Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Non-Airline Forums > Private Flying
Reload this Page >

Everybody should be able to pilot an aircraft

Private Flying LAA/BMAA/BGA/BPA The sheer pleasure of flight.

Everybody should be able to pilot an aircraft

Old 31st Aug 2014, 16:24
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: England
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Everybody should be able to pilot an aircraft

So, Thursday just gone I completed 4 circuits practicing take off, landings and touch and gos as per usual in a lesson in the circuit. However, on one of the landings, my instructor took control and taxied off the runway, im looking at my watch thinking c'mon this lessons an hour long and we have been flying 35 mins or so!

To cut a long story short, he said to me "right im getting out and you're going to do 1 circuit... On your own... Solo!

Yes Thursday 28th August 2014 was the day i piloted an aircraft for the first time... With my right hand seat empty. It was the best day of my life... An amazing experience that I believe everyone should have. Obviously not literally but the feeling was awesome and i hate using that word.

To the fellow aviators out there... Now i know why they say "you've got the flying bug"...

Happy flying
Pilot CR
Pilot CR is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 10:08
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: 7nm N of LARCK
Posts: 221
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations

Congratulations Captain Self.

Welcome to an ongoing collection of learning experiences. As you say, everyone should do it.

Safe Flying,
WKW
Whiskey Kilo Wanderer is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 10:52
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Age: 49
Posts: 280
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations I don't think anything's ever given me as much satisfaction as that first solo circuit
trident3A is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 13:00
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mare Imbrium
Posts: 638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Two thoughts:
1. Oddly, not everyone wishes to pilot an aeroplane. Strange, but true.
2. You may well find your first solo cross country even more satisfying and exhilarating.


Welcome to the world's best legal high
Heston is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 14:11
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Unna, Germany
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations and welcome to the club of those with terminally empty wallets.... but at least the kick you get flying makes up for the emptiness of the bank balance
Steve6443 is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 16:07
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well done!

Nothing tops the first time you pilot an aircraft on your own, though there's a long way to go to completing your PPL yet.

My first solo in 1978 still stands as a highlight of my life, even after all those decades of aviating.
Shaggy Sheep Driver is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 16:35
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 631
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congrats pilot CR, you've only just begun! It is a great feeling having that seat beside you empty!

i have done two first solos. My first was in 1977, on the first C152 which was imported to Canada. With total time of 33 hours since new, my instructor was rather criticized for sending me solo in it!
9 lives is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 17:11
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: wrexham
Age: 50
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I done my first solo 26th july, what a feeling!
Scared to death but it felt very satisfying.
my next lesson was 2 circuits with instructor then 35 mins of solo circuits, since then the weather hasn't been too great, had some heavy crosswinds but im booked for Friday and up to now the forecast is looking good.
Out of interest, how many hours have you done?
wood73 is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 21:38
  #9 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: England
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you everyone for your responses

I had done 13 hours dual training before I went solo and I now have 40 mins solo flying. I'm next flying Sunday all being well with the weather so I hope for some more solo flying.

Pilot CR
Pilot CR is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 21:56
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Chedburgh, Bury St.Edmunds
Age: 81
Posts: 1,173
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes on 5 Posts
Congratulations. Brings back memories from many years ago. Strangely, I think I am one of the few people who didn't enjoy his first solo. It came completely unexpectedly after only 4hrs 20mins, following ATC gliding 17 years previously. It caught me by surprise, and I guess I wasn't psyched up for it. Fine after I'd turned finals tho', and I had no further problems. Enjoy the rest of your flying career.
JEM60 is offline  
Old 1st Sep 2014, 22:27
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 370
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations to all those who have soloed recently!

It's been a while since we had one of these threads.
flyinkiwi is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 07:27
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Uk
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congratulations, first solo is one of those flights that will be remembered forever, one of my top 10 life experiences !

