First Solo

[helimax]

How was your first solo flight? Did you feel confident, nervous or straight out scared?

[FUSE]

How was your first solo flight? Did you feel confident, nervous or straight out scared?

 

 

How about all of the above?

 

I felt like I knew what I was doing but was nervous at the same time. It was an experience I will never forget. My first Solo Cross Country was really nerve racking, especially when it started snowing on me 2 hours away from where I fly from. Had to land at a controlled airport for the first time, solo, and wait it out. That was the magic moment when I started to feel like a real pilot.

[Witch]

My first solo-FW-had me confused because my instructor and I went to Yolo. We landed, taxied to the EOR, and he got out. Before he closed the door, he said "Take it around the block a few times and don't break the plane." He closed the door and I had the feeling of "Oh Crap what do I do now?"

 

Well, I took her around three times, he got back in, we flew back to Travis Aero, and landed. Unbeknownst to me, one of the other instructors had scissors and cut the back of my shirt out. My Berlin shirt. (I was irate, but got another one).

 

But just relax and do what you've been doing and you'll be fine.

 

Later

[TaIk2Kevin]

First Solo I felt pretty confident since it was supervised My instructor was taking to me on the radio the entire time, to me it was just as if he was sitting next to me. The first solo from the Airport was pretty cool I wasnt too nervous until I got stuck orbiting 2 miles from the airport for 5 min. because of the insane amount of traffic, Flying out of Van Nuys around evening newstime there were like 10 Helicopters Trying to get in and 10 more trying to get out all over the place and the controller was totaly worked, then once I was cleared to land There was a plane taxiing on my landing spot wich I wasnt expecting and kinda caught me off guard, All in all when I landed It made me feel a lot more confident that I had done everything Right even when not expecting the usual circumstances.

[lockedcj7]

How was your first solo flight? Did you feel confident, nervous or straight out scared?

 

We had been out three times and he didn't touch the controls at all on any of those rides so I felt pretty good. Of course I was nervous but I also felt like I could do it. As I was flying on downwind, I kept looking around thinking "I'm actually doing this all by myself!" The instructor had told me that the CG would be way different and that the corresponding cyclic position would feel really weird so I was prepared for that. I wasn't prepared for how much faster the ship was without him. I was screaming around the pattern and had to really work to get slowed down enough to make a good approach.

 

The first time I went unsupervised, a Katana was taxiing across my my landing spot as I was on short final. I just called the tower and advised them that I was going to do a low orbit and come back to my spot because of the guy in the Katana. He answered back that he thought the guy was going to stop but didn't and that my deviation would be fine. Being able to deal with this issue without freaking out made me feel like a real pilot.

[rotor91]

1st Solo....ah yes! I saw my CFI put the 2-way radio under the seat, so...I had 20 min. of thinking about the solo....increasing my pucker factor!! I just about rolled it over, as i tried to p/u...not really, but felt like it. So that one was cancelled, and he told me we'll do it another time. The next flight, no solo, then the one after that.....we're sitting on the ground, and he looked at me, and asked if I was ready....not being nervous or anything....I said YES. HE got out, and an R-22 feels like the cockpit is the size of a 412, when your CFI gets out, for the 1st time!!! I did a few p/u's and set downs, pedal turns, hover sideways, etc. He got in, and that was it! Still, one of my proudest moments in my life! Good Times!

 

Cheers-

Rob

 

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege! Not a flying quote, but apropos to our everday lives!

 

[svtcobra66]

I was a little nervous, at the time I was a week past my 16th birthday and could not yet drive a car by myself, so flying a heli solo was an experience. After the first lap you realize you know what you're doing, and everything else goes pretty well. I can still remember the first approach like it was yesterday, and it did help boost confidence that my instructor and I had practiced many full touchdown autos in the Bell 47 before I soloed.

Chris

[skier]

I was a little nervous, at the time ...could not yet drive a car by myself

 

I had a similar situation. I soloed fixed wing before I could drive by myself. The worst part for me was thinking about it. As soon as i started accelerating down the runway I felt fine and my training took over. After my three times around the pattern I found out I had messed up every radio call, but no big deal they were minor mistakes and it was an uncontrolled airport.

[Worldcrime]

What I remember most was "God please don't let me F#^K this up!"

 

Richard

[500E]

Did it in a 300 I remember thinking darn now i am up Please let me put it down SAFE, then at 600 ft. the stick started to shake and I reduced power called the tower and came down with min power ,Phew no damage, the pucker factor was with me for a week, it was a lifted blade tape! we had not practised that one,