........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Ha....fooled ya....I could post some action shots of me at my desk; me at my desk being scolded for poor performance; perhaps a picture of the staff having sex with the dog; I have some good pics of me adjusting the clock in the lobby so no one knows I am late...except the guest who is freaking because he thinks he missed his flight home now ;-)I wish my work PIC's were as exciting as those lucky bar-stewards who are blazing up the heaven's in their Boeing hot-rods. I would give both nuts...What's my point...I don't have one...but damn I love those work pictures...but they do serve as a constant reminder of how mundane things are here on earth, flying a desk, rushing home to fly the PIC at 4:59pm...if only I could eek out a living doing flightsim...You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one....(JL)If you want to see some PICS of me in actions - check out the gallery at www.charityflight.comRob."Come on 4:59"

You had me going there Rob. I was all set to see you sitting at a desk (like me)!Lee Hetherington (KBED)PS: I passed my pre-solo stage check today (flying/oral test). I could solo any day now in a C172! Watch out KBED traffic (and GDM2 traffic 3000' above).

Rob,Looks like your threats and offers for a bribe did not yield any results concerning "the" picture!Lee,Go man go! WE WANT A PICture for you beside Betsy when the solo happens. Have a good one.

Good luck mate !nice to see some people can do the real thing :-)see ya

Geez Rob you scared me, I was hoping the picture of your arse has been destroyed by now but reading the subject on your post made me afraid.Go Lee go! It`s an amazing feeling to be alone in the air with a plane strapped on your back!Sorry for the size...http://www3.sympatico.ca/dpergau/flying/me.jpg

Nice shot Captain Dan.The picture of my arse has been destroyed, is not available at the gallery www.charityflight.com It is a family website ;-)

Hey Lee,Just be aware when you do your 1st solo, your takeoff weight will be significantly less than you're used too!!!When I first solo'd (in a 152 no less), I lost 180lbs of instructor...then proceeded to pop a wheelie during the takeoff run....watch the plane lift itself off the runway without the usual backpressure on the yoke (never thought of re-trimming it after he bailed out of the plane)...was at pattern altitude before turning on the downwind leg, and floated down the runway alot further than I did on the landing just before the instructor got out! :) I don't know how much of a difference it will make in a 172, but I can tell you in a 152, it was like flying a whole new airplane! :-lolOh yeah, and wear an old shirt on the day you think you'll solo (if they still do the tradition of ripping a peice of your shirt to hang on the flying club wall after your 1st solo)Regards,Steve Dra

Good points Steve.. definitely remember that you're short 180lbs or so in the right seat so be ready for increased performance! ;)My first solo was on a rather cold day so I missed out on the shirt and/or water treatmentbwahahaha

Same here, no water treatment. Didn't really notice improved performance, but I did notice that I would float longer and gusts/turbulence would have more effect as the plane wasn't as stable. Good luck!

I soloed today at KFIT in N12944: three full-stop landings for a total of 0.8h PIC. Yea!Climb performance without my instructor's extra weight was great (about 1200fpm, it was also about -8C). I was up to pattern altitude very quickly. My landings were not very beautiful, but the plane could still fly and I could still walk, so they were a success. There was a bit more crosswind (40-degrees, 8kts) and bumps than we would have liked. Yeah, that's my excuse.I gave my CFI a digital camera, but the batteries died after these two photos. Oh well. You still don't know what I look like.Just after the first solo takeoff:http://www.sls.lcs.mit.edu/ilh/pics/solo1.jpgOn the initial climb:http://www.sls.lcs.mit.edu/ilh/pics/solo2.jpg:D :D :DLee Hetherington (KBED)23.4h total, 0.8h PIC

Congrats!! :D

Let me be the first,CONGRATS!Still looking for the picture next to Betsy.

Not the first. ;-)

One minute can mean alot! LOL

Lee,CONGRATULATIONS!!!I still remember my first solo like it was yesterday....Oh, and you can stop grinning anytime now. :Dgood luck with your flying,BBall-------------------Capt. William "BBall" BallBoeing 757, Northwest AirlinesSenior Editorwww.frugalsworld.com