WOOHOO!

[cjsmith]

My coworker soloed today! Three times around the pattern, takeoff to landing. Even beyond the checkride, the first solo flight seems to be the defining moment for a pilot. I will never forget mine.

I'm bummed that I couldn't be there to see him fly, but Oh Well. He just peeked his head around the door to my cube a couple of minutes ago and wordlessly showed his T-shirt emblazoned SOLO.

I'll get the full scoop when our other pilot coworker is also available to take a chat break. I haven't yet spilled it to him that I was watching Saturday morning in case he soloed then. :-)

YAY first solo! I suspect he will never forget this day.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh man, three people cut you off on your first solo? Obviously you were prepared to handle it well!

I too remember the rapid climb without my instructor.

Sulphur Springs? Been there! A virtual wave to your dad. (And he's a check pilot too, eh? Nifty!)

[tmc4242.livejournal.com]

It was real interesting. There was a high cloud deck ( 5-10K ft ) and the visibility was lousy. Just as I turned downwind a couple of 152's from one of the Dallas flight schools announced they were turning downwind at midfield, flight of two. Okay fine. Got them in sight. Widen pattern and prepare to extend downwind. When I was crossing where I would normally have turned base I looked down and saw one of the locals in his J-3 already on base. No radio of course, but I saw him. So I wound up really extending and flying a really long final. Annoying, but it worked.

Dad has been an instructor since about the time I was born. CFII since the early 70's and a designee since about 1980. He was the airport manager at KSLR from June of 1972 until sometime in 1999. Last time I asked he had something like 25000 hours -- all general aviation.

When were you through Sulphur Springs ? It used to be a really nice little airport, but the city has let it down lately. Non aviation folks are making important decisions now. Not good sometimes. Caldwell Aviation has a hangar on the old ramp still. If you make it back that way, stop by and say "Hi."

I literally grew up at that airport. Lived on the field from 1972 until about 1990 and still have the scars on my elbows and knees from learning to ride a bicycle on all that asphalt. ;-)