Well readers, I have some exciting news, this week I had my first taste of solo flight. For those of you who are pilots you already know about all the feelings and emotions that you go through the first time the plane is all yours. This article, however, is for those thinking that maybe they might want to be a pilot. Hopefully this will convince you.
This week my instructor told me she thought I was ready to solo. When I heard this I thought 'Yes I finally get to show what I've got and prove that I should be here. Then the plane was actually turned over to me and all that changed.
Firstly when I ran through my checklists, I tripple checked everything. I was not gonna make an ass of myself, I didn't come this far to screw it up now. I made sure that nothing could possibly go wrong. I made absolutely sure that all the instruments worked, all the gauges read well, and all the controls worked correctly.
Once I was sure the plane was ready, I started getting those butterflies in my stomach. What if I screwed up? What if something went wrong?
Then clearance came from the tower, and I taxied out to the runway and gave the engine full power, this was it, whether I was ready or not, I was going solo.
I was rolling down the runway and the emotions really started to kick in. My airspeed got up to 63 knots and the airplane lifted off. I was officially flying solo. It felt so great, the plane was all mine, it would do what I wanted to do and there was no instructor in the seat next to me to nag about something I was doing a little wrong.
Then I got my call from tower telling me where my traffic was. I spotted it and was cleared to land. This was it. If I could get back to the ground I could do this for real. My stomach started turning over, this was going to show what I could really do.
I turned final and everything looked perfect. My airspeed looked good my altitude looked good I had corrected for the wind and now all I had to do was wait for the plane to touch down. I crossed the numbers, cut the power, and flared. Then I felt the wheels meet the ground and it was official, I had flown solo. My confidence soared. I wanted to jump up and down, but I was still in control of the plane. I taxied back to the ramp where I was met by my instructor and I knew for sure that this was what I was born to do. I was the happiest I have ever been and couldn't wait for my next flight.
This week my instructor told me she thought I was ready to solo. When I heard this I thought 'Yes I finally get to show what I've got and prove that I should be here. Then the plane was actually turned over to me and all that changed.
Firstly when I ran through my checklists, I tripple checked everything. I was not gonna make an ass of myself, I didn't come this far to screw it up now. I made sure that nothing could possibly go wrong. I made absolutely sure that all the instruments worked, all the gauges read well, and all the controls worked correctly.
Once I was sure the plane was ready, I started getting those butterflies in my stomach. What if I screwed up? What if something went wrong?
Then clearance came from the tower, and I taxied out to the runway and gave the engine full power, this was it, whether I was ready or not, I was going solo.
I was rolling down the runway and the emotions really started to kick in. My airspeed got up to 63 knots and the airplane lifted off. I was officially flying solo. It felt so great, the plane was all mine, it would do what I wanted to do and there was no instructor in the seat next to me to nag about something I was doing a little wrong.
Then I got my call from tower telling me where my traffic was. I spotted it and was cleared to land. This was it. If I could get back to the ground I could do this for real. My stomach started turning over, this was going to show what I could really do.
I turned final and everything looked perfect. My airspeed looked good my altitude looked good I had corrected for the wind and now all I had to do was wait for the plane to touch down. I crossed the numbers, cut the power, and flared. Then I felt the wheels meet the ground and it was official, I had flown solo. My confidence soared. I wanted to jump up and down, but I was still in control of the plane. I taxied back to the ramp where I was met by my instructor and I knew for sure that this was what I was born to do. I was the happiest I have ever been and couldn't wait for my next flight.
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