First Solo

I am gonna go on my first solo at the end of May. I am a little bit
nervous... Any advice?

On 2 May 2007 09:02:51 -0700, wrote in
. com:

I am gonna go on my first solo at the end of May. I am a little bit
nervous... Any advice?

Wear a cheap shirt. :-)

Clue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_solo_flight

wrote:

I am gonna go on my first solo at the end of May. I am a little bit
nervous... Any advice?


Yep, wear a cheap shirt. One with a little sentimental
value, though.

Don't be shocked when the plane turns into a rocket. You're going
to shoot up like never before. My CFI was a pretty big guy so the
difference in weight was astounding.

Watch the ground go away beneath you. It's great stuff.

From there, it's all routine. Fly your pattern. Relax. It's
really nothing you haven't done before.

On final, don't let your CFI's absence keep you from hearing the
stuff they normally say. WATCH YOUR AIRSPEED and whatever else
they generally bring up. I planned to take a tape recorder and just
have it repeat that crap to me while I came in but I never got around
to it.

On May 2, 11:28 am, Erik wrote:
wrote:
I am gonna go on my first solo at the end of May. I am a little bit
nervous... Any advice?

Yep, wear a cheap shirt. One with a little sentimental
value, though.

Don't be shocked when the plane turns into a rocket. You're going
to shoot up like never before. My CFI was a pretty big guy so the
difference in weight was astounding.

Watch the ground go away beneath you. It's great stuff.

From there, it's all routine. Fly your pattern. Relax. It's
really nothing you haven't done before.

On final, don't let your CFI's absence keep you from hearing the
stuff they normally say. WATCH YOUR AIRSPEED and whatever else
they generally bring up. I planned to take a tape recorder and just
have it repeat that crap to me while I came in but I never got around
to it.

I hope there will be little to no cross wind that day. :-) I still
need practice in that area + remember to turn the yoke into the
wind... I also need to feel comfortable doing a slip which kind of
freaks me out at this point.

On 2 May 2007 09:53:01 -0700, wrote in
.com:

I hope there will be little to no cross wind that day. :-) I still
need practice in that area + remember to turn the yoke into the
wind... I also need to feel comfortable doing a slip which kind of
freaks me out at this point.


Most flight instructors don't announce the first solo in advance, just
so you won't psych yourself into a state of over apprehension. It's
probably a lot easier on the student if the CFI just gets out of the
aircraft after you've been practicing that day, and says, "Give me
three good landings without me onboard."

Just remember your CFI consider's you ready to solo. Doubtless, his
job (if not more) is riding on that decision if you should become an
incident or accident statistic. He trusts you to do what he has
taught you; you should trust his judgment, try to overcome your
apprehension through preparation, and relax and savor the joy of this
milestone on your journey to becoming an airman.

Just review all the things you have learned, and you'll do fine.
Preparation is very important in aviation.

Larry Dighera wrote:

Just remember your CFI consider's you ready to solo. Doubtless, his
job (if not more) is riding on that decision if you should become an
incident or accident statistic.

Famous last words: "If anything happens, just make sure your
logbook gets burned up!"

On May 2, 12:55 pm, Erik wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote:
Just remember your CFI consider's you ready to solo. Doubtless, his
job (if not more) is riding on that decision if you should become an
incident or accident statistic.

Famous last words: "If anything happens, just make sure your
logbook gets burned up!"

Will I be in radio contact with him? Does it matter?

Larry, what you said reminds me of an article in "Flying" back in the 70's
called "Good-Bye Dobbs". It described a new CFI's first solo student. The
CFI was thinking about a contingency plan in case the student had an
accident. I think he was going to claim that the student took the plane w/o
permission...
"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On 2 May 2007 09:53:01 -0700, wrote in
.com:

I hope there will be little to no cross wind that day. :-) I still
need practice in that area + remember to turn the yoke into the
wind... I also need to feel comfortable doing a slip which kind of
freaks me out at this point.


Most flight instructors don't announce the first solo in advance, just
so you won't psych yourself into a state of over apprehension. It's
probably a lot easier on the student if the CFI just gets out of the
aircraft after you've been practicing that day, and says, "Give me
three good landings without me onboard."

Just remember your CFI consider's you ready to solo. Doubtless, his
job (if not more) is riding on that decision if you should become an
incident or accident statistic. He trusts you to do what he has
taught you; you should trust his judgment, try to overcome your
apprehension through preparation, and relax and savor the joy of this
milestone on your journey to becoming an airman.

Just review all the things you have learned, and you'll do fine.
Preparation is very important in aviation.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I hope there will be little to no cross wind that day. :-) I still
need practice in that area + remember to turn the yoke into the
wind... I also need to feel comfortable doing a slip which kind of
freaks me out at this point.

Slips made me uncomfortable for a while too, but once you practice them a
bit, you get used to them. The a/c 'feels' out of control, but when you get
a few under your belt, and come to realise that the a/c is actually still
doing exactly what you want it to do, then that discomfort subsides. That's
what I've found anyway.
Good luck with the solo! You'll never forget it!
One tip I would suggest is to be extra careful to watch your speed on
finals, as you won't lose altitude as easily as you did with the instructor
was on board. This may force you to either do one of those slips that you
aren't comfortable with yet, or go-around. Make sure the speed is not above
the recommended as you come over the fence.
I'm sure you'll do fine.
Crash Lander

Have fun.