| There are many milestones along the way to | | | | boredom and take it as signal that the time has come |
| achieving your Private Pilot's wings, but the one that | | | | for you to fly on your own. |
| you will remember vividly is your first solo. Ask any | | | | My first solo was on July 4th 1985 at Southampton |
| pilot about theirs and he or she will probably gaze | | | | Airport (EGHI) in a Grumman AA5-A, registration |
| wistfully into the distance to recall the time they first | | | | G-BFTE. The proceeding lessons were all centered |
| flew and aircraft on their own. Even veterans with | | | | around flying the circuit repeatedly until all steps had |
| many hours in their logbooks never forget the day their | | | | become familiar. During these practice sessions I had |
| instructor let them lose for the first time. | | | | landed the aircraft several times with no intervention |
| The first solo represents a transition between those | | | | from the instructor beside me. I knew that one day |
| who can only fly under the watchful eye of an | | | | soon during such a lesson he would ask me to taxi |
| instructor and those who have enough knowledge and | | | | onto the apron and park while he vacated the aircraft |
| skill to enable them to fly unaided. Of course there's a | | | | and gave me the go-ahead to fly a circuit on my own. |
| lot more to it than that and your instructor will still be | | | | On this particular day we flew some circuits and he |
| watching you intently albeit from the ground instead of | | | | told me to park in front of the Tower. Half of me was |
| the seat beside or behind you! | | | | hoping that the lesson had ended and the other half |
| What is the first solo flight? | | | | knew what was coming. Once the aircraft was |
| Your first flight as pilot in command will be one circuit | | | | parked he opened the canopy and got out onto the |
| of the airfield. The circuit (or pattern in the USA) is an | | | | wing. He leaned in to the cockpit and said, "Right. One |
| imaginary rectangle consisting of the runway, the | | | | circuit only, then back here . Off you go." |
| upwind leg (the part flown just after take-off as you | | | | Before I had time to protest he had slid the canopy |
| climb out to circuit height), the crosswind leg (at right | | | | shut and walked off without a backward glance. I was |
| angles to the left of the runway), the downwind leg | | | | left alone in the aircraft. I gave a radio call to the |
| (parallel to the runway but in the opposite direction to | | | | Tower, "Southampton Tower, Golf Bravo Foxtrot |
| take off and landing), base leg (opposite of crosswind | | | | Tango Echo, radio check and taxi to the hold." |
| leg) and final approach i.e. the section in which you are | | | | Approval was given without a pause. I was on my |
| lining up and descending in preparation for landing. | | | | way. It taxied to the holding point, ran my eyes over |
| That's all there is to it - take off, fly one circuit and land. | | | | the instrument panel and gave another call to say that I |
| It may sound complicated to you now if you're a | | | | was ready to depart (take off). A few second later |
| rookie student with no hours in your log book but as | | | | the aircraft was gathering speed along the runway |
| with all things it gets easier with practice. Your first | | | | and I was soon airborne. |
| 10-20 hours of flight training will involve aircraft handling | | | | The first thing that struck was that the aircraft was |
| in the air, climbing, descending turning, radio calls within | | | | lighter and handling differently, and of course it was |
| the vicinity of the airfield, take-offs and landings. Once | | | | due to the fact that there was one less adult in the |
| you've mastered the basic handling of the aircraft your | | | | right hand seat! With all the things to concentrate on |
| instructor will spend several lessons with you in the | | | | the next few minutes passed in a flash. I didn't really |
| circuit teaching you how to fly each leg. You'll learn | | | | settle down and take stock of the event until I was in |
| what to check on each leg, which radio calls to make | | | | the downwind leg where there was a minute or two in |
| and when to make them. | | | | which I could absorb the fact that I was flying on my |
| You'll also learn how to recognise familiar landmarks | | | | own. No sooner was I starting to congratulate myself |
| around the airfield as it can be surprisingly easy to | | | | when I realized that I had to prepare for the landing. |
| becoming disoriented without this knowledge and it'll | | | | Radio calls and pre- landing checks followed and within |
| make the experience a lot less stressful in the unlikely | | | | a minute or two I was looking down the length of the |
| the event that the Control Tower asks you to orbit | | | | runway concentrating on my air speed, height, and the |
| over a particular point to make way for another | | | | position of the aircraft's cowling in relation to the end of |
| aircraft. There's little chance of this happening as your | | | | the runway. |
| instructor should have picked a time when the airfield is | | | | My instructor's voice was in my head guiding me |
| comparatively quiet and he/she should have informed | | | | down. Now I understood why we repeated this |
| the Tower that you are a student about the fly your | | | | exercise so often and under varying conditions. I made |
| first solo, but if it does happen then being prepared will | | | | slight adjustments where necessary and it wasn't long |
| help you to carry out the Tower's instructions with the | | | | before I felt the bump of the main wheels touching |
| minimum amount of disruption to your flight. | | | | down on the runway. Once the nose wheel was |
| So when should you expect to fly your first solo and | | | | down too I gently applied breaking and taxied back to |
| how can you prepare for it? Rest assured that your | | | | the apron to park. With all the post landing checks |
| instructor will not send you solo until he or she is | | | | completed and the aircraft shut down I vacated and |
| reasonably confident that you are ready. The day will | | | | walked across the apron to the main terminal building. |
| arrive when you've both been in the aircraft 'circuit | | | | My knees were a little shaky but with every step I |
| bashing' i.e. flying one circuit after another until the | | | | grew a foot taller. By the time I reached the building I |
| whole process from take off to landing is drummed | | | | was beaming. |
| into your brain and your reflexes by constant repetition. | | | | That was twenty five years ago. You never forget |
| You may even find yourself getting a little bored of this | | | | your first solo! |
| practice and the astute instructor will sense this | | | | |