Time to Solo: Are You Ready to Be Pilot in Command?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Your first solo flight is a milestone every pilot remembers-a moment that marks your readiness to take control and truly step into the role of Pilot in Command. But how do you know when you're ready? In this video, I share my personal story of the moment I realized it was time to fly solo and the mindset shift that made it possible.
Whether you’re a student pilot preparing for your own solo or a seasoned aviator reflecting on your journey, this video dives into what it means to take responsibility in the cockpit and how to trust yourself when it matters most.
Key Takeaways:
✈️ What being "Pilot in Command" really means.
✈️ The signs that you’re ready for your first solo flight.
✈️ My experience and lessons learned leading up to this milestone.
If you're passionate about aviation or on the path to earning your wings, this video is for you!
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You’ll never forget the day you solo!!!!
@@Parr4theCourse it’s definitely one of life’s great milestones.
1973 and I had my check ride in way too windy day for me to be doing this. I had had some problems right away in maintaining altitude but got it took care of. But when I was told to do a turn around a point it was an elongated egg. The examiner said let me try it and put us in a 90 degree bank on the downwind and did little better. He said let’s head back and I thought failed for sure. We lined up for a big crosswind landing and he ask me if I felt comfortable with this big a crosswind. I said I think so , landings have always been good. Put the left wing down and right rudder and landed one wheel at a time. Examiner didn’t say a word after landing. I went into office and my instructor ask how did it go. I said not the best. He said well did you pass ? I said I don’t know he didn’t say anything to me. My instructor picked up the phone and called the examiner. The examiner said it was too windy to fly in our C150 and I was going to just do it again another time but that guy did as good a crosswind landing as any accomplished pilot i know so yes he passed. About two weeks after my checkride I went to Cessna rental at the airport to rent a new 150 for the first time. They called my examiner before they would rent to me since I was a new pilot and they k ew the examiner. He told him yes you can rent to him he can land in a crosswind. Made me feel a lot more accomplished than I was!!
@@berniebrown9115 isn’t that the way it is? Fresh ticket and ready to conquer the world. 2-300 hours later and you think, “wow! Was I green or what?”!
Glad to see you back on the air and in the 210 !
@@jimcarr7430 it’s good to be back! Thank you for coming with me.
@ I enjoy your videos. I soloed in 1973 at 16 after 10 hours of dual instruction. I was lucky to have a friend with a sky master and a 182. Took me with them weekly on their flights and dad would give me the right seat every other leg. I was flying the 182 from right seat under his pic since 14. It was awesome and hooked me for life. My buddy and I did our ppl check rides on 17th birthdays. He is now a check captain with DHL. Me just a ga guy. Thanks for re kindled memories.
Appreciate your style 👏
@@darwinanderson859 thank you very much!
Your progression is similar to what I am doing in diving I like your methodology. Please keep em coming !
@@ivoryjohnson4662 will do my best! Thank you for watching.
I can remember my first solo, we were practicing touch and go's and I spotted something on the runway and called out a go-around before the instructor said or did anything, I think it was a rabbit or something. The instructor said "I don't think you need a passenger anymore", they got out next time we landed and from then on I was solo. I talked to my potential candidates and neither have taken an introductory flight yet so they aren't eligible yet.
@@747FoSophie what do you mean eligible? Eligible for what?
@@TheFlyingSalesman For me to pay for their flight training
2/1/25 my CFI jumped out of the plane for my first solo. He closed his gull wing door but didn’t latch it and I didn’t remember to check it before lift off. Door opened on rotation. I pulled all the data out of the G3x. Once the mains came off the ground my forward acceleration decreased by 1/3 and my lateral acceleration exceeded what the engine could pull me forward. I barely cleared the trees next to the runway. 78 seconds later, getting every warning possible including stall, low terrain, fuel pressure, fuel quantity, pull up repeated over and over again, the engine started to stall about 30 seconds in. I couldn’t think to switch tanks but was lucky to work the rudder and pull the right wing up. Full coordination was not possible and when I pressed the right rudder to the floor the door started slamming above me vibrating the plane. Even though I knew the door was open I didn’t have enough brain cycles to reason that it was just the door. I thought when I was full right rudder the plane was falling apart. I fought the plane for seven minutes all the way back to the runway. Fuel pressure dropped three times, wings level I would turn left. On final, I was hard right aileron trying to get lined up, full right rudder (with banging) the plane was mostly lined up. I was on speed (70kt) but the right wing was dipped so far I was afraid it was going to touch before the right gear. Just before it touched I flattened the plane, and the open door immediately pushed the nose hard left sending me off the runway into the ditch. Once I touched I became a passenger. I was exhausted. I uploaded the data into a program called flysho that shows the entire flight from a 2D,3D and cockpit view. I’ve watched it at least 5 hours, running this through my head over and over. I didn’t sleep for two days after. Sorry for rattling on but talking to other pilots or those interested in aviation helps. I’m 58, so this was a lifelong dream. Now I’m worried about my insurance cancelling me and ending my fledgling aviation journey. Insurance on this plane was already $8,500 per year. Sorry for the book all.
@@dgmcfadden2006 hear me when I say this, there hasn’t been a single experience in the cockpit that I wouldn’t handle differently if I had to do it again. Have you ever heard anyone say “that’s a good pilot” when referring to a student? It is the pilots with experience we look to as mentors. Learn from this, vow to become better and keep training. Never stop training. Ever.
@ Not sure where my head is. People don’t realize how dangerous Gull-wing doors are, they are like a big rudder on top and they block the airflow to your actual rudder. I didn’t since I never considered it. When the engine started stuttering I was only 300 AGL, I reached for the chute handle and the engine picked up. Nothing but trees where I live as far as you can see. Anyway.
@ your head is dealing with an emergency as a student pilot. You did great, you flew the plane and brought it in. It’s a win. Analyze, learn and move forward. The fact of the matter is you are not the first pilot to have an emergency and had to get back in the air. It will be tough and it will be in the back of your mind but push it out and fly the plane. You know how.