SOLO!!
It's official, I've now solo'd an airplane! I finally went up and solo'd Sunday afternoon! It was just three laps around the pattern at Ellighton, but all the same I've now got the endorsement for solo flight. Even though I was warned that with only myself in the airplane, it would be pretty a quick takeoff, I still wasn't prepared for how fast I came off the runway. I think I need to gain some weight or something because man the plane popped off the runway 5kts below the normal takeoff speed all of its own without me pulling back for the liftoff. That got my heart rate going, but its all good and I came back well... enough... not my best landings but still in one piece.
We also took another cross-country last night (with my instructor) to Huntsville airport and landing just after sunset. They have wildflowers in the grass around the airstrip, so here is also a photo of the plane in that rather pretty setting.
Next up: Solo cross country
4 comments:
Congrats!
CONGRATS!!!
Congrats! I had a rough time adjusting to only me in the airplane, too. I ballooned quite a few landings before I got my groove back. How was the Huntsville airport? That's one I want to go to someday. Looks like the weather is finally going to be good for a few days. I might get to do my long cross country sometime this century!
Huntsville is a nice airport, uphill runway thoug, not hard but it was the first time I landed on one. The airport has a courtesy car too and we borrowed it to run and get some dinner before flying home. Otherwise, there is nothing at the airport but with the car you can go get a meal.
I'll be doing my long cross country this weekend too. The only thing I have left is all my solo hours, so for the next week that's what I will be knocking out.
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