Too Scared ti Solo? Anyone else?

[Muckmaw1]

Well, I've got some time.

I've logged 10 hours since I started living my dream and I'm very proud of every one of them. I've made 9 landings as well, and though some have been a little harder than they should be, the airplanes gear are still intact.

So last night, I'm laying in bed, about to drift off to sleep and I realized, in the not too distant future, I'm going to have to do this solo.

My eyes snapped open and I sat there thinking about it for the next hour.


Nagging questions plagues my mind.

Would I be able to get past the fear? Would I panic, Crash into a pre-school and kill thousands of people? Did I shut off the oven?

I'm sure being alone for the first time is scary for alot of new pilots.

Was anyone else scared to solo?

[AKIron]

Originally posted by Muckmaw1
Was anyone else scared to solo?

Nah, but I was too young to know any better.

You'll do fine, a bit of worry is healthy. Better check the oven.

[Thrawn]

Nope, trusted in the laws of physics to much.  The plane is going to fly.  I figured if I was screwing up the landing I would just overshoot.

[Habu]

They should not let you solo untill you have at least 15 to 20 hours. If they do they are not a good school.

Having a instructor with you for 20 hours will not make you a bad pilot. It means he has lots of time to correct your mistakes. And by 20 hours you are much less stressed to try on your own.

I found my solo a non event. It was easy. I was ready at 7 hours to go alone. But I let the school  build up my hours to close to 20 before they sent me up. I did not complain and had no problem with that.

Safety should always be your number one thought as a pilot.

[Thrawn]

Heheh, Busher soloed in three hours.  

[Ripsnort]

I've heard that solo is not nearly as anxiety-inducing as actually having to do your first cross- country or IFR instruction.

[Sikboy]

Originally posted by Habu
They should not let you solo untill you have at least 15 to 20 hours. If they do they are not a good school.

Originally posted by Muckmaw1
I've logged 10 hours... in the not too distant future, I'm going to have to do this solo.

Sounds about right to me.

-Sik

[Dago]

Don't worry, only 40% of students crash on their first solo, and only half of those die.

Just kidding!  

I soloed at about 8 hours, you should have no problem.   Any school that makes you wait until 20 hours is either milking you for money, or they don't think you can fly safely for some reason.

It should be apparent that you can fly the pattern, takeoff to landing without instructor input, either on the controls or telling you what to do before you solo.  Once you achieve that level, you are ready.  After you have completed your solos, your confidence will go way up.

Relax, enjoy it and wear an old shirt.


dago

[lazs2]

not really quite the same but....

I took an ultralight course and put about 14 hours in it..  We were suppossed to solo at the end in a plane we had never even seen (single seat quicksilver) but.... I got told at the last week that it was like $250 for the insurance for the one flight (solo) so passed since I had bought a wrecked ultralight that was allmost complete in the repairs and mods...

big mistake... first "solo" was unintentional...  had the thing taxieng at about 30MPH whene it left the ground...  had the stick all the way forward but the plane was still climing.... if I let off the throttle it started to stall...  I leaned forward and got it to level off at about 50 feet and 30 mph or so.... took me a looooong time to ease the throttle off slowly enough that I could lose a foot or two of alt at every eternity or so.   luckily... it was a huge flat field and I was able to rudder around and lose even a little more alt without stalling.  

 finally got it down ...  was a rush tho.

when I put the thing up on blocks at the wing... the nose went straight up.  not too balanced...

lazs

[LLv34 Jarsci]

What I remember from my solo was that first I was "running on high rpms" but after successfull takeoff I just started to enjoy and whistle into my mike because of the joy I felt being up alone and being able to sideslip without my instructors remarks

What a wonderful feeling, like jumping from a plane first time and having sex first time.. you will always remember afterwards, even how brief the happenstance

[JB73]

i solo every night.

can't remember the first though hehehehe

[moose]

weird;

i soloed in 3.5. my instructor swore up and down that i must have flown somewhere else.

i credit the many hours in AH as the reason why. it made flying for real much more comfortable.. im surprised it didnt for you muck. you'll be fine though im sure!

[jigsaw]

Being nervous is a natural part of learning to fly.

There is no set number of hours to solo. Some people do it at 5. Some people at 80. Your instructor isn't going to let you solo until they feel confident that you're ready. Anyone that puts a magic number of hours out there for you to solo is not a good instructor.

Without the instructor with you, the plane is going to act quite a bit differently. You'll rotate sooner, climb faster, and probably float your first few flares. Fly your numbers ( power settings, airspeeds, altitudes ) and you'll be fine.

If you're at a controled field and tower gives you an instruction that you feel is not safe, use the magic words "Unable, student pilot." When you're solo you are pilot in command. You have the same authority and responsibility as the captain of a commercial 747.  Read FAR 91.3. Memorize it. Love it.

If you have access to a video camera, tape it.  At least be sure to get a few photos. Most important tip... wear a shirt that isn't your favorite.

Keep us posted.

[slimm50]

Originally posted by lazs2
not really quite the same but....

I took an ultralight course and put about 14 hours in it..  We were suppossed to solo at the end in a plane we had never even seen (single seat quicksilver) but.... I got told at the last week that it was like $250 for the insurance for the one flight (solo) so passed since I had bought a wrecked ultralight that was allmost complete in the repairs and mods...

big mistake... first "solo" was unintentional...  had the thing taxieng at about 30MPH whene it left the ground...  had the stick all the way forward but the plane was still climing.... if I let off the throttle it started to stall...  I leaned forward and got it to level off at about 50 feet and 30 mph or so.... took me a looooong time to ease the throttle off slowly enough that I could lose a foot or two of alt at every eternity or so.   luckily... it was a huge flat field and I was able to rudder around and lose even a little more alt without stalling.  

 finally got it down ...  was a rush tho.

when I put the thing up on blocks at the wing... the nose went straight up.  not too balanced...

lazs

LOL, I'd a been skeered sh***less!:eek:

[lazs2]

yes... it was...

anxiety inducing.

lazs