Now on to the QXC (also in that list, maybe I'm a sad individual ?)
150 Driver is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 11:07
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hampshire
Age: 71
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Aaah first solo.
Did anyone else have the feeling of once in the circuit glancing at the other empy seat and thinking 'gawd now i have got to get this thing down again'
cumulusrider is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 13:15
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: hong kong
Age: 49
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I actually had the opposite thought. Having an aircraft to yourself is the bollocks. My instructor was a lovely chap but I was his first student. I loved flinging the thing around at low speed and high bank angles. Obviously my instructor didn't appreciate this.

He obviously didn't realize that I was Top Gun material and his slovenly 152 didn't cut the mustard.

We reached a compromise zipping through a valley following an ever tightening river.

Kelly wasn't waiting for me but I'd experienced a number of accelerated stalls and re-assessed my limits.

Get rid of the instructor as soon as you can. Then you will learn to bring he /she back for the things you really need to learn.

I started planning solo flights that required his knowledge. He was happy to answer my calls off the books.

I took the Cessna all around the Philippines, but then needed his help hot n high.

I know I'm rambling, but fly as much as you can solo. You learn so much more from your mistakes and especially being Sh87t scared.

Best,

SSS
subsonicsubic is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 13:38
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 2,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Aaah first solo.
Did anyone else have the feeling of once in the circuit glancing at the other empy seat and thinking 'gawd now i have got to get this thing down again'
That was a memory I was reliving just as you uttered it
flybymike is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 16:03
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 631
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I loved flinging the thing around at low speed and high bank angles. Obviously my instructor didn't appreciate this.

He obviously didn't realize that I was Top Gun material and his slovenly 152 didn't cut the mustard.

We reached a compromise zipping through a valley following an ever tightening river.

Kelly wasn't waiting for me but I'd experienced a number of accelerated stalls and re-assessed my limits.
More to the point:

.....Obviously my instructor didn't appreciate this.
It sounds to me like a lot of responsible pilots would not appreciate this.

Reassessing personal limits is a good thing, after hundreds and thousands of piloting hours, but not after tens of hours. My hope for subsonicsubic would be that they reassess their limits again - much more toward the cautious and compliant!
9 lives is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 16:30
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ansião (PT)
Posts: 2,779
Received 7 Likes on 7 Posts
Aaah first solo.
Did anyone else have the feeling of once in the circuit glancing at the other empy seat and thinking 'gawd now i have got to get this thing down again'
For as much as I can remember, I did the first solo circuit almost without thinking whatever - it was just a confirmation of lots of drill. Even the much-warned-for difference in weight didn't come as a surprise. My instructor must have played the little game very well. Only in the days after did it slowly dawn on me that "yes I had done it". And what a great feeling that was!
Jan Olieslagers is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 17:05
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Aaah first solo.
Did anyone else have the feeling of once in the circuit glancing at the other empy seat and thinking 'gawd now i have got to get this thing down again'
No, once in the air it was fine. But sitting at the end of the runway, looking down it before take off, hand on throttle, I thought "if I take this thing into the air, I'll have to get it down safely again". But only for a second or so!
Shaggy Sheep Driver is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 17:05
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Glasgow
Age: 40
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Congrats!
I very nearly didn't get going on my first solo - as in - start moving.

The tower is quite far away from the apron we use, so we don't normally stop anywhere near it, so it was the first time I'd ever stopped on the taxi-way in front of the tower for my instructor to jump out.

After he did, I then spent the next 5 minutes (felt like a lot more!) trying to work out why my request to taxi wasn't being answered by the tower...

Now I had seen once before that at a certain hold, if the aircraft was pointing a particular direction the tower couldn't hear me - the aircraft / airport combination that I was in has a few radio blind spots. So in my problem solving I turned on / tuned in COM 2 (which I later found out has a different antennae position) which worked. Judging by the response from the tower - they could hear all my previous calls - I just couldn't hear them!

But after that - all went to plan. Discovered how much quicker even a bulldog climbs without 75kg extra weight holding it down

Great experience - take a photo and send it into Flyer ( FLYER Forums ? View topic - FLYER wants to help celebrate your first solo! ) and bask in the glow
riverrock83 is offline  
Old 2nd Sep 2014, 19:24
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
congratulations, and i echo the empty wallet comment!

Safe Flying, ES
EchoSierra is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.