Another first time soloist

[Powerin]

Funnily enough today started the same way it did when I had my first flying lesson. Up at 4.30am, loaded up our truck with sheep and took them the 85kms to the Wagga Saleyards. After unloading the sheep I drove the truck over to the airport and squeezed around the narrow airport roads to the Flying School hangar. (I wonder how many other students drive trucks to their lessons?).

 

Being in a rural area my instructor teaches quite a few farmers and the first lesson (straight and level) for farmers often consists of a flight out to the student's farm and back. And so it was with me. It's a great idea...it fills you with enthusiasm flying over your own property. As I recall I flew the circuit on the return and landed with a bit of help.

 

Today's lesson, however, ended with me landing the aeroplane with an empty seat beside me.

 

To be honest it's all a bit of a blur, but it started with the question "Do you want to do one on your own"? Yes was my slightly nervous answer and he turned us around and backtracked to the threshold of 05. For the first time since I've known him my cool, calm and collected instructor showed a bit of anxiety as he briefed me on what to expect. After grabbing his safety vest, he jumped out, reminded me only ONE circuit and closed the door.

 

As everyone says, things happen a lot faster on climb out with only one person on board. But one thing I didn't expect, and don't remember reading anywhere, was how much faster the aircraft slows down too. Everything went pretty smoothly but I got a bit distracted when a REX flight made a couple of inbound calls when I was on late downwind and final. The landing was OK but I drifted a bit to the left of the centreline when I tried to straighten up from a small crab angle too early due to a bit of crosswind. I was ready to hit the throttle but everything straightened up nicely in the flare and I was down. Phew.

 

I was just about to call "clear of all runways and still in one piece after my first solo", but I chickened out and did the regular call. :clap2:

 

[ATTACH]13501.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Peter

 

 

 

[ahlocks]

onya farmer!

 

 

[pudestcon]

Goodonya Pow,

 

The feelings good eh?

 

Pud

 

 

[winsor68]

Way to go Pow!

 

 

[sfGnome]

I was just about to call "clear of all runways and still in one piece after my first solo", but I chickened out and did the regular call.

I reckon the Rex jockeys would have enjoyed that call

 

 

[.Evan.]

Congratulations! As a recent soloist too, it is still very clear in my memory! Did you get around to mid-downwind before it really struck you?

 

 

[Powerin]

Congratulations! As a recent soloist too, it is still very clear in my memory! Did you get around to mid-downwind before it really struck you?

I allowed myself a couple of glances at the empty seat beside me on crosswind...just to remember the moment. After that I just went with the flow. I spent far too much brain capacity trying to decipher the REX calls. They're pretty good usually, but this guy was at this DME and on that Radial and then another aircraft called overflying on another radial. Spent a few seconds being confused when I should have been flying the aircraft!

 

 

[.Evan.]

Wow, I'm glad that Ballarat doesn't have much RPT traffic! It's confusing enough with just students flying around!

 

 

[Tomo]

Well done Peter! :thumb_up:

 

Isn't it funny how the radio can be such a hard and confusing device early on in the piece - trying to put all the information together... uses a lot of brain power! I can admit to that for sure in the early days.

 

(getting used to it a bit now though, particularly now I'm flying out of Archerfield and into places like the Gold Coast )

 

Once again, well done! And it all comes together much quicker now I reckon, time to knock off the 5hrs solo!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Well done Peter Top Stuff

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Congratulations Peter. A milestone indeed. You will find that quite often "things straighten up quite nicely in the flare" after being a bit off-line or other impairment just prior, but you were quite right to be prepared for a go-around. I expect you will be continuing navs now and finding other interesting places to go while you work towards that Pilot Certificate.

 

 

[winsor68]

Pow... now you need the photo from your first solo as you profile picture.

 

 

[JIMMYTWO]

Pow- I know how you feel after your first solo.

 

 

[Powerin]

Wow, I'm glad that Ballarat doesn't have much RPT traffic! It's confusing enough with just students flying around!

The RPT guys and girls are usually great and will use standard language in their calls. It's so much easier when they just call inbound at 30 miles to the NW and using a straight in approach to runway 23. If you are in the circuit they will usually ask very nicely if you are able to extend downwind to let them land straight in or allow them to backtrack and takeoff. It's all good experience! Of course, up until now I have always had an instructor with me to handle the interactions with RPT :big_grin:

 

 

[.Evan.]

It's all good experience! Of course, up until now I have always had an instructor with me to handle the interactions with RPT :big_grin:

It would be good experience. Good for future times when you are flying into a new busy airport by yourself! It'll seem easy then.