Solo

Have you ever done something all by yourself for the first time? When it was time for my first solo, I was nervous and excited. I had heard of all the times a solo has gone wrong or something unexpected had happened. However, I knew my flight instructor had prepared me for this moment. I even remember looking up all the solo videos I could find online. Needless to say it was something I had never done before.

The day of my solo came quickly and I still remember the hoodie I had on. I did the preflight checks like normal and took off with my instructor to show him I could do 3 landings by myself without any interference. The wind was 240 with a 5 knot crosswind. Therefore, I knew I would use runway 23 and would have to use techniques I learned to stay on course. On takeoff there was a stubborn headwind and downwind had a strong wind coming from the left which caused my airplane to be closer to the airport than I intended. However, in the end my pattern was perfect and my landings were smooth.

My flight instructor asked me to drive back to the hanger and drop him off. As soon as he got off he told me to lock the door behind myself. I thought I would look so cool steering the plane away, but the door refused to close because of the wind caused by the propellor. My instructor finally figured out I was struggling so he came outside to help me close it. My mind was telling me I had already had trouble closing the door, so I would make more mistakes. I decided to silence my mind and let my instincts take over. My first takeoff was normal, and the feeling of finally being by myself in an airplane was unparalleled. When the time for the first landing came, I was able to put the airplane gently on the runway. I did a full stop and did two more liftoffs and takeoffs. I was overjoyed when I returned and my instructor congratulated me for earning my first solo time. Overall, it was not as scary as I had predicted and was a feeling I will never forget. Always remember that when you try something new, you should do it with optimism and sometimes that can be the difference in whether you enjoy it or not.