carlmb

Good evening. I finished my LT40 kit a week ago and flew for the first time this weekend with an instructor. He took off and landed and we passed the control back and forth once the plane was up. We made 4 flights and by the 4th I was comfortable making lazy circles around the field and was working on lining up the landing strip on my last flight. I can't believe how nervous I am and feel like I will never have complete control. Does this sound similar to anyone else's experiences? Thanks in advance for your reponses.

RSprinkel

My Feedback: (3)

Well as I just solo'd today, I must say it depends on how fast you learn. I have only flown maybe a handful of times or 2 and did my solo today. However with having FMS (Flight simulator) I did practice on that and seemed to help. Today was my first day of taking off and landing, prior to today I was doing circuits around the field and lining up for the approach. As far as nervousness is concerned you will be for awhile, but in time you will start to feel better each time you get out. And eventually you will have 99% control as that 1% anything could happen, <- not to scare you but it happens.

Anyways GOOD LUCK and please let us know how you do.

Steve Guinn

Burned about 1 Gal. of fuel before I soloed.
I was a nervous wreck for a few months.
My knees knocked and I could only manage a couple of flights per day because it took so much out of me.

Been flying 1&1/2 years (6 Gal. of fuel) and things are much better.
Still get a little nervous now and then. :bananahea

skier

I got soloed earlier this year and I started this time last year. I was so happy when I was soloed that I flew my first solo flight inverted half the time. It feels much different not to have an instructor standing next to you

Charlie P.

I believe my first full circuit solo was my 15th flight. My club has a regimented scorecard & checklist which each student gets graded by various instructors. You don't get to 'try' soloing until you are 'satisfactory' in most maneuvers.

About the 5th week into our Wednesday night school another student and I arrived to find an empty field (it had rained all day). The two of us spent a couple hours taxiing out, getting up steam, cutting throttle when the wheels left the ground and then taxiing back in. We never got over head level all night. But after that I soloed the next week and haven't been on the trainer cord since.

Actually, I had flown control-line and free flight in high school and my first RC flight 25 years ago was solo. I repaired it after that and my second flight was also solo. The pieces went in the trash and the radio components were sold to a co-worker. Second time around I joined a club and received instruction under the buddy box. What an invention!

Jim C.

had to solo on my very first flight... little cox ez bee.. 2 channel.. i am self taught. congrats to you newbies!! its a fun hobby.. glad you all got help learning.. costs alot less!!

cruzomatic

My Feedback: (17)

I soloed on my first flight. Zagi 400, self taught.

No worries on getting nervous, after 3+ years of flying, I still get a bit of a wobble in the knees.

Good luck and keep at it. You'll get better and better.

Mindwarp-RCU-delete

I passed my club's solo certification after about eight to ten flights. I remember the first true 'solo' flight I took after getting signed off by the instructors I was so nervous that I took off, flew one circuit and then landed again just so that I could get it out of the way Now I've had ten flights truly solo and I'm really starting to enjoy the flying, but I still make sure to listen to that little internal voice that says 'nah, I don't think you should do that.' I figure the minute you stop listening to that little voice is the minute that you convert your pride and joy into matchsticks

Cheers,
Neil.

Montague

Mindwarp, Yep, you just about have that right. It's when the other voice that says "hey, I wonder if I can do this" that gets you. And, of course, never ever utter the words "watch this" to anyone.


carlmb, people advance at all kinds of different rates, from guys who solo after a few flights to guys who take several years to get the hang of it. Don't sweat how fast or slow you are going. And you will get over the nerviousness, more or less. Though it always comes back when you do something new. Test flying anything, even a trainer will get most guys. Trying new acrobatic tricks is a good one as well. I test flew a Stuka on Sunday, and I don't think the plane's owner could see it, but man, was I nervious. No problems at all, but I still kept the flight short, as my knees and fingers can only take so much shaking in one flight .

skier

As the people at my club say when they solo you they are really giving you a liscenes to crash.