Having reach the threshold of the runway, I’m realizing that I’m about to start my solo flight. I’m announcing that I’m back taxiing for runway 18 and put all the confidence that I can in my voice. Since we have started the lesson, the number of planes flying around Bentonville has increased. I will have to be careful at the radio and make sure that I’m not taking over someone priority. That would be very bad!!!

To complete this lesson: the solo, I would have to go 3 full cycles with a full stop each time. Full stop meaning that  I actually have to get out of the runway. So no just touch and go.

First cycle: catastrophy or textbook?

Ok the first cycle is starting, I’m actually a little anxious to see how much difference the fact of having one less person in the plane is going to make on the commands. I’m ready to take off. That there is no real difficulties. I have done so many take off right that it should be a breeze. I’m then going around the pattern and I feel a little more relax than when I had Michael  in the plane. Reason? Not sure but I think it is coming from not being scrutinized. But I know this means less chance to be corrected should something wrong is done. As such, I know that I need to be more careful about the basics of flying: speed, altitude and attitude of the plane! Almost everything else is a detail. I’m going up downwind, turn base. Base usually put my sense in alert because this is where the landing is really starting for me. In other words, time to become very serious.

Yes! Yes! The video does not show the landing properly because of the Civil Air Patrol plane waiting for take off but the landing was perfect. Right on the centerline, no bubbling, no bouncing. It was a textbook landing! I just did it!

After reviewing the video, I could not believe my ears! Did you hear what my fiancée said? “O-K! He didn’t crash the plane!”. I think we will have to have a discussion after I’ve finished this post! And yes, this “thing” does record the sound as she will discover soon!

I guess that cycle and landing did clear up the fact that I was not feeling any pressure!

Oh and did you notice the passenger door after the landing? Michael had not closed his door properly so it was open during the entire cycle. I’ve noticed only after the turning on the taxiway after clearing the runway. Hopefully I was able to reach it, close the door and locked it but if you look carefully on the video, you can see the door moving…

Second cycle: first was good, experience shows second is bad. Would that be so?

Ok, it’s time to get back on the runway and once again, take off is uneventful.

As I’m approaching base, I feel confident I can land again and again. The first one was really the test. One thing I keep to forget even with the instructor on board is to check my speed as I’m going down base. This time, I got a little scare because I felt that the plane was not really going fast or at least it seemed unusually slow. Checking my speed, I’ve realized that I was cruising at 55 knots. That is way too low, I should be between 65 and 70 knots in this plane for the approach. the stalling speed is about 35 so I had some margin but still it is bad airmanship. Let’s hope it is the last time this is happening!

Speed has been corrected. I’m now ready to turn final. The approach is going ok, the round off is going ok also. The flaring, well, it was ok but I had to correct the position a little. It was not as smooth as the first landing but I can’t complain, it is enough to qualify as a successful landing. Looking at the video, the correction is barely noticeable.

I guess it’s time to prepare for the third cycle.

Third cycle: Need to repeat the previous ones!

The third cycle is starting by … waiting in line. There are not a lot of plane on the ground so I’m the only one at the runway threshold but there are two planes in the pattern about ready to land. I know also that a Cessna 152 from the flight school is also doing some pattern around the airport so I have to keep an eye on all these airplanes! Thankfully for me, everybody is disciplined and make the proper announcement on the radio.

So the first plane is landing as I’m getting to the threshold of the runway. That’s one less to take care! The second one is following not too long after. As he passes by me, I’m keeping track of the 152, he has turned downwind not too long ago so I should be able to take off before he is in position for landing. I’m deciding to get on the runway after, of course, announcing it. Then the plane still on the runway makes his announcement that he is back taxiing for the ramp. At that time I realized that, once again an example of bad airmanship. I should have ask the permission to get on the runway. Lesson learned!

Please someone confirms that the runway is empty!

As I’m going down the runway for the take off, I suddenly realize that the 152 is actually almost over with his downwind and should be ready to turn base pretty soon. Since they are in the air, they have the priority and the Bentonville has another ramp currently unused almost at the beginning of 18. I’m deciding then to make a courtesy call and ask the 152 if he wants me to get to the ramp while he is performing his landing. I get an answer back immediately that I should continue to do the back taxiing. Great! I’m good to go then. As to not abuse the generosity of the 152 waiting to land, I’m using part of the soft field techniques for the take off. Notably, not stopping and roll directly into the full power for a take off. But at the same moment that I put full power, I have a terrible doubt! I don’t recall the plane that landed before me announcing that he has cleared the runway. And the problem is that I can not see the end of the runway, nor the middle of the field. This is because the runway is not flat and the first part is actually dipping down. So I’m thinking that he had plenty of time and that Michael being on the side of the runway, would have caught my radio call and let me know if the runway was “obstructed” but I have to admit that I’m a little nervous even if I know that the plane being mid field, I would be in the air way before that but still, if an emergency was preventing me from taking off, I might need the entire runway.

