SOLO!!!

Ok so,

It seems like a MUCH bigger deal to me than to all of you, but I solo-ed for the first time on Saturday, May 26, 2012!

The day started at 3pm: Mike and I went over my pre-solo knowledge test. It was open book test, and asked a bunch of questions that I MAY have copied and pasted from SOME sources. Either way, I did well, but I want to go over it and know and memorize the answers and feel confident in answering them. I mean, flying is potentially going to be my life. I can't check the emergency procedures when I'm going Mach 2, can I?

Anyway. After that, Mike and I got in the plane, and we flew the pattern a little bit (flew in a circle around the runway). I landed and took off several times, and then Mike said, "I think you're ready to go alone!"

He told me that when I solo, I have to tell the ground frequency that it is my first solo. Then, when I talk to the tower, I have to say "student pilot" at the end of my request to take off. So I told ground it was my first solo, and taxied to the runway. I made sure that my landing checklist was complete (fuel pump on, anti collision light on, transponder at appropriate setting, etc.)

I have a hunch that the ground frequency people told the tower frequency people that it was my first solo, because here's what happened:
I mentioned before that flying the pattern is pretty straight forward:

Basically flying around the runway

But occasionally, the tower asks you to do certain things.

First of all, when I took off, they told me to make a left traffic turn (like in the picture above). However, when I was about 500 feet into my ascent, they told me to make a right traffic turn.

Ok.

Then, they told me to extend my downwind (usually because there are a lot of planes in the pattern and they need to space them out). That means to keep flying on the "downwind" section until they tell me to turn. Well, a couple of seconds later, they told me to make a left 360. This means to make a 360 degree turn. The first time I did this, it felt....wasteful. I mean, imagine if, to buy time in a traffic jam, you made a 360 degree turn in your car?  It seems so silly, right? Well, it is a typical airplane maneuver when flying the pattern. So I made a 360. Then, the tower told me I was following another plane. I didn't see the plane, so I said "looking for traffic!" I STILL couldn't see it, and then the tower called in and said my "traffic" (the plane I was following), was just off my right side. I saw it, and the tower confirmed me for a "touch and go" which is a landing and then immediate takeoff. I told them that it was a full stop landing (I had to, according to Mike...) and they confirmed that.

Then I landed, and it was awesome!!!!!


Mike called out the desk people at East Coast Aero Club, and I got my photo taken. It was a SUPER hot day, and I had already been sweating like no ones business. On top of that, I was supposed to go out with a friend after my lesson, so I had worn a cute silk dress. Well, silk REALLY shows wet sweat spots. I know, I know, it's gross, but it's true. For those of you that come up in my plane with me, you will see how hot it gets!!

Anyway, I did a fun pose on my plane. I was told I was allowed to pose however I like, and this was the end result:

I love this dress. And I love this particular Tomahawk.

This is me and Mike right after:

So if you want to HEAR my first solo, I have it for you!

1) 21:05 is just about where I get my take off clearance and LEFT traffic
2) About 22:15 is where I get the change: RIGHT traffic
3) Approx 23:50 is where I get instructions to extend my downwind
4) 24:39 is where I get instructions to make a left 360.
5) 25:40 is where I'm told who to follow....
6) 26:25 is where the tower tells me where to look for the plane I'm following, and promptly gives me touch and go clearance, and then landing clearance after I ask. Yay!!!!