First solo today...
 

I went solo today and thought I'd share the experience with the forum...

I'm a 42 year old bloke (i.e. starting to get a bit old and crusty!) and took up flying 6 years ago. After three hours I stopped and as I'm currently 'between jobs', I started again in late September with Sussex Flying Club based out of Shoreham.

When I arrived today, unlike the last few sessions, the weather was fine and the wind was (almost) straight down 02 at 8KTS. I jumped into the C152 (GBTYT) and after three good circuits and a surprise late go-around called by my instructor, I was advised to land. As we were taxiing back, my instructor said that he was happy with the standard of my flying today and he'd be sending me solo!!

I was surprised that I wasn't in anyway nervous as I made the 'Student' radio call, went through the pre-flights and taxied out for departure. As I lifted off I was surprised at how quick I climbed with one person less and shot up like a balloon to circuit height. As I turned from base to final, I was slightly high but an early final flap brought me in nicely (even though I say so myself!) for a soft landing. The feeling of elation (and relief!) as I was congratulated by the tower and then the staff at Sussex flying Club is one that I'll savour for a very very long time.

For 'the record' I went solo after 20 hours (17 this time around and 3 previously) and I believe that the timing was absolutely right as to go solo earlier would have put me in cross-wind situations where I had a chance of making a safe landing but lacked the experience and ability to absolutely nail-it with 100% confidence.

Here's to the remainder of my training and for everyone working towards solo, stick at it, it's a great feeling and a huge personal achievement.

Lou

Congratulations - if only I were not in the frozen north you could have bought me a pint

Cheers - keep at it, it is worth it, after all if you weren't spending all that dosh on flying you'd only be wasting it :D

Well done Lou, a brilliant feeling and one you will never forget!! Keep going bud, there are lots more like it !! :D

Well done indeed, you have become a different person - to a certain degree, that is. Keep up learning and never forget this brilliant moment!

BTW I think your instructor was quite correct to send you solo without previous announcement. The same happened to me, and though it was a big surprise (I felt nowhere near ready) it was the right way to go. I have been surprised to read some people here had their first solo announced before. Where so many things can go wrong, that seems a bad approach to me.

Congrats - great feeling, nothing else will come close (flying that is):D

Congratulations! It's a day you won't forget. Mine happened last year, one of the best days of my life. Keep up the flying :)

Good job. I'll never forget mine.

Double congratulations Lou! Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.

Many congratulations Lou, I went solo two weeks ago and share your elation. Your description is in fact not far off how I would have described the experience.

To have flown on your own will rank as one of your most amazing experiences. Even though we both dont yet have a licence we have still become part (all be it at the start) of the family of pilots

Well done again

Many thanks...
 

Many thanks to you all for your kind words of encouragement. I went up again today, 3 circuits with the instructor and then solo for 4 circuits - everything felt just fine and I really enjoyed them!!!

Weather permitting it's circuit re-joins for me tomorrow!!

Lou

Many congratulations to Lou and Adam. :D That was me a year ago, and I managed to get my PPL just under six months later. I can still remember every last detail of my first solo, and also my four solos on the subsequent lesson. I can't imagine ever forgetting the experience.

Hope you get to go flying again tomorrow Lou, I spent most of today wishing I was flying too!

Well done.

You do know that you owe us all a pint now don't you!!!

Everyone remembers their first solo, so good it was a great flight.

In the US they cut the back off your shirt off and write all over it and pin it on the clubhouse wall. Something about allowing your wings to sprout.

Let us know how you get on.

ZA

Cool! Well done fella!

Now yoiu've so much to look forward to - I think you'll find first solo navex EVEN more satisfting!

Congratuations, its a great feeling

I remember my first solo - it was in an Alpha 160 (New Zealand built Robin 2160). It felt like gravity had taken a holiday with the climb rate, I was pushing 1500fpm! You get a great feeling of accomplishment, getting PPL and all the other milestones just havnt got the same feeling as first solo. :D:D:D

Congratulations! :D

There are a handful of milestone flights that you'll always remember, but for me the first solo is still my most vivid and cherished memory.

You should probably hang up the flying hat now and save yourself the bother if it took you 20 hours to go solo!! I myself went solo in 7 hours. Then again, I was fortunate enough to have no previous lessons cancelled for Tech/Bad weather, a great instructor and a familiarity with aviation. :E

When the time came for my first solo the instructor simply said "Next one's a full stop'. I remeber thinking that was a quick hour but after a taxi to the end of the runway he took his gear and instructed me to do 'another one by yourself and then come back'. I was one of the lucky ones. At that time I had the funds available to fly regulary and the weather played ball. I'm sure you were ready long ago but in this game one has to wait for everything to line up at the same time.

The time it takes one to go solo is often used as a yardstick to measure their flying ability; other factors are overlooked. The time it takes to solo means absolutely dick. I say well done that man!! You have logged your first 'in command' entry and done what so many people never achieve. You have soared above the homes, workplaces and lifes of many people and come home to share the tail. I would like to say its an experience you will never forget but since its only a year or so since mine I can't say that, what I can say is there is so much more to enjoy and achieve which all lie before you. Massive congrats!

Well done that man!!

Ryan

Ryan, people progress at different rates and there could be a number of reasons why it took the OP 20 hours to go solo.

Congratulations Loumate. I hope you went down to the pub and had a well deserved pint.

Ryan 5252

I cannot work out if you are attempting to boast that it only took you 7 hours to solo or not. Your post definitely sends mixed messages fella. How about just saying well done to the chap (as you do later in your post) and encouraging him to keep going as opposed to comparing everything he has done to your own 'experience'. I'm sure you meant well but I don't think your post comes across well.

As you correctly point out in your third paragraph, in the world of private flying, the amount of time to first solo is an extremely poor measure of flying ability.

Nice work Loumate you should be justifiably proud of your endeavours.

Yeah, I didn't take long to solo and I'm crap.

Well done, loumate. That day will stay with you for ever and that alone makes all the struggles worthwhile.

Oh dear oh dear!! Seems im caught in the headlights yet again! :=

To clarify, I am indeed just pulling Lou's leg. My comparison between the OP's achivements and my own were intended to only highlight how it matters not one wit when someone solos (in my own view of course). There are far too many variables in Private Flying no two people are flying at the same airport, the same routes, in the same airspace, with the same instructor, with the same weather, using the same runway/circuit. Therefore hours to solo, as I said previously (although it seems to have been overlooked) means absolutely dick!

SoCal, allow me to dig here also:

I'm crushed!! I am not trying to impress anyone. As far as aviation goes there are too many great people who have come before us all that to try and 'impress' anyone would be folly.
Do you honestly believe anyone here firstly, does not know what the AIP is, and secondly would have the brass to ask on one of the forums most infamous for flaming? Surely I would have consulted Google?
It is also worth pointing out in the same thread that another member came back and replied to my 'question' "Something produced by the AIS", the topic was discussing abbreviations!!

I do apologise to the OP firstly if he himself was offended by my post, perhaps the message could have been better constructed had I have had more time to convey my congratulations. It was indeed tongue in cheek. Secondly I would like to apologise to the OP for the slight drift but when my intentions are questioned and my previous posts taken out of context I think it is only fair I speak for myself.

I say again, Well done that man!!

:eek: