Hey guys,
I know a lot of you are veteran pilots, but I just had to let somebody know that I soloed today!! I had 6.4 hours of flying time before today's solo flight. I have been flying r/c for 13-14 years and have learned a lot about airplanes, but it is a completely different world when you are strapped in the plane. I had a blast and am looking forward to finishing up my private, and then likely get my IFR.

So far I have a perfect record, 3 take-offs and 3 landings!!

Thanks for looking,
Alan

Alan:

Congratulations sir, and I hope the "Magic" never wears off for you.

Did you get your tee shirt ripped off? Or is that custom no longer around?

Bill.

I bet that plane got with the program without the guy next to you holding it back. Welcome to the club.

Hey,
He didn't cut my shirt tail. We had scheduled to fly at 5pm, but there was rain coming in so he called to see if I could come earlier and I went right after work (about 4pm) and I had a fairly nice shirt on. I guess that is why he didn't cut it off. I am glad that i went earlier because it started raining about 30 minutes after my last landing.

I have a great instructor that really wants to see me succeed. He is not part of a big flight school, he is a one man operation and he does a great job.
Thanks for the replies,
Alan

Hi Alan; Congrats from one who still remembers the first solo vividly, 60 years ago this month!! A J-3 with a 60 horse Franklin, which suffered from cylinder blow-by problems they couldn't solve! I weighed about 125 lbs then with a 175-180 lb instructor! Initial rate of climb of about 2 feet per decade!!! When he got out that first time (I could now see the instrument panel!) I opened the throttle, it hiccuped a couple of times, and I was off the ground! I could hardly believe the difference the weight difference made! I still have that original logbook, plus about 5 more! It says that I soloed in 4 hrs, 35 mins.! Having been an FBO, American dealer, CFI, floor sweeper, gasserupper, etc, I can't envision my soloing anybody that quick! A further shock, even reading it many times, is being introduced to spins at TWO HOURS!!!!! GAD! But I didn'y know the difference then! You have now been "hooked" by a life-long addiction, for which there is no known cure!. Lee Robinson W. Palm Beach, FL

Way to go man. I remember that day for me. I too was behind a 60 H.P Franklin as was Robinaire. Mine was hanging on a Bellanca Champ though. I lost my shirt tail, my instructor did not care about the shirt, said it had to go. Happy for you, you have now been bitten by the bug that will never let go. I soloed the Champ 17 years ago at the age of 13 and I am just as thrilled everytime I sit in it now as I was then. Now the learning begins. Good Luck.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,
Sonny Brown

I well remember my first solo, in a Cessna 150 in Springfield, MO. Flight went great, but I don't think I've ever again felt as lonely as I did that first landing approach over the fence. Congratulations! It's an achievement to be proud of!

Congrats, I don't think you will ever forget your first solo. I remember mine. Looking over at the empty seat nect to me and thinking [X(] but after landing it was like [8D]
Keep up the good work.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies and encouragement. I felt the same way a lot of you said, it was awful lonely up there. I wasn't really all that nervous, but I was definitely lonely. I am having a blast learning to fly. I guess like most guys, if it has levers, swithes, etc., and an engine then I want to play with it.

Now if I can just get the time and decent weather to get back out there.

P.S. I am now accepting donations for the Central Alabama Planeless People foundation!!

Thanks again,
Alan

Congratulations!

I've never forgotten the feeling of that first solo over 30 years ago. Same thing years later during first solo in a helicopter.

The most unique first flight experience I recall though, is checkout in a single seat sailplane. You really begin to understand this is different when the "Instructor" lifts the tail of the plane so you can recognize the view through the windshield in the landing attitude. Add a little extra suspense with no engine to save your "bacon" and you can understand why that was such a memorable occasion.

Better weather is as near as this fall. Get ready for visibility actually exceeding 10 miles(50-75 miles on occasion), which you now know is unusual here in the south/east.

Good Luck!
DT56

Congrats Bama!
Learning to fly (full size) has been one of the most
rewarding, mostest funnest things I ever did. I'm slowing
down on building anymore models because I want
to put all of my time, money & effort toward either
buying a full size, or building a kit plane. If you want
to hang out with great bunch of pilots, find out when &
where your local EAA Chapter meets. Good luck, have fun
& be careful!

Johnny C! Out!