Friday, April 20, 2012

I SOLOED!!!

As many of you may have read my past post on what a terrible flight I had you know that I was pretty bummed.

April 18th, 2012

The weather today was absolutely fantastic.  I couldn't have asked God for a better day if I tried!  The temperature didn't rise or fall that much and the winds stayed from calm to 5knots.

Mike briefed our lesson and we went right to it.  We'd be working on my pattern, speed and altitude.  So pretty much every thing to fly around the airport.  We started up and I called the tower to taxi and we made our way out to Runway 4.  By the time we got to runway 4 the time was 7:30pm and the tower announced that it was closing for the evening.  So that was one less thing I had to deal with. We did our run up checks, checked final approach and announced that we were departing on runway 4.  I was really working hard to make sure that A) I made the proper turns for the traffic pattern and B) that I was maintaining about 100knots when I was at 1700 feet.

Now one thing I have noticed when I have been turning the base leg of the pattern I haven't been letting the plane descend very much if any at all.  This led to a too high of an approach and a wide variety of speeds and touch down points.

But this time around I let the nose dip and the altitude decrease while maintaining a specific speed.  I crossed the runway threshold at 60 knots, right where I should be, started bringing the nose up a little letting the plane start to settle down on its own.  More nose up more nose up, just a few feet off the ground the stall warning horn goes off and starts buzzing in our ears, then touch down smooth as silk.   A couple more times around the pattern doing the same thing.  Then Mike takes control when we're on the ground and say's we're going to make it a full stop landing.  And we taxied over to the ramp.

Now Mike and I knew that I was ready to fly solo but I needed to prove that what happened last time was what happened last week and wasn't what was going to happen this time.  We pulled up to the terminal and he asked "Are you ready to do this on your own"?  There was only one answer "Hell yes I am".  "Ok taxi out do two touch and goes and one full stop and taxi back here", "Can do".  Mike got out and walked to the terminal where there was a radio that he could talk to me if need be, but there would be no need for that though.

I'm here alone in the plane and it's a very weird feeling to not have some one next to me.  I'm call out my taxi intentions and start back for runway 4.  I check final announce my take off and make my way on to the runway...alone.  I can but at the same time can't believe this is finally happening.  Power in all the way,  rotate at 55knots and I'm off the ground!  I call my turns keeping 100 knots and 1700 feet.  Same as before I let the plane descend turning base and line up for a good looking final approach.  Over the threshold I'm right at 60 knots I bring the nose up little by little letting the plane continue to settle down to the runway all on its own.  The closer I get the more I pull.  The stall warning horn goes off and I'm almost to the ground.  Touch down is pretty smooth.  I let the nose gear settle to the runway on it's own and I push the carburetor heat to off and put the flaps up to 0.  Full throttle and I'm off again!

Three times around the pattern and I'm done with my first solo!!!!!!!!!!!  I am ecstatic to say the least!  I'm nothing but smiles!!!!  Cloud nine the whole time!!!  Mike says it's all down hill from here but I'm just so excited to have done my solo!




13.9 hours in and a life time to learn!
*First Solo* in the log book

Mike and I in front of N738HD after my first Solo

Me in front of N738HD after my solo
















No comments:

Post a Comment