AcesHigh Real Life Frirst Solo's

[Bixby]

 Starting this on a whim, if anyone would like to share their real life experiences.

 My first solo was in Piper J3 Cub in 1669 out of my Uncle's cow pasture. My cousin chased the cows to the far end of the pasture to clear the strip.

I flew around the area, came back for a touch and go and came back for a landing.

I still dream about that in my old age.

[Brooke]

My solo was in 1978 when I was 15, in a Cessna 152.

We were doing touch and gos, and the instructor said, "OK, you are ready to do some on your own."

I taxied out for takeoff, took off, came around the pattern, touched down, and bounced a few times.  I wasn't used to the plane being a lot lighter with the instructor gone.  I stuck the landings better after that very first one.

The most fun I had was landing in high turbulence and high wind, and landing and taking off on a particular grass strip.

The grass strip I liked was one that had an asphalt runway running perpendicularly though it.  It was higher than the grass, so you had to keep the nose wheel up when you crossed it, and the plane would do a jump when it crossed that area.  I like that.  You had to keep the nose wheel off the ground, but not so much back that you banged the tail.

The most-challenging runway to land on was one that had a plowed up area right at the end of the runway on a hot and gusty day.  Getting it lined up was challenging with the strong gusts.  And you'd get it lined up, coming in somewhat sideways because of the wind.  Then you'd go over the plowed up area, which gave off large rising turbulence right near the end of the runway.  You'd have to be highly reactive on the controls.  Very exciting.  Then stick it down and put in a lot of rudder to keep from weathervaning into the wind.

[nopoop]

Cessna 150 San Carlos airport. First night landing was a bouncer....

Circa 1971

[AKIron]

Piper Tomahawk, 1979, Clovis Airport NM. Was stationed at Cannon AFB.

[Bixby]

Nice story Brooke.

I was 18 then. There is something about grass strips. Grass just "feels" nice and presents interesting challenges...mud, snow and cow patties! 

[Brooke]

Nice story Brooke.

I was 18 then. There is something about grass strips. Grass just "feels" nice and presents interesting challenges...mud, snow and cow patties! 

Thanks, Bixby.  Yep -- just something about grass! 

[Oldman731]

June 7, 2007, N53569, Cessna 172SP, Wings Field (KLOM).  Nice clear day, not too hot, virtually no wind.  My instructor told me to stop the plane on the taxiway.  He signed my log book so that I could solo, told me to do three full-stop landings, and got out of the plane.  Off I went.

On the roundout of my first approach, maybe four feet off the runway, the plane wandered over the left row of runway lights.  I did my best missed approach and roared off into the blue.  By the time I'd come back around the pattern they had resuscitated my instructor.  The remaining landings turned out to be just fine.

- oldman

[Bixby]

Nice Oldman. So your instructor recovered and then , what did he say as he was cutting off your shirt tail? BTW, do they still do the shirt tail thing these days?

[Bixby]

Keep these stories coming folks. It is a part of our collective history.

I would like to here from some of our RL military pilots...especially Puma44. He has a boatload of stories I'm sure.

[AKIron]

I wore an old shirt for the tail cutting sacrifice. No ritual performed though. I'm thinking they were unwilling to mutilate a classic such as that which adorned me. If I can find the pic I'll share.

[Oldman731]

Nice Oldman. So your instructor recovered and then , what did he say as he was cutting off your shirt tail? BTW, do they still do the shirt tail thing these days?

They do!  Mine was pretty elaborate when I got it back.  I'd post a photo of it if I knew how to do that here. 

- oldman

[Oldman731]

Figured it out!

The fine print reads:  "There is no crosswind too great, that I should not seek it out - too strong nor too gusty, in order to see if my Flight instructor will sweat."

He was making fun of my desire to practice crosswind landings whenever possible.

- oldman

They do!  Mine was pretty elaborate when I got it back.  I'd post a photo of it if I knew how to do that here. 

- oldman

[Wildin]

Mine was in Fairbanks AK 1961 Piper PA-11 on skis at the main airport. It was very cold and drafty, wearing felt bunny boots and some surplus down filled overalls. directional control while taxiing achieved with bursts of power and full rudder then seeing how far you coasted. 

[Bixby]

That's wild Wildin. 

Is the PA11 a later version of the Cub?

[Rocco]

My first solo was in a Cessna 172 at Cooking Lake Airport in 2002, just a few weeks shy of my 18th birthday. Flew a couple circuits with my instructor, then he had me taxi to the flight school, hopped out and said have fun! Weirdest sensation not having that presence next to me for the first time. Standard was to do one circuit and full stop, but i was a little high on my approach so I went around. Honestly I easily could have made it but I didn't want to come down yet. Came around and had a decent landing. After I had shut down my buddy who had just soloed the week before came to grab my headset and bag, but being the nice guy I am and not knowing what was coming I insisted on carrying most of my stuff. I thought it was kind of weird, and even weirder when he moved away from me. It all made sense when one of my instructors came around the corner with a bucket of water. I had ground school that night, and lived an hour from the airport, so had to sit through the class in wet jeans. Good times. 

It's really funny seeing this topic now. I ran into that same buddy earlier today after about 15 years. He's a training Captain for Air Canada Jazz now, he did really well for himself.