Yippee indeed! That first time alone in the air is really going to
groove your memory tracks. You may forget the birth of your first born
but solo is really going to last.

That said, it's sometimes easier to solo than it is to get that written
test studied for and behind you. Then you'll eventually be lost to
something else, so please don't let that happen.

Partially related to that there is the very important cross-country
training. I'm speaking from ignorance here (
("As usual", I can hear being said) since training in this phase may be
just as available nowadays in a club as at the commercial
establishments. But nail this thing down early, regardless of cost.

It wasn't always thus.

Last campfire story and then I swear I'll quit:

I transitioned from USAF pilot to glider pilot about six years after
being mustered out with the boys at Appomattox Courthouse. The club at
that time had a straight-six Dodge powered winch that had to date from
before the war, and I'm still talking Civil War here(or War Between the
States if you prefer that formulation). Roy Schlemeyer, a legend in his
own time (they eventually named the airport after him), was my IP and
our ship was the venerable Schweizer 2-22. We used piano wire that Roy
had scavenged from the oilfields where it had become so work-hardened
and weakened by exposure to corrosive hydrogen sulfide gas that he could
have all he could haul off for free. We used a hank of it until sorting
it out and tying square knots (sometimes grannies) in it after the line
breaks was taking up more than half of our training time. When of course
we spooled on some more.

Anyway, long story short, the point of this ramble is that Roy felt, and
there may be some still out there that espouse this same philosophy,
that getting the student safely soloed was all he was going to show you.

It wasn't until several years later that I realized that Roy had never
been past the infield fence himself, and he wasn't about to go there
either. So I solo and then off I go in the club 1-26, learning to
thermal teaching myself cross-country technique all the way. I can
thermal OK but I still don't know much about cross country. (I know, a
camp should be in my future.)

So look after this thing too, you will enjoy your soaring experience so
much more.

And congratulations and good luck to you!

(The Hobbs, New Mexico Soaring Club is still using Roy's winch and
probaby his wire, too. If you get over there someday, look for it. It's
mounted on the chassis of a panel truck that long ago peddled snow
cones. The snow cone truck was abandoned one night in Wally Scott's
drive-in theater.

Admire the ingenuous and at the same time ingenious level wind, or
spooling-on gear. Note the location of the fuel tank. Marvel at the
protection afforded the operator. Ask how they transport it across the
airport at the end of the day. Examine the maintenance records.

Take photos of it so the folks back home will believe you.)

BJ

ISoar wrote:

I'm scheduled to Solo this weekend (yipeee!) and am thinking about
whats next. Plan was to train at a FBO then join a club. Question is
when to transition? I know theres going to be more lessons before I
take the FAA license test. FBO advantage is familiar aircraft,
airfield, soaring conditions, instructor. Only disadvantage is price.
When would be the best time to transition? When would be the
stupidest?