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Solo! (Read 363 times)
May 18th, 2005 at 5:11pm

Rocket_Bird   Offline
Colonel
Canada

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Just had quite the day today, been planning for it for this moment for a long time now, my first solo.  Was sitting over at Calgary International airport, looking up in the sky, it looked like a fine day to go flying, expecting some thundershowers in the afternoon but if i went quick i would get back before it came. 

Taxied onto runway 34 after doing our runups.  Did a simulated soft field takeoff, and after that, was on our way to our practice field 25 miles out.  While flying to our practice field, my instructor gave me a pair of fog goggles, and we were going to do some instrument flying until we reached our field.  Was no biggie, after flying flight simulator 2k4 so many times  Grin.  Did a couple landings over at CFV2 airfield, where my instructor asked me if I was ready.  "Ready!"  Taxied off runway 16, he got out, and I backtracked to 16 to do my first take-off on my own.  Took off, was amazed on how light this little ole C-172 felt, she was performing!  Went crosswind, downwind, and final, was going to do the first couple without flaps, and without my instructor, this thing really floats on the runway.  Touched down with the first two circuits perfect, but floated a bit down the runway.

Took off again and for my next two landings, 20 degrees of flaps this time.  Things started to get really bumpy.  While on final for my second one, a sudden draft dropped my wing hard to one side, recovered and landed.  Whew, was getting it! 

I asked my instructor before, if i started to panic, if I should just pick him up.  But it went very well, and I didnt feel nervous at all.  So I took off, and was going to finish my last 2 circuits with full flaps.  Started to get bumpier, but I know I could do it.  Was bouncing a bit during downwind, but with full flaps, these 172s are smooth on landings.  The clouds were really building up north so I picked up my instructor, and went back to CYYC. 

Ok, back to the foggles, and instrument flying etc.  By the time I took off the foggles, I was already 5 miles from runway 25 for landing.  "Golf Victor Foxtrot Delta, make straight in runway 25, hold short runway 34, you are number one!"  Ok here we go, been a perfect day of landings, and my instructor wasnt going to touch on this one either.  Got a little high on the papi lights, so I chopped the power and floated my way down.  Over the threshold, and flare!  Wohoo!  Taxiing back to our south east parking spot, I saw the reality, I was flying it at last!   Grin

 

Cheers,
RB

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Reply #1 - May 18th, 2005 at 5:22pm

Felix/FFDS   Offline
Admin
FINALLY an official Granddad!
Orlando, FL

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Congratulations!!!!!!

 

Felix/FFDS...
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Reply #2 - May 18th, 2005 at 5:23pm

C   Offline
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Earth

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Congratulations. Well Done RB! Grin Grin Grin
 
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Reply #3 - May 18th, 2005 at 6:38pm

beefhole   Offline
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common' yigs!
Philadelphia

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Congrats dude Wink

My solos coming up within the next couple of weeks.
 
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Reply #4 - May 18th, 2005 at 7:09pm

chomp_rock   Offline
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I must confess, I was
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Congrats, that is a big event in any pilot's life!
 

AMD Athlon 64 3700+&&GeForce FX5200 256Mb&&1GB DDR400 DC&&Seagate 500Gb SATA-300 HDD&&Windows XP Professional X64 Edition
&&&&That's right, I'm now using an AMD! I decided to give them another try and they kicked the pants off of my P4 3.4!
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Reply #5 - May 18th, 2005 at 10:24pm
Flying Trucker   Ex Member

 
Well done RB...did they dunk you in a 45 gallon drum upside down full of water and then cut off your shirt tail and nail it to the wall with the date, time and your name on it? GrinLOL

Your starting on a new journey so enjoy it...learn something new every day and don't be afraid to ask questions. Wink

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
 
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Reply #6 - May 18th, 2005 at 11:40pm

TacitBlue   Offline
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That's right, I have my
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Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA

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Awsome! Congrats! Cant wait untill I can do that. Ive got a lot of work to do untill then, but yeah. Congrats again  8)
 

...
A&P Mechanic, Rankin Aircraft 78Y

Aircraft are naturally beautiful because form follows function. -TB
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Reply #7 - May 19th, 2005 at 12:27am

Mobius   Offline
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Highest Point in the Lightning
Storm
Wisconsin

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Nice. Cheesy Cheesy Wink
 

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Reply #8 - May 19th, 2005 at 10:39am

VOHY_VO0I   Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

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That was fun reading  Cheesy

All the while i was thinking "when will that day come in my life".  Roll Eyes

Well, there's a long way for me to go. Just enrolling my name into a flying club.

So Rocket_Bird, some day i'll be posting my first solo experience here. Be on a look out (may be after 6 months), LOL.

Anyway, lots of congratulations to you and all the best for your coming flights.
 

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Reply #9 - May 19th, 2005 at 1:14pm

C   Offline
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Earth

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Very strange experience today...

Walked into work, and one of the charter shuttle pilots was in the ops room. He looked familiar, but it was one of those times where I couldn't quite place the guys face...

After he'd left I checked his name up against his call sign, and amazingly it all came back - he was the chap who sent me on my first solo in a C152 nearly 6 years ago. Small world isn't it... Smiley
 
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Reply #10 - May 19th, 2005 at 1:48pm

ozzy72   Offline
Global Moderator
Pretty scary huh?
Madsville

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Great stuff Rocket Wink
 

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There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!
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Reply #11 - May 19th, 2005 at 6:30pm

beaky   Offline
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Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

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Kudos, Rocket!! Well done!! Grin Grin Grin

And isn't it wonderful to pull off the foggles and see that runway? Grin
 

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Reply #12 - May 20th, 2005 at 12:25pm

Rocket_Bird   Offline
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Canada

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Yup! Sure been the best experience ever!  Grin
 

Cheers,
RB

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Reply #13 - May 20th, 2005 at 8:01pm

beaky   Offline
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Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

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Even more fun than simulated approaches is unusual attitude recovery with the foggles on.  I was always pretty good at that (enjoyed it, too!), but then again, a human instructor is not as devilish as real turbulence in real IMC... Grin
 

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