Although there have been many landmarks on the road to Private Pilot’s Wings, your most memorable is the moment you fly solo. If you ask any pilot about their first solo, they will likely gaze in the distance and recall that moment when they flew an aircraft by themselves. Even those with many hours of experience will not forget the moment their instructor allowed them to lose the aircraft for the first.
This is the transition point between people who cannot fly with an instructor or those who possess enough skill and knowledge to be able to fly solo. There’s more, and you can be sure that your instructor is still watching from the ground.
How do you plan to solo fly your first flight?
The circuit will be your first flight, as the pilot in charge. Circuit (also known as pattern in the USA), is an imaginary rectangle which includes the runway, crosswind leg (at right angles with the runway), downwind leg and base leg. The section where you will be lining up for take-off and landing. It’s that simple. Take off, fly one circuit, and then land.
If you are just starting out, it might seem difficult. However, practice makes everything easier. You will need to learn how to handle an aircraft in flight, including climbing, turning and radio communication within the immediate vicinity. Then you’ll be able take offs and land. After you have mastered basic aircraft handling, your instructor will take you on several lessons through the circuit to teach you how each leg works. Each leg will be covered, including which radio calls you should make and how to do them.
Additionally, you will learn to recognize landmarks throughout the airfield. It is easy to become disoriented when flying around unfamiliar places. It’s unlikely that this will happen as your instructor should choose a time when there is little noise on the airfield. He/she also should have told the Tower you’re a student and asked them to inform the Tower about your plans for your first solo flight. However, being ready to follow instructions from the Tower with minimum disruption to your flight will make it less likely.
When should you plan to take off solo? How can you get ready for this first solo flight? Your instructor won’t send you solo until you feel confident. You will be ready when both of you are comfortable in your aircraft and have been ‘circuit bashing’. Flying one circuit after another until your brain is conditioned to repeat the process. Sometimes you may get bored with this exercise. Your instructor will pick up on this and tell you when it is time to take off and land.
On July 4, 1985, I flew solo from Southampton Airport (EGHI), in a Grumman AA5A-A with registration G-BFTE. All subsequent lessons focused on flying the circuit multiple times until I was comfortable with each step. I was able to land the aircraft many times during these practice sessions without the assistance of the instructor. He would soon ask me to park on the apron while I vacated the aircraft. He told me to park right in front of the Tower on this day. I was half hoping the lesson would be over, the other half knowing what was ahead. After the plane was parked, he lifted the canopy up and climbed onto the wings. He leaning in towards the cockpit, he said: “Right. One circuit only, then back here . Off you go.”
He had already closed the canopy and left before I could protest. The aircraft was empty of me. I made a phone call to the Tower. “Southampton Tower, Golf Bravo Foxtrot Tango Echo, radio check and taxi to the hold.” Approval was given without a pause. I was soon on my way. The aircraft taxied to the holding area, I looked over the instrument panels and made another call to let me know that it was ready for departure (takeoff). A couple of seconds later, the aircraft was speeding along the runway. I was soon in flight.
It was obvious immediately that the plane was lighter and handled differently. This was due to one less person in the right-hand seat. With so much to focus on, the next few moments flew quickly. I wasn’t able to settle down or take stock until the downwind leg, where I had a few minutes in which to absorb all the details of my flight. When I started to feel proud of myself, I realized I needed to get ready for landing. Following radio calls and pre landing checks, within minutes I was focused on the runway length, my height and where the cowling of the plane is relative to the runway.
The voice of my instructor was always in my head, leading me down. This made it clear why this exercise was repeated so many times and in different conditions. It didn’t take long for me to feel the bump as the main wheels touched down on runway. When the nose wheel was down, I used gentle breaking to return the aircraft to its original park position. After all post-landing checks were completed, the plane was shut down. I then walked to the terminal building across the apron. While my knees were still a little weak, each step made me feel a whole foot taller. When I got to the top, I felt beaming.
It was twenty-five years ago. You never forget your first solo!