I had read, studied, flown, and passed my instructor’s minimum standards before he said, “Pull over to the tower.” I knew what this time meant – it’s in all the books. One day, the instructor finds you worthy of taking a valuable airplane to play for the first time.
S-O-L-O!
You’ve been in the PIC (Pilot in Command) seat every time you flew, though you were a student.
The student is always flying from the left seat in this unique world. It’s a privilege to drive from this seat, but boats are piloted from the opposite side, right? In my world, it’s where nearly 3 million miles of road driving is, so it only felt right.
Now, sitting in a new space of learning to be a pilot on your first SOLO, you notice a few things.
- There’s no shoulder crammed against yours because these cockpits are small.
- The only voice you hear on the headset is yours and the tower.
- No instructor whispers the next steps or corrective words.
You request permission to taxi to the runway, and the tower clears you to move.
Stop on the holding apron and state your intention to the tower, but wait for permission.
This first flight is iconic. You can only make three circuits in the pattern, perform a Touch-N-Go, and then do a full stop the third time. You are permitted to taxi onto the runway, but now you feel the pressure.
Alone, you look for traffic, put your foot on the brakes, set the flaps, check your instruments, release the brakes, rev up the engine, and move down the runway by yourself.
I cannot speak for anyone else, but my instructor’s voice is in my head throughout these maneuvers.
I’ve been listening to him for over 10 hours of flying and a lot of time in the hangar and office as we discuss flying lessons.
Even though there’s a tower controller, I’m going Solo.
I can’t get lost, but there are ways of making mistakes – forget the lessons learned, or an inerrant pilot invades your space, and you are unsure what to do. Maybe a sudden weather change surprises everyone – but you’re the one piloting another person’s expensive airplane with innocents on the ground below you.
Muscle Memory takes control as you fly the pattern. Cue cards are displayed so you can remember what you were taught. Mantras are recited: Plan your flight and fly your plan…
All the while, you hear the Tower and other Pilots conversing…You are flying SOLO!
This was nearly 40 years ago… could I do it today? Without training? Nope… except in an emergency. Maybe. Those lessons were learned, but the cockpit has updated dramatically with electronics, and the airspace around you is always adapting to current needs. But. Yes. I think I could…