Flying Alone

When I arrived at UND Dispatch last Saturday, my instructor informed me we needed to complete Lesson 11 before my solo flight, which was Lesson 12. Lesson 11 consisted of us going over the FAR Part 91 Regulations, as well as some of UND's Safety Policies and Procedures. We spent that morning lesson reviewing those before she sent me home to eat lunch and to study for 3 hours.

I returned at 3:00 pm, ready to take my pre-solo test. This was a test of my knowledge so far and it didn't matter too much how many I got wrong as long as I corrected it to 100%. I passed the test, and put in a slip to Dispatch to get an airplane for my lesson and solo. We were number 2 in line for an aircraft when we heard the people in front of us got Maintenanced. My instructor ran over and checked for us. Sure enough, we were Maintenanced as well...meaning I don't get an aircraft to fly that day, nor do I get to solo. We both went home satisfied that we at least got one lesson in that day, plus my pre-solo test.

Then today arrives. I wasn't nervous, but rather anxious. Almost too anxious. My roommate was about to solo as well so we were both excited. It was interesting to see us together, and probably torture for anyone who had to eat with us at the same time in the days leading up to our solos.

I arrived at UND Dispatch once again, ready with all of my information for the flight. My instructor checked that I had all my necessary documents. We got our aircraft and I went out to pre-flight it while she received her own weather briefing. We went through the routine of starting her up and headed out to the runway.

Usually, after takeoff, I turn to a specified heading and fly away from Grand Forks. Not today. This time I was staying in the traffic pattern. We flew up to the pattern, and I performed 4 landings as my instructor critiqued me on what I needed to improve, mainly my airspeed and stepping to hard on the brakes. The first 3 landings were stop-and-goes and the fourth was a full stop.

I taxied the aircraft in and shut her down. My instructor endorsed my certificate, hopped out of the aircraft and asked me if I had any questions. I had only one: "how do I taxi off this ramp?" She seemed puzzled that I would ask that question when I was about to fly solo, but we never usually used this ramp so I was unsure if I could go out the way I entered it. Apparently I could. She closed and latched the door and walked away heading to the tower...probably to get laughed at by the controllers for her nervousness of hoping for me to do well.

When she was gone, I realized I was alone. If I did good, then I did good. If I made a mistake, it was my mistake. I had trouble starting the engine, as I did on the earlier flight, but it finally caught. An instructor going around a Seminole parked next to me looked over, smiled and nodded, and gave me a thumbs up. I just smiled back and returned the thumbs up. I taxied out to the runway, number 2 for takeoff behind another Piper Warrior. There was a Northwest CRJ-200 at the far end of the runway waiting to go, and I chuckled at the thought that the small UND aircraft were being given priority over an airliner. But they didn't seem to mind; they're getting paid well to wait and fly while we're paying to fly.

When I took off from the runway, I was amazed at how well I took off, then proceeded to climb faster than I expected because of the reduced weight of only one person onboard. This was when the realization really hit me and I thought to myself, "Hey, this isn't that hard! I'm flying alone and it's easy!"

I performed 4 landings; 3 landings were stop-and-goes, while the fourth was a full stop. When my instructor left me, she told me I had to perform a minimum of 3 landings, but I could do a fourth if I wanted to. It was up to me to determine if I wanted one more landing. I jumped on that opportunity and told myself I was doing 4 solo landings. ...why wouldn't I?

Every single one of those landings was a good one. If you can use the aircraft again, then it's a good landing. I came down hard once, and flared too early on another. But two of those landings I really liked, especially since I didn't have the help of my instructor telling me what to do or making minute adjustments to the controls.

After the last landing I taxied off the runway and acknowledged the tower's instructions. They congratulated me on my solo and I thanked them. Now who says controllers are bad?

Whe we arrived back at my instructor's office, her name placard was turned around with the nickname "Brakes" written on it instead. She laughed and explained that I don't have to feel bad about stepping on the brakes so much when I land. When she first flew at her home airport, she stepped on the brakes so hard that everyone at the airport heard her brakes and tires squealing. She also explained it was a small airport. When we entered the time in my logbook, I was ecstatic, but calm on the outside, to write in my first 0.8 hours of solo Pilot in Command time.

It's usually tradition for pilots to have the back of their shirt ripped off after their first solo. It's a tradition dating back to the early stages of flying when the instructor was usually seated behind the student and they tugged on the student's shirt to tell them something. When they did their solo, the instructor ripped off the back of the student's shirt to symbolize cutting them loose, saying they trusted them to fly alone. Thankfully, times have changed and not all instructors do this anymore. I just received many congratulations and jokes from my instructor on my solo, as well as a handshake.

The solo was rather routine, but unfortunately, I may have left my soul up in the sky.

There is nothing like flying alone. It's a dream come true for me.

"Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir."