Finally! I went up solo today!
Unal and I spent an hour doing circuits, preparing me for the check flight at 9:30. After that flight, we went inside and met the check pilot, Derrick. Derrick and I flew a few circuits so I could show that I was ready to go solo. I was taken by suprise when he acted like a regular instructor, putting spins on what I had to do. For example, usually I only use the flaps if I am high, but Derrick got me to set up my approach to that I needed 20 or 40 degrees of flaps. Believe me, that takes good estimating skills!
Anyways, I must have done well because he notified the Tower that the next flight was a first solo. I dropped him off at the flying club, then went up for a single circuit. The flight was great, although it was definitely bumpier without the extra weight.
Now there’s a tradition that a student who has just flown their first solo gets wet somehow, whether they get thrown into a stream, have buckets of water thrown at them, or simply get sprayed with a gerden hose. When I flew my true first solo in 2006, I was thrown into a stream. Today, I didn’t know if I should expect a watery welcome, since it technically wasn’t my first solo. But when I got out of the plane after shutting it down, I noticed three pilots on the roof of the flying club, and guessed they had pails of water. Sure enough, Unal grabbed my coat and headset from me just before I walked under them, and I literally got soaked! I opened the door of the club, and ran inside, thinking I was done with getting wet. Another instructor was waiting for me inside, too, and threw another bucket of water at me! So the lesson here is: Never fly your first solo before the morning before a history class!
Here are the pictures taken after I landed from the flight:
