Going solo

[Heliplates]

Hi All

This is my frist thread (so please be nice). I am currently working toward my PPL and hoping to go on and gain my CPL and FI, I am not far off going solo dont know if i am nervous or excited (maybe both). Can any of you share your experiences of your first solo with me and how many hours you had before you went solo. I was told of some one who went solo at 13 hours can this be true.

Thanks All
Heliplates.

[Whirlygig]

On the scale of things, the number of hours at which you solo doesn't really matter, especially if you're going onto higher things! It can be anything from 10 to 50!

One thing to beware of, is the lack of the couple of hundredweight of instructor next you; if you use the same power, you'll end up shooting skyward at a hell of a rate. Secondly, the hover attitude will be slightly different. I soloed in a left hand drive Schweizer which hangs left skid low anyway. Without my rugby-proportioned instructor next to me in the right seat, the aircraft really did feel as if it had a list to port!

Lastly, if you don't feel comfortable with your approach, go around. Even if you do feel comfortable, you can go around anyway - you're in charge! Wish I had!

I actually felt though that my first solo cross-country was the start of really flying.

Cheers

Whirls

[helicopter-redeye]

Enjoy the PPl solo elements. The CPL and IR are all flown dual.


h-r

[rattle]

I remember the joy of taking off, and then calling "downwind". It was then I looked at the empty seat and realised the hard bit was still to come.

It is the most amazing flight you will probably ever make, certainly one to remember! Good luck, and don't feel you have to do it just because the instructor says you can.

[Nigel Osborn]

I went solo in 5.30 hours in a Hiller 12E. As Whirly points out, when a 200 lb instructor gets out, the change in c of g & AUW is huge & took me by surprise as the point had not fully registered with me. With hind sight I probably wasn't ready for it. My instructor's confidence was higher than mine! Incidently he was tragically killed in the Paris air show in a Hiller 1100 many years later.

[md 600 driver]

whirlygig

wasnt ray was it

[TiPwEiGhT]

Firstly, don't be pressurised by the fact that some people solo in 15 hours or even 50 hours, it makes no diffence.

A good instructor will not worry about getting you solo by X amount of hours, but when you are ready and have proved you are able to. A good brief on the differences in handling technique will ease your mental workload during the flight.

All in all, enjoy the experience, you will only do it once and remeber your experience for when you are sending your future students on their 1st solo.

TiP

[O27PMR]

Hi Heliplates

I was ready for my first solo circuit after about 12 hours but for one reason or another I didn't actually do it until 22 hours.

It isn't a competition and doesn't matter if you do it sooner or take longer than anyone else. The main thing is that you are safe and comfortable and enjoy every minute!

I remember after climbing away on my first solo I looked across at the empty seat and just started laughing out loud and singing to myself (I was quite excited). I then swiftly got back to the job in hand and made sure I flew a great circuit. The one thing which took me by surprise was just how much I had to lower the lever to get myself back into the airfield!

Have fun, it's the best flight you'll ever make!!!

[Backward Blade]

Just what all the other guys said, take her slow, think it through and go around if you have to. Just like the rest of your career ahead of you. Fly safe and have fun CAPTAIN

[Whirlygig]

wasnt ray was it

No, he wasn't called Ray but I know my erstwhile instructor does reads Pprune and I thought that might tempt him out of the woodwork. When I said to him, "couple of hundreweight", he took it as a compliment!

Cheers

Whirls

[rotorvision98]

Hi Hope you continue to enjoy all of your training. Dont get hung up on people telling you how few hours they went solo in! The Course is a "MINIMUM" of 45 hours so use all of them and dont rush to get rid of your instructor he will tell you when your ready as he will have watched you develop into a competant pilot. As nerve racking as it is for you I can assure you that from my experience it is 100 times more worrying for the instructor as he is totally helpless when he gives you signal to lift off into the hover for the first time. I am CFi now with many thousands of hours but will let you into a secret. It took me ages to go Solo but it was the best feeling in the world better than when I did it in a fixed wing. Good luck and happy flying

[mylesdw]

The school I learned with had a policy that no-one went solo before 20 hours and for me that was just about right; I felt ready and it was an enjoyable experience.

[loggerman]

first solo

heliplates i have about 20 or so hrs and last thursday we had done about 20 mins dual then my instructor got out and told me to do a couple of take offs and landings (solo first time) while he watched from a distance.I was chuffed when he got out i thought here we go. As he walked away from the aircraft (h300c) reality set in and my arse started to twitch a bit,but i thought i got to give it a go and within about 10 seconds of pulling the collective up i was fine and felt quite confident,it was one of the best moments of my life.
As whirlygig said the one thing that took some getting used to was the c of g without my instructor sitting next to me its amazing how much it leans to one side.
Done some mini circuits then on saturday for a couple of hours and loved every minute of it.

PS MD 600 DRIVER funny you should mention that name !!!!!!!

[kiwi chick]

It all differs too, depending on experience, and when they think you are ready.

I went in average time for my fixed wing solo, but for helicopter I went a lot earlier as I already knew how to fly a circuit, make radio calls, lookouts etc - just need to learn the machine.

There are numerous threads on here with all sorts of advice, but I think the overwhelming opinion is: when you are ready, your instructor will know and you have to take comfort in the fact that they have confidence in you - even if you don't, lol!

I could write all about both my first solo's but it'd be a long read and I think there's probably already ****loads of threads on here more interesting than mine!

Enjoy and look forward to hearing about it!!!

[IFMU]

As Whirlygig and Nigel Osborne pointed out, the trim change can easily catch you off guard. I soloed in an Enstrom, later I learned when the instructor hops out beep toward the empty seat 3 seconds or so. My first solo pickup I translated left (left seat solo in the F28A) quite a bit before I got my act together. On the good side, if your instructor stays on the side he hopped out of, you probably won't run him/her over.

-- IFMU

[MLH]

I left my instructor with his hands full on my first solo, a handheld in one and a video camera in the other. I still get a kick out of watching that video many years later, get it on tape if you can. I also remember looking over at the empty seat during the flight and thinking, all I need to do is fly the aircraft just as I had been taught. Enjoy the experience, you'll never get a second chance at your first solo.

[spencer17]

Long time ago

I did my first solo with 14 hours and emotions between heaven and hell.
It was one of the flights I will ever remember. Beautifull sunny day, calm and all the other guys watching. The c of g change was no problem: Alouette II and FI about 160 lbs. The only problem occured was a sitting problem after the celebration (20+ guys incl FI's). Red day.

Happy landings
spencer17

[kiwi chick]

Sorry to question you, Spencer17, but, really?!!

U didn't notice the CoG change? U didn't skyrocket towards the atmosphere at an alarming rate whilst crapping yourself and trying to work out how to smoothly integrate yourself back into the circuit of 1,000ft AGL from your slightly inaccurate 1650 AGL? All the while drifting to the left because of too much cyclic?

Err, Ahem. Me neither.

[spencer17]

Maybe in a Robbo or a Schweitzer you will experience the C of G change but in an Alouette II and a really lightweighted FI there was no significant change. We really don't talk about circuit altitudes

Spencer17

[kiwi chick]

Hahaha, touche!!

(I was trying to be funny though, it wasn't QUITE that bad... truly... )

Yeah, I was in a H269... am off now to Google a picture of an Alouette II...