But I should concentrate on the take off. To my relief, the runway was cleared; no plane hanging on the runway. The take off happened as planned and my third and last landing of the day should be at the end of the pattern.

I’m turning downwind then base then final and approaching the last landing. The round off is done properly but the flaring is not happening as planned, the plane gets a little out of line to the point that I decide to add some RPMs to the engine. Here I can see my inexperience as being alone in the plane because I have put what I thought was the same amount than usual but I felt the plane gaining some altitude. That’s not good because it means that I might be out of the sweet spot for flaring after the correction of the position! Good reflex, I’m removing immediately the extra power and go back to an idle engine. The plane settles back down and go down for finally landing. I’ve probably gained only a few feet but that was enough to feel it and correct for it.

That was not fun but the landing was still correct overall. I guess this is marking the end of my solo flight!!! At least the flying part. I’m waiting to see what my instructor has to say but I’m pretty happy. I think I have demonstrated that I can take a plane and perform the basic maneuvers without any problem. I’ve also achieved the goal that I had set for the 6 weeks of training: being able to Solo.

Tradition

The solo is an important step in becoming a pilot. It is the first indication that you can become a pilot. There is no equivalent in learning to drive since there are no real release of the student driver on the road by himself until he has the license. I would equate it more to learning to walk. A baby is not walking until he can make a step by himself without holding onto anything. At that point, you know that he will be able to walk at some point. There are still a lot of learning before that baby can actually walk as we do as grown ups but he is on his way. The solo is the fist step of that baby and as such, like all parents do, there is a little “celebration” and tradition.

The tradition is to actually cut the back of the shirt of the student pilot. The instructor keeps it as a trophy until the student pass his check ride, making him officially a a pilot. At that point, the back of his shirt is returned to him!

Of course, I did not escape the tradition, Michael was waiting for me with the scissors…

A few more administrative work and the flight lesson will be done! As I was completing some of the formalities, the owner of the flight school came to congratulate me and ask me a question that I think was interesting and showed clearly his experience in soloing pilots: “Are you happy of your landings?”. My answer is a typical answer for me. I’m happy of the first landing and not so much about the last two. The boss seemed amused by my answer as I’m explaining the reason of my discontent. Michael has joined us now and they are telling me, on the third landing, they thought I was showing off by holding the plane above the runway. Hmmm…. not really! I was trying to put it down and showing off the day of my solo would have been the last thing I would have thought doing!

That mythical lesson 11 is finally done and my flight log is proudly finishing a page on it!

Friends and family: To be or not to be (there)?

As I was talking later with my fiancée, I was trying to explain her why she should not have been there. She told me that at least two people from the school let her know pretty clearly that she was not supposed to be on the airport at all. She went on to tell me also that several people came to talk to her when they knew I was doing my solo and narrated their own solo. How exciting it was for them and so on. A solo is really a true milestone in the life of a pilot and everybody has a story about their own solo! You know now mine if you read through the two posts and didn’t jump directly to this last part!

One thing I would like to add is that we did not plan for my fiancée to be there for my solo and I was actually a little bit afraid that exact scenario would happen. Because of my nature and my business, I’m used to be under pressure all the time so I was able to make abstraction of any outside influence but really, this is NOT a good idea to have any family or friend or anyone for that matter around for the solo flight but your instructor. Even if you can cope with it, everybody around will be stressed. This is what happened to us and it’s not fun for anyone.

I told Michael clearly that if I felt the least bit of pressure once in the air, I would call her and ask her to leave immediately. I did not have to do it but I would have done it in a heartbeat. My recommendation if you want people to be there, have them come for the end of the flight. The time is usually predictable and the likelihood that you see them arriving is close to none. If you want to share what happen, have someone from the school record your take offs and landings. For one thing, they have a better access to the airport and can get a better position for recording than anyone family or friend.

In any case, talk with your instructor, he will be able to let you know the best way to proceed.