[ot] RL flying!

HI all,

I think I've mentioned a few times in the last six weeks or so that I'm
taking flying lessons - well, today I solo'd!

It was really, really good - my instructor & I did half an hour of
circuits together, then we taxied back to the Club, he hopped out, and I did
one circuit on my own! "Victoria Ground, Uniform Zulu Romeo going up for just
one circuit... um, it's my first solo, Ground..."

ATC (Air Traffic Control people) were good - they're used to student
pilots at my airport - and the flight went very well, esp. the landing.
The Cessna handles a bit differently with only one person on board, though!

Made the one circuit, full stop landing, and was greeted back at the
Club's line by my instructor & the CFI - but I think I was half way home
before I actually came back down to earth!

Best single moment was right after landing, realizing a) I'd stuck the landing
really well and b) hearing Tower say, "Uniform Zulu Romeo, exit
right on 02 - and congratulations on your first solo."

Stuff debating FT scifi fighters - real Cessnas are much more
interesting! I'll have my Private by end of July; then I start on my
Commercial & ratings over the winter! Anyone likely to be in the Victoria, BC,
Canada
area, drop me a note - you pay for the plane time, and I"ll be happy to
take you sightseeing!

On Thu, 16 May 2002 22:36:19 -0700 (PDT) Brian Burger
> <yh728@victoria.tc.ca> wrote:

> I think I've mentioned a few times in the last six weeks or so that

Congratulations, Brian. That's a real milestone, and one you'll remember all
your life.

[Snip description of solo]

Sounds familiar -- very like my first solo, except that I didn't tell
the tower! (Playing it cool, right? While trying not to panic on the
inside... ;-))

I don't remember much difference in the handling of my aircraft (a
Tomahawk -- Piper, not Curtiss <g>) without the instructor, but then,
we were both large guys and I was always slightly concerned that the
a/c might have been over MTOW with both of us and a full fuel load...
<B-)

> Stuff debating FT scifi fighters - real Cessnas are much more

Well, they're more fun to move around... <g>

Congrats again, and take care. Remember, the number of landings must
always equal the number of take-offs at the end of the day (or before
the fuel runs out, whichever comes first).

Phil
----
Gravity is a Downer... So let's go flying!