Impending first solo - NOW DONE MY FIRST SOLO 20/10/2012 !!!
If you can handle the aircraft in those conditions with minimal instructor invention then you are very close indeed! 
I for one cannot wait to read about your first solo.
I for one cannot wait to read about your first solo.
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Impending first solo
Instructor and I are now just waiting " for the stars to align"
IE reasonable wind conditions for me to solo now
I was really happy with all my landings last lesson, one was so gentle I wasn't sure if we'd actually touched down !
No more dropping it onto the runway so hard I knock my headset off!
Wind predictions look really really crappy for the next week or so though
IE reasonable wind conditions for me to solo now
I was really happy with all my landings last lesson, one was so gentle I wasn't sure if we'd actually touched down !
No more dropping it onto the runway so hard I knock my headset off!
Wind predictions look really really crappy for the next week or so though
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Impending first solo
I'm in a c172
I'm going to try the line between the feet thing
I always reckoned my head was on wonky !
The winds have been totally and utterly crap this week gusting up to 35 knots
This is soooooooo frustrating !
But appreciate all the tips
I'm going to try the line between the feet thing
I always reckoned my head was on wonky !
The winds have been totally and utterly crap this week gusting up to 35 knots
This is soooooooo frustrating !
But appreciate all the tips
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hi
tell me...where will you land if , as you are soloing, the airport closes for some reason? (IE disabled aircraft blocking runway)
have you been to another nearby airport to practice? do you know the frequencies etc?
tell me...where will you land if , as you are soloing, the airport closes for some reason? (IE disabled aircraft blocking runway)
have you been to another nearby airport to practice? do you know the frequencies etc?
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This is someones first solo. It is impossible that they would be expected to divert to another airfield under any circumstances. What a daft post.
Last edited by stevelup; 12th Oct 2012 at 07:20.
Hmm, if the airfield has just the one strip, then it's not a daft post at all - it's actually a damn good question.
And she's not a he...
And she's not a he...
Last edited by Back Pressure; 12th Oct 2012 at 07:14.
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Fixed the gender issue... sorry about that.
Think about where you were with your training when you were in the circuit and getting ready for first solo for a minute. Do you seriously think navigating to and landing away at an unfamiliar airfield is something that could possibly be briefed for, let alone achieved?
Think about where you were with your training when you were in the circuit and getting ready for first solo for a minute. Do you seriously think navigating to and landing away at an unfamiliar airfield is something that could possibly be briefed for, let alone achieved?
Last edited by stevelup; 12th Oct 2012 at 07:23.
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stevelup - there is no way that a student of mine is going solo UNLESS they can handle a divert should the airfield be closed while they are in the circuit. This is a standard requirement.
H
H
I did my training at a field which has multiple parallel runways, so it was never a consideration for me, but I would assume an instructor at a single runway field would cover the possibility and train/brief for it. If I were an instructor I think I certainly would...
Heston confirms...
Heston confirms...
Last edited by Back Pressure; 12th Oct 2012 at 07:32.
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I cannot remember in all my time a first solo ever having to divert due to a blocked or closed runway!
I am sure the instructor would slot her solo into a lull period where she has the circuit to herself especially if she is nervous!
Who knows maybe unforecast fog will roll in during the solo equally as likely
Pace
I am sure the instructor would slot her solo into a lull period where she has the circuit to herself especially if she is nervous!
Who knows maybe unforecast fog will roll in during the solo equally as likely
Pace
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Just looking through my log book, and I'd done 14 solo circuits before we did any navexes that left the local area.
Last edited by stevelup; 12th Oct 2012 at 07:34.
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Steve - that's fair enough, but you should have had a good breifing before the solo on what to do if the runway was blocked (or any other emergency for that matter). The action would have been quite precisely defined and specific to the airfield - not a general instruction to "decide for yourself on a diversion and carry it out".
H
H
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I can honestly say that I do not remember this being discussed.
I trained at an airfield with three runways. Surely that, coupled with the fact that the instructor would have picked his moment for the first solo is enough.
With the nearest licensed airfield being 30 odd miles away, I still find it difficult to accept that a student on first solo would ever be put in a position where they would need to divert. On that basis, what would be the point of filling the student's head with more stuff to worry about?
I trained at an airfield with three runways. Surely that, coupled with the fact that the instructor would have picked his moment for the first solo is enough.
With the nearest licensed airfield being 30 odd miles away, I still find it difficult to accept that a student on first solo would ever be put in a position where they would need to divert. On that basis, what would be the point of filling the student's head with more stuff to worry about?
