Your first solo - what were your feelings?

[Krister 51]

I am asking because I've always read about how pilots describe their first solo as the ultimate high and so on, while my own experience was completely different.

 

On my first solo, my CFI just asked me to come to a complete stop on the runway on the next touch and go, he then jumped out (it was a small grass strip with no traffic) and told me take off again. So I did and I really didn't feel or do anything much different from when he was onboard. Well, I did sing 'I am sailing' by Rod Stewart all the time because it felt like the right thing to do! A couple of other training aircrafts then joined the circuit but we all continued business as usual.

 

Afterwards I felt somehow disappointed as well as cheated having heard of others pilots descriptions. Of course I will never forget the flight. But where was my euphoria?! My jitters? At the same I found a positive side to it, since not feeling any nervousness I guess meant I was mentally ready and trusthing my capability, especially since I already had the outmost respect for my CFI's judgement.

 

I actually later the very same day had an incident during solo that scrapped the propeller, but 30 minutes later I was up flying again in another airplane. They couldn't get me into the air quickly enough!

 

Anyway, what were your experiences?

[g_precentralis 191]

The best thing I felt was performance boost when my 100kgs instructor left the aircraft :lol:

[realkewl 3]

My first solo sounds similar to yours, however, my instructor had me taxi back to the FBO and then he jumped out. I had to make three touch and go's to a complete stop off the runway, so basically taxi off, taxi back and take off again.

 

The first take off, I was like this thing is climbing really fast. I was at pattern altitude mid field and I didn't know what to do. So I turned cross wind, and it made my landing seemed very rushed. (A beam the numbers - wow that was fast - do check list)

 

The second take off I was like, ok, I know it's going to climb fast, but I'll just reach pattern altitiude and fly to the end of the runway to turn cross wind. I was thinking this is really cool...and should I be up here...I started getting a little nervous.

 

By the third take off I really just wanted to get it over.

 

It wasn't until I did my solo cross country that I felt really comfortable.

 

Now the bigger question is how many hours did you have before you solo'ed I had less than 10.

[Krister 51]

Haha true that!

[3Green 80]

My first solo was the same, after doing a few touch and goes, we landed and the instructor jumped out and said do one circuit. I said oh sh !

I was 16 years old at the time.

 

RJ

[Krister 51]

 

Now the bigger question is how many hours did you have before you solo'ed I had less than 10.

 

Yeah, that is of course a very relevant question. We are not allowed to solo before 20 hours and I think it was something like 25 h so I had my fair share of flying already when I soloed. But the rest of the guys with the same hours were more thrilled with their solos and I am a bit envious!

[tttocs 301]

Actually, I was ready for it, pretty much expecting it when it happened and was anxious for it to happen so that I could move on to the next stage. As with the other poster, the biggest thing I remember was how well the plane performed without the weight of my instructor. I remember a bit of "wow, this is sooo cool" on the first downwind, and then it was just pattern work as usual but in a plane that suddenly was a bit less sluggish and more fun to fly.

 

Afterwords, when they cut my shirtail, I was pretty juiced, though. [Do they still do that?]

 

Scott

[g_precentralis 191]

Here is the same, no solos before 20 hours, i think it was just after 20 hours expiried, but I have to look at my logbook which is at civil authorities for inspection right now.

[Jim Robinson 122]

I didn't think it was such a big deal either, there was a little rush when the wheels first left the ground, kind of an "oh sh*t, now I'm committed!" feeling. I too remember the airplane (C-150, N61215) feeling a lot spunkier without the instructor's fat a$$ in there. I had 11.9 hrs it appears, I'd have guessed more than that but that's what the logbook shows. I got my picture taken with the airplane but nobody messed with my shirt :smile: . 7/21/1980 - I would have been 17 yrs old.

 

Jim

[3Green 80]

I didn't think it was such a big deal either, there was a little rush when the wheels first left the ground, kind of an "oh sh*t, now I'm committed!" feeling. I too remember the airplane (C-150, N61215) feeling a lot spunkier without the instructor's fat a$$ in there. I had 11.9 hrs it appears, I'd have guessed more than that but that's what the logbook shows.

 

Jim

 

I did my first solo in a C-150 also and logged 11.6 hours in the air before my solo flight that lasted 0.2 hours. :lol:

 

RJ

[Krister 51]

To add, I did have weird feelings AFTER getting the license. Namely, i was sitting their in the office one nice day looking at the clear, blue skies and started thinking. Waait a minute, the airplane is sitting their at the airport fueld up and everything, not booked by any other flight club member. And I have the license back home. This means that I can fully legally go flying ALONE if I so desire?!? Just like that? Noooo way, that's redicilous. What's the catch?! Will I be arrested when I land? Only Pilots are allowed to fly. Hey, wait a minute - I am a pilot! An hour later I was flying. THAT feeling I will never forget!

[Oracle427 45]

My wife and instructor watched by the side of the taxiway and filmed it all.

 

My emotions during my first solo were combination of relief, anxiety, excitement, confidence, elation. I agree about the comment made about the performance boost with the instructor. I was stunned at how quickly the 172 leaped off the ground on a ~35C day!.

 

I say relief because I was taking a bit long to get to solo because I was having trouble with the sight picture on landing and was getting a little frustrated. Reaching that milestone is a big step in the training and opens the door to so much more fun stuff than going around the pattern endlessly.

 

They were also my best 3 landings for a long time which I didn't equal until my checkride and then again until I gained more experience flying on my own.

 

Yes, they cut my shirt tail and this was 2 years ago.

[Fatback 84]

I have never soloed but did some work with a flight training company that trained a lot of foreign pilots. They had to institute a rule of no cel phones on flights because the students were taking pictures on short final on their solo and emailing them to friends. The school found out when one of the students was showing pictures of someone's landing before he had taxied off the runway.

[Jim Robinson 122]

I knew it was coming, the instructor was going to solo me the day prior but I didn't have my medical cert. yet. I went down the next morning and got it, then went back and soloed that afternoon.

 

The really cool feeling was in the next day or so when I was allowed to leave the pattern solo. I told the instructor I would go out and work on rectangular patterns or something - In reality I didn't work on anything except sight-seeing and just enjoying my independence. That was a pretty cool experience. :smile:

 

Jim

[Top_Gunn 0]

Everybody says you never forget your first solo, but I don't remember mine. I do remember my first flight in a single-seat glider, though, probably because I wasn't quite sure what to expect.