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dkohl

SOLO !! SOLO !! SOLO !!

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Well Fly!2 friends, its been a very long time since I last posted to this forum. I've been extraodinarily busy in my job, and whenever I have free time, I've taken to the real sky's. And after about 20 hours dual, with some significant lost time this winter due to the horrible weather in New York, I finally crossed a major milestone today.I am proud and very excited to share with everyone my first SOLO photos. I did three takeoffs and landings solo at KDXR (Danbury, CT) in N3024Z, a Piper Warrior PA-28-161 (very similar to the one modeled by ROTW). After two touch-and-go's together, Rich pulled out my logbook and signed the endorsements. He told me to taxi back, explained a few things, and asked if I was ready. A bit nervous, but nonetheless confident, I gave him the thumbs-up and with that, he turned and exited the right seat. For a few seconds I just sat there. I looked at the tail number etched on the panel and thought of the call to Ground for a second. Sure, I've made that call probably 15 times already..... "Danbury ground, Warrior 3024Z at Sadler with Lima, ready to taxi." But I thought it through for a few extra seconds, pressed the PPT button on the yoke and made the call. Danbury wasn't very busy, so I received clearance to the active and was on my way. As I turned right to the runway hold-short line, I switched frequencies and before calling, looked to my left for any approaching planes. Seeing one on short final, I knew I had a minute or two before being cleared. Again, I stared at the tail number, but without delay, called for clearance, "Danbury tower, Warrior 3024Z at 35 hold-short, request takeoff. Staying in the pattern." I was first told to hold short, as expected, and then cleared to position and hold as a fellow student pilot touched down to my right. As she exited the runway, I knew the big moment had arrived. And sure enough, as the radio crackled with a clearance, my heart raced, and I pushed the throttle smoothly forward. Checking all gauges (in the green?) and keeping an eye on the center line, I waited for 60 and pulled the yoke smoothly toward my chest. And that was it. I was in the air. Nobody by my side. This was me... fully me. I'm in command. I'm in control. I'm flying!I was sharing the pattern with a Cessna, and for three landings and two more takeoffs, we traded the runway and our midfield downwind reports to the tower. My landings were controlled and smooth. I felt comfortable in the pattern, despite the bit of chop and wind that had picked up. My confidence boosted with each touch to the ground. Several other CFIs were outside, and as I taxied past, got thumbs up, clapping and a photo snap or two. What a moment. What a memory. How exciting! I am sure I will always appreciate N3024Z. Today will mark a major milestone. Tomorrow starts the next chapter in what I hope will be many wonderful (and safe) years of flying.I'm guessing I spent over 1,000 hours simming first with Fly!2K and now with Fly!2. I am certain that these hours have helped tremendously in many ways. But to all those considering the real thing, mark my words today.... There is simply nothing like it!Enjoy the photos....-DKFirst solo takeoff role....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/68965.jpgNice smooth landing on Rwy 35....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/68966.jpgTaxiing back for more....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/68969.jpgCelebrating with Rich, my CFI after shutdown....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/68967.jpgPinning up my "Solo Shirt" at Arrow Aviation flight school....http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/68968.jpg----David KohlFly! II v2.5.240Dell 8200 P4/1.8G, 1024MB RAM, Nvidia GF4 Ti4600 v52.16, WinXP Home Edition SP1.CH Pro Pedals and Yoke USB.

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Guest HeliFLYer

H e r z l i c h e n G l

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Hi David,Real cool! I love reading this type of post from a person who realises their dream of flight. Congratulations on this milestone and may you have many more safe and happy hours of flight. Really nice pics. Do the photos give a good reproduction colour of the aircraft. On my computer I have problem deciding whether the upper fuselage is a pale grey or sky blue?Cheers,Roger

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Thanks for the well wishes. Note that the upper fuselage is pale grey.-DK----David KohlFly! II v2.5.240Dell 8200 P4/1.8G, 1024MB RAM, Nvidia GF4 Ti4600 v52.16, WinXP Home Edition SP1.CH Pro Pedals and Yoke USB.

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Hearty Congratulations, Dave!! This will certainly be one day forever etched in your mind! Way to go! Maybe we can get Steve B. to do a repaint of the PA-28 in N3024Z livery for ya (if he can get permission from the school, that is!! ;-) )!! WAY TO GO!!Many Cheers! :-beerchugKen Wood :-sun1http://www.avsim.com/hangar/fly/dfdg/bannernewkw.jpgGateway 700X; Intel P4 2.4GHz; 512MB RAM; NVIDIA Ti4200 4X AGP 128MB; SB Audigy; Thrustmaster TopGun Fox 2 Pro Shock


___________________________

Kenneth E Wood Jr  🌪️🌩️

ex AG1, USN (14yr Vet) Weather Foecaster

 

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That would be pretty cool. I'm sure Arrow Aviation would be fine with it. Quite frankly, I think they'd be pretty flattered!-DK

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Guest Fly II Pilot

David,Congratulations!!!I also love reading these posts, especially if they are from simmers. I think that you'll be able to take advantage of the "sim time" during your navigation and IFR training...Glad to see you're still around!http://www.avsim.com/hangar/fly/dfdg/banneraa.jpg

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A hearty congratulations, David! Mine was about 32 years ago and I remember almost every minute of it, including the near-miss with a sky-diver!


Randall Rocke

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Guest Ken_Salter

Congrats! Hopefully one day soon I'll be posting a thread like this one!BTW, nice looking plane! You learned in a low wing? :-lol

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Ken:I see you have 1.1 hours in your signature file. Either you update that graphic weekly, or you've stalled there. Hope its the former. And thank you to ALL for the hearty congrats. Can't wait to get up again next Monday....-DK----David KohlFly! II v2.5.240Dell 8200 P4/1.8G, 1024MB RAM, Nvidia GF4 Ti4600 v52.16, WinXP Home Edition SP1.CH Pro Pedals and Yoke USB.

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To all:Staring my long-distance flying on Monday. First time I'm flight planning, fuel planning, etc. I am using an E6B calculator. I thought it might be cool to integrate such functionality into Fly!2's flight planning module. I don't have the technical capabilities to do such work, but wanted to point out this real-world requirement.-DK----David KohlFly! II v2.5.240Dell 8200 P4/1.8G, 1024MB RAM, Nvidia GF4 Ti4600 v52.16, WinXP Home Edition SP1.CH Pro Pedals and Yoke USB.

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Guest ErikU

David,My tale isn't quite so eloquent, and I have no pix, but I soloed today in a Diamond Katana C-1 from Orange County Airport (KMGJ) in Montgomery, NY. Three ups, three downs, no splats. :-) A whole lot of fun, and as you say, what a memory!Erik

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Guest Bart

Them Kats are a blast aren't they? Amazing how hard they are to stall too, all from that lil bump on the front of the wing. Haven't flown 7CL in a while, kid's have been wabtig a Katana ride again so I'll probably be squeezing in that lil thing again soon.Have fun!! How long till the PPL?

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Guest ErikU

Hiya Bart!You're right! The Kat seems to refuse to stall. Compared to the Cessna 152 I started in which seemed to stall if you looked at it funny, the Kat is amazing. Nearly standing it on its tail (and losing 1,000 feet altitude, I still couldn't get it to stall.I had 20 hours in my log (including nearly 6 for a long cross-country hop) from more than a decade ago, so it took only about 7 hours to get acclimated to the Katana and ready to solo. If I'm efficient about it, I think I'll be ready for the license in another 15 or 20 hours. Taking real life into consideration, it'll probably take until the end of the year.Erik

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