As a bit of irrelevant trivia, I did my first solo in the exact same aircraft in the video in post 77 - VH-CGT PA28-161 at Moorabbin.
And the poor bird ended it's days written off in the trees just short of runway 17L as seen in the video
(no casualties luckily)
And no, it wasn't me who did it
And the poor bird ended it's days written off in the trees just short of runway 17L as seen in the video
(no casualties luckily)And no, it wasn't me who did it
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Certainly if alternative runways are available then that would be OK (but I thought we were discussing what to do at an airfield with only one runway).
Emergencies that I want a student to be able to handle before solo:
- engine failure at any point in the takeoff, circuit or landing, including off airfield forced landing if necessary
- radio failure in circuit
- suitable alternatives if the original landing runway becomes unusable - this could include a divert, landing on an alternative runway if available, or making a precautionary landing off airfield. Which of these depends on local factors, as I said, and would be briefed before the flight.
H
Emergencies that I want a student to be able to handle before solo:
- engine failure at any point in the takeoff, circuit or landing, including off airfield forced landing if necessary
- radio failure in circuit
- suitable alternatives if the original landing runway becomes unusable - this could include a divert, landing on an alternative runway if available, or making a precautionary landing off airfield. Which of these depends on local factors, as I said, and would be briefed before the flight.
H
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At Birmingham (UK) when it had an active GA community, it was a requirement that students had been trained to divert to another airfield (Wellesbourne was the airfield of choice) prior to their first solo.
This was simply to cater for the small risk of an incident closing the airport whilst they were airbourne or to allow for a radio failiure in flight, after which they would have to leave the control zone ASAP rather than continuing to land on their first solo.
Orbits in the circuit for a first solo were also very common as was a runway direction change (on a calm day) For example, "G-ABCD cleared takeoff (33) with a right hand turnout to right base for 24"
Students seemed to cope with no issue
This was simply to cater for the small risk of an incident closing the airport whilst they were airbourne or to allow for a radio failiure in flight, after which they would have to leave the control zone ASAP rather than continuing to land on their first solo.
Orbits in the circuit for a first solo were also very common as was a runway direction change (on a calm day) For example, "G-ABCD cleared takeoff (33) with a right hand turnout to right base for 24"
Students seemed to cope with no issue
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Heston
This person is quite nervous already of getting over flying one circuit!
I do not think that filling her head with the prospects of a 30 mile first solo cross country which must be so rare as I have never heard of one in 30 years will help her situation. As well as it will not happen!
I do not know where she is flying from but it is likely to be some small club airfield where the instructor can look for a lull in activities giving her the freedom of the circuit and no chance of a diversion due to runway closure or blockage.
I am sure its not Heathrow
Pace
This person is quite nervous already of getting over flying one circuit!
I do not think that filling her head with the prospects of a 30 mile first solo cross country which must be so rare as I have never heard of one in 30 years will help her situation. As well as it will not happen!
I do not know where she is flying from but it is likely to be some small club airfield where the instructor can look for a lull in activities giving her the freedom of the circuit and no chance of a diversion due to runway closure or blockage.
I am sure its not Heathrow
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 12th Oct 2012 at 09:35.
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She doesn't sound nervous to me - just suitably anticipating a big day and not wanting to f*** up - same as we all do.
And I never said anything about a 30mile divert - I said a solo student needed to be able to cope with emergencies that could arise in the circuit. Under some circumstances that might mean a diversion. I have no doubt that the OP's instructor will have this base covered.
Which student would be most nervous on their first solo - the one who thinks "if anything goes wrong I don't know what to do, so I'll be stuffed" or the one who knows "I have been trained well to cope with most forseeable eventualities"? Hmmm?
(I'm talking about students spending their own money here by the way - its not the RAF in war-time. And I'd quite like my aeroplane back in one piece too)
H
And I never said anything about a 30mile divert - I said a solo student needed to be able to cope with emergencies that could arise in the circuit. Under some circumstances that might mean a diversion. I have no doubt that the OP's instructor will have this base covered.
Which student would be most nervous on their first solo - the one who thinks "if anything goes wrong I don't know what to do, so I'll be stuffed" or the one who knows "I have been trained well to cope with most forseeable eventualities"? Hmmm?
(I'm talking about students spending their own money here by the way - its not the RAF in war-time. And I'd quite like my aeroplane back in one piece too)
H