My daughter's first solo flight!

[sid pileski]

Taking off at the instructor's private strip:

[sid pileski]

Instructor walking away!


Take off!!
URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sids32/media/COURTS%20FIRST%20SOLO/DSC_0688_zps289d5f26.jpg.html][/URL]

[sid pileski]

New pilot!

[TGTool]

That's great and I'm sure you're proud. The rest of us are sitting on pins and needles till we see that she also gets back on the ground okay.

Edit: Whew, next post just in. Thanks.

[dp]

Great fun and congrats to her. I remember mine like it was 40 years ago (it was). It was also quite spectacular. There was a ceremony after (as with all first solo flights) of cutting the back of your shirt off. Unfailingly they would also snip the bra strap of the female students which prompted a number of last-minute preflight wardrobe changes.

My spectacular moment came when I hit the wing vortex of the AirCal 737 that had just taken off from the runway to my right. Stood me right on the port wingtip. My wife thought I was showboating as she was right below me at the time. My instructor also saw it and approved of my recovery and cleared me for solo flying at 12 hours instruction.

None of my kids were ever interested in learning to fly though they did enjoy taking the controls.

[sid pileski]

She did this about Three weeks ago. Saved her own money. 13 hours/$100/Hr, wet.
If you notice her hair is cut rather short. That's because she is now at Norwich University. Corps of Cadets, Airforce ROTC and Drill Team.
She was in Civil Air Patrol for five years before. She's always wanted to fly!
She did this on a Friday night, we brought her to school Saturday morning, two weeks before the returning students.
She is a Rook, until they get recognized. then they get privlages.
Can't even call back home. They confiscate their phones and can only use them on Sunday for 10 minutes!

I miss my wing man!

[Weston Bye]

Congratulations! She has my admiration and respect. I learned to fly in a Cessna 150, nearly all of the flying from paved runways. The nose-dragger 150 was a mistake as it didn't prepare me for a tail-dragger landing in a Cub. I did it once, but just barely. Again, congratulations, father and daughter!

[sid pileski]

Congratulations! She has my admiration and respect. I learned to fly in a Cessna 150, nearly all of the flying from paved runways. The nose-dragger 150 was a mistake as it didn't prepare me for a tail-dragger landing in a Cub. I did it once, but just barely. Again, congratulations, father and daughter!

Yeah Wes, I've been told that it was best for her to learn in a tail dragger first. Even a friend of mine who was thre, just learning to fly a Pitts said that he envide her learning in the J5 first.
Her instructor flew C-130s in Vietnam and 707s I think he said. He has a boat load of hours flying and really enjoys teaching kids to fly.

[saltmine]

That's great! At least she picked a "real" airplane to learn in....one that was older than she is (1940). BTW, that J-5 appears to be nicely restored.

[A.K. Boomer]

You can see the serious focus in that kid, very cool and yes much pride is a good thing...

[vpt]

Very cool!

[Mike Burch]

Oh man, she'll remember that day for the rest of her life!
I, too, envy her learning in a tail-dragger. That's REAL stick-and-rudder stuff. I had about 100 hours in Cessnas before I first flew a Super Cub and discovered what my mother and God-mother had been on about.
And tell her $100 an hour is seriously cheap! I gave up flying ten years ago when the cost for a 152 went up to $160 (without an instructor - that was an extra $40). It's now well over $200.
So give her a congratulatory hug from me, Sid, and tell her there's an old coot in New Zealand who's envious.

[George Bulliss]

Congrats to her. She'll always remember that day and that airplane. My first solo was in a 152 on a 6,000 foot runway, so not as cool but still made an impression. On my flight, the instructor's door popped open on rotation, causing a lot of noise and a bit of a surprise. I kept looking at the right seat during my three TOs and landings; couldn't believe I was alone.

We did the cutting of the shirt too but I wish I knew about the bra thing. When I was an instructor most my students were girls, since I was the only married instructor at the school and management felt I was the least likely to cause problems. I have good memories of those days but cutting bras might have added a few more.

Although it's been a while since I've flown, I did keep my instructor certificate up to date for years, thinking I could teach my kids some day. Well, they are old enough to think for themselves now and both have no interest in flying, so I didn't renew this past spring. It was a tough rating to get and letting go was hard.

[Jim Hubbell]

That's a fine thing she has done. And on her own makes it double fine!
I was short-shirted 1952 after a solo in an Aeronca Champ. Seven fifty an hour for plane and instructor.

[flylo]

That's GREAT! And in a real plane with the wheel in the back where it belongs. She'll be a much better pilot learning in a tailwheel plane, Congrats!