed I took so long. I solo'd as soon as I could, when I was ready.
Join Date: Dec 1999
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Like one of the other posts I was waiting for my student pilots licence (in the UK though, just showing my age!)so a few hours later than I should have gone.
I had a student though who had been recommended by a few instructors to give up, I gave him the same advice but he said that he enjoyed flying and wanted to keep going, I then continued with less emphasis on circuits and he finaly went solo after 60hrs+.
[ 05 December 2001: Message edited by: foxmoth ]
I had a student though who had been recommended by a few instructors to give up, I gave him the same advice but he said that he enjoyed flying and wanted to keep going, I then continued with less emphasis on circuits and he finaly went solo after 60hrs+.
[ 05 December 2001: Message edited by: foxmoth ]
Join Date: Nov 2001
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At 16, after 5 hrs of dual my instructor announced me ready to solo in a Venture self-launching motor glider. It took about 5 seconds for the enormity of this to sink in - and another 5 hundreths of a second for the subsequent lapse of personal hygiene to kick in.
Took about 5 weeks to come down from the buzz of doing it though
Took about 5 weeks to come down from the buzz of doing it though
The Original Whirly
Join Date: Feb 1999
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Er.....
I used to avoid subjects like this, but now I've been flying too long to care.
Fixed wing - around 48. An instructor told me some time afterwards he'd thought I'd never make it, and several others had agreed. When I asked him who the several others were he didn't seem to know though.
Rotary - around 30. I was told I was ready at about 17, but then things started going wrong.
I'm a slow learner.
But I get there in the end.
So do I get the booby prize then?
I used to avoid subjects like this, but now I've been flying too long to care.
Fixed wing - around 48. An instructor told me some time afterwards he'd thought I'd never make it, and several others had agreed. When I asked him who the several others were he didn't seem to know though.
Rotary - around 30. I was told I was ready at about 17, but then things started going wrong.
I'm a slow learner.
But I get there in the end.
So do I get the booby prize then?
Join Date: Aug 2000
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11. I learned in the largest circuit you could imagine, which is at Wellington International airport. There were 3 holding areas in the down wind leg where ATC could ask you to take up a hold (ie fly circles). This was not infrequent, as you had to fit in and around scheduled arrivals and departures. You could only turn crosswind above 1000' agl and could only turn downwind at 1500' agl. In a Tomahawk. So the number of circuits per hour could be "few"...
At least there was no excuse for not setting up final approach properly, since it was a hell of a long way.
Oh, and it is often pretty windy in Wellington - so ground speed on finals could be pretty slow...
At least there was no excuse for not setting up final approach properly, since it was a hell of a long way.
Oh, and it is often pretty windy in Wellington - so ground speed on finals could be pretty slow...
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About 16 hours, I think. I didn't really want to do it, as I had to be at another airport soon after my lesson to collect my mum, so it was all a bit rushed. We came back later in the day for the 'Handing over the Certificate' Photo.
I think I was more nervous on my first solo cross country. It wasn't through fear of getting lost, after all, its difficult to lose two the huge reservoirs which were my turning points, but just being alone and having to do everything for mtself. It was a great feeling of success afterwards though.
I think I was more nervous on my first solo cross country. It wasn't through fear of getting lost, after all, its difficult to lose two the huge reservoirs which were my turning points, but just being alone and having to do everything for mtself. It was a great feeling of success afterwards though.
Avoid imitations
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I have an acquaintance, a (now retired) engineer, who solo'd in an aircraft he rebuilt himself.
He finished the restoration, fast taxied it a few times and flew it.
Total personal flight time to first solo? NIL!!
He had read a book on it though so that was alright.
Yes, he did go on to get a licence and no, I won't give you his name.
He finished the restoration, fast taxied it a few times and flew it.
Total personal flight time to first solo? NIL!!
He had read a book on it though so that was alright.
Yes, he did go on to get a licence and no, I won't give you his name.