This mourning at the field before any of the other club memebers showed up I started my nexstar up, with the AFS turned off, in fact I removed it from the plane altogether because I didnt not want to pick up a bad habit. Well I started her up with some trouble, taxi;d her out and took off but about 30 seconds into the flight at about 75ft up just over the tree line the engine died, so I had to bring her around real quick into the wind with no power and I managed to get her down and land very smoothly, Do I earn my wings for this?


**OR**

I also Solo's 3 hours later after a long day with waiting for my glow started to recharge, I forgot to charge it last night. Later in the day when one of the instructors showed up he took her and go her into the air into a 7mph crosswind, handed her over to me, I did some figure eights, a couple loops, and 3 or 4 rolls and then brought her down nice and smooth, after I fueled her up the instructer said I was learning extrememly fast (second day at the field or flying EVER) so he siaid try taking off, I have the landing down good. So I tool off into a 7-8mph cross wind, did a couple turns and loops and brought her in really smoth. If earlier I did not earn my wings due to a dead engine, I think I earned them later in the day with the engine.

What do you guys think? First try or was it the second try???

steve

If you deadsticked your first ever flight.... no matter how short that was you earned your wings in my book!

Does it make a difference which flight?

Congrats and remember, you WILL crash at some point- it just happens***

[quote]ORIGINAL: snowwave83
Do I earn my wings for this?

Id say you've earned them. But with that being said I would definitely keep on the buddy box or at least have your instructor close for a while just in case you need out of a bind. [8D]

BigNed - I am too lazy to go out and buy the cord for my new futaba, but for the next couple of weeks I have and will continue to have someone close to get me out of a jamm which I will probaly get into sooner or later.

dalolyn - Would'nt it be great if we never had to come down, I guess thats everyones goal after take off, but I have to admit nothing is as exciting as comming in for a langing.

Razor-RCU - Yea it def. was scary trying to land my first deadstick ever, and alone but it wasnt too difficult, I actually enjoyed the slow/smoothness of it althought I was lucky to still be close to the runway and not too far ove the tree line. I hope your not right about crashing, but I plan on preventing that from happening at least with my trainer !

steve

If you deadstickit on the first one you earned them for REAL. There is no "well let me go around and try again" on that one so you knew what you were doing.
!Give the man his wings!

Great job!
I had a friend that was similar in success. He flew for about 2 weeks without a mishap, no buddy cord and I only landed 2 times for him.
An occasional rough landing but nothin big.
After about 2 weeks he made the comment WHILE FLYING ("I think I got this figured out")
About 20 secs later we were pickin pieces off the ground.
Great job!
Keep at it but don't get to attached to that plane. hehehe

I guess I am a little more strict that that!
I would say if you can make right and left hand race tracks, figured eights and can land with the wind blowing, then you get your wings. Before that, you are still learning the true basics!

Gotta' agree with Aim,
You've progressed quickly and you've soloed, but you're already getting "cocky", I can read it in your posts. That's when you WILL crash.

Best of luck,
Dennis-

Soloing, and "earning your Wings" are two different things.

But you're off to a great start, and whether it was the first or second flight doesn't matter. What matters is: You Soloed!

And that deserves an ATTABOY!

cappio - Yea I do have to admit I had only one try but when a plane deadsticks it does fly a bit slower so its not as difficult if you line her up right but regardless I dont want it to happen ever again, and it was a good lesson to check my engine a little better before I fly.

Aimmaintenance - What happened with that friend that caused him to crash on his solo? What was different between the last buddy flight and his solo? Haha your last piece of advice was the most important thing my fellow club members made sure I understood before I left, they said too many ppl in our club grew to comfortable with their planes and now their planes are broken or no longer existant. I really can understand getting to used to something or too comfortable will be disterous so I will be even more careful now.

Geistware - Due to the real flight program that come with this plane which I had been practicing on for 2 weeks prior to my first flight I think I had the basics down and just needed to work on them with the unpredicatability of the wind in "real life", but I tried some rolls and landing into a cross wind with just a little bit of problems like speed but she landed pretty good. I think my success is due to the realflight program that I have been practicing on. But my success will only continue if I dont let stuff get to my head which I beleive I already am letting happen, but I am workin on that for real !

DBcherry - I admit I am getting a bit cocky, I guess that will change once I crash which everyone is saying is inevitable. I realize that altought I am progressing quickly that its not always better, I am taking too much in all at once and I need to slow down....which, honestly, I am working on....

Minnflyer - How do I earn my wings? Regardless, thanks for the encouragement and nothing was more exciting than that soloing, wow the rush was incredable....does it stay for a while?? Once again thanks for the encouragement

I hope you tied a rope to your leg so they can get you down off the ceiling! Congrats! BUT I agree, WATCH OUT! It is very easy to get overconfident with a little success; concentrate on learning something new every time out, and I don't mean a new maneuver. Doing the maneuver is step one; doing it perfectly every time is step two. Don't forget to run a checklist before flying, and if something is not quite 100%, stop and fix it...JIM

I will echo the congrats, but stay with an instructor for a while till you can get yourself out of trouble without having to think about it. good job though

and remember as your read these post, a pat on the back is only inches from a kick in the butt.

Terry Pres NVRC

Please don't misunderstand my post.
If it wasn't for over confidence, 3D flying wouldn't be here today.
My friend just got a case of stick dislexia (which i've had, he's had, they've had, and you'll have)
I've flown awhile now and am confident that I can escape many problems but this year i've smoked 3 planes..
Don't know why but I spose it was all just a reality check.
I earned my wings the first year but this year I've given them back. hehehe

Worst part about my friends crash is that it was MY plane...
HE HE
Oh well, he's hooked and he's flyin his own now!

Aimmaintenance - Good point about the advent of 3D flying. haha ive already had a case of dislexia but luckily I wasat a good altitude. What 3 planes did you ground? and which were fixed back up haha. I am sure Ill be sending my wings back within a month or two just see.

He crashed your plane? WHat was it and did you get it back in the air?

1st plane was a SIG somethin extra. (just a case of dumbass)
2nd plane was Tiger 2. (just a case of dumbass)
3rd was SIG senoirita (believe it or not)
That was the plane my friend crashed.
After he did it in we had it taped up and WELLLLL....
I just finished it. (just a case of dumbass)

wow all are good planes, sorry to hear they all crashed. I know what is causing all the crashing, BAD LUCK...it must be something or someone at the field who gives you bad luck, find the source and cut it off. Haha well when your looking to sell your somethign extra let me know I might be interested in purchasing it. I am sure you are in love with it though.

Cut off the bad luck !

steve

I'd love to sell them all to ya.
I'll take 50 bucks for all 3.
Of course I'll have to sift the ashes for the remains of them.
he he he

wow none of them are salvagable? For 50 bucks I better get the dirt they rest in also haha.

steve

1 scoop of dirt comin up!
The Seniorita had been fixed so many times, monocote was changed to scotchkote. CA was changed to Gorilla glue. Rudder was 1/2" thick with reinforcment. Window areas we're ply to hold it together. It was sad but it was fun..
THAT PLANE TAUGHT ME AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS HOW TO REALLY FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 scoop ha ! I think I deserve 2 or 3 at LEAST....Its good to hear you kept your senorita air worthy, thats pretty impressive. Much better to hear it got a few other people hooked too. So what is your primary plane now, and what others do you have in your hangar that can fly also haha.

steve