My last entry was on flight 6, I’ve now completed lucky number 13, and my first solo.
Following the last entry, we did seven flights of landing practice, and after a few rough ones, I’m not that bad. The Warrior seems easy to land — I have nothing to compare it to, but there are few suprises when bringing it down.
Today was my 13th flight lesson, and the first since I recieved my medical certificate. I knew exactly what to expect, and had been planning it for some time.
Carl commented on the weather while we were standing in the office.
“You will solo today,” he said.
I’d been planning for a week to push away the nervousness of being in the airplane alone. I preflighted the aircraft and we headed out to the runway. One touch-and-go down, Carl keyed his mic and asked for a full-stop. Of course I knew he wasn’t going to ask me for a short-field takeoff, there could be only one reason he wanted to stop — he was getting out.
My second landing for the day wasn’t beautiful, but it was smooth. I taxiied the plane back to the ramp, while Carl filled out my logbook and medical for my solo endorsements.
“Do three or four,” he said as he got out. “Ready?”
“Sure,” I replied acting confident.
I watched him walk away from the airplane, now alone in the cockpit with the engine running.
“Marion tower, Warrior two eight seven five x-ray, ready to taxi, closed traffic,” I said on the radio, without really even thinking about it.
“Warrior seven five x-ray, wind two one zero at one zero, altimeter three zero three zero, taxi to runway two zero, intersection charlie three.”
“Taxi to two zero intersection charlie three, seven five x-ray.”
And with that, I taxiied out to the runway. I expected to be nervous while taxiing out alone, but I really wasn’t. About halfway to the charlie three intersection, a twin-engine Beechcraft called a right-base for two zero. I turned onto charlie three and did a run-up. When I was ready to go, the Beechcraft was on a short final, and I knew there was no way the tower would try and let me get up before he touched-down, so I waited.
He had to taxi past me, as I was blocking the charlie three turn-off, and hit charlie four. Just as he did, another aircraft called, and was placed in right-traffic for two zero. This whole process probably took a full minute, that was the longest minute I’ve ever spent in an aircraft.
When the radio cleared up, I called.
“Marion tower, Warrior two eight seven five x-ray, at runway two zero, intersection charlie three, ready for take-off, closed traffic.”
“Warrior seven five x-ray, make left closed traffic, runway two zero, from charlie three, clear for take-off.”
This was it, no turning back. If I acknowledged his instructions, I was doing it. “Clear for take-off two zero, seven five x-ray.”
The aircraft rolled out onto the centerline and the Lycoming spun up to 2,700 RPM as I flew for the first time, alone.
Before I knew it, I was moments from touch-down, a little rough, but not bad. Carb heat off, flaps up, full power and I was off again.
Three touch-and-go’s down. “Tower, seven five x-ray, request full stop.”
“Warrior seven five x-ray, runway two zero, clear to land.”
“Clear to land, seven five x-ray.”
The sun had started to warm the ground and the strip-pits on final made for a semi-bumpy ride, but right over the runway, she smoothed out, and touched down with just a slight bounce.
I pulled off the runway and called for taxi clearance. When granted, I started my taxi back to the ramp. About halfway there, the controller called.
“Warrior seven five x-ray, ground.”
Oh no, what’d I do. I frantically looked in the cockpit and went over things in my mind. He cleared me to taxi, right? I know he did.
“Seven five x-ray, go ahead.”
I feared the worst.
“Congratulations on your first solo, you did great.”
Now I was laughing, “Thank you very much I appreciate it.”
Carl met me at the airplane and promptly cut the back of my t-shirt off.
Add a new column to the logbook, “Pilot-In-Command.”
Logbook
Aircraft: N2875X (PA-28-161)
Dual: 0.4hrs
P.I.C.: 0.5hrs