A leap of faith
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:48 am
5 Flying hours and about 3 weeks ago my instructor said to me “Dave, you are ready to go solo†– These instructors sure are crazy, expecting you to go it alone after a mere 20 hours and only about 300 landings!! I mean really, what does he know after all?, he has only been flying for 3 decades, he’s only got like a million flying hours, and so what if he wrote the manual for microlight instruction! Does all of this really qualify him to decide when I am an able pilot!!!???
I woke up at 4am on Saturday, got a sms from the weather service and what do you know….no wind – Damn!! No wind means perfect first solo conditions! Damn!
I drove to the airfield with a funny feeling in my gut and found myself kinda wishing for a storm to erupt to save me from what I knew I no longer could postpone – Anything to get me out of having to do what all microlighters have to do at some point – Go SOLO. Fly a trike all by yourself with nobody to help you out of the ka*k!!
I arrived at the airfield and saw that evil grin in Alan (My instructor’s) face – He knew it…, I knew it…, the rest of the flyboy’s at our club knew it… - The conditions were perfect and today was the day that I had to take that giant leap of faith in my own ability and go SOLO – All by myself (Like Celine’s song)
We flew 3 circuits together and then I heard Alan speak those dreaded words “Perfect landings Dave, How are you feeling…?†– Eish!! Couldn’t be honest and tell him that I actually felt like having a double Klipdrift and Coke (Met yssh ja.., met yssh...) and some smokes.
I don’t really remember Alan getting out of the plane or me taxiing back to the holding point – The next thing I knew I was lined up and rolling runway 03, SOLO, ALLEEN – The plane felt like it was airborne before I had even completely put my foot down and then it happened…. At that very moment as I reached 200ft AGL, I realized that there were only 3 ways that this trike could get back onto mother earth today
1. A gentle landing
2. A not so gentle landing
3. Using the GRS
Options 2 and 3 seemed expensive so I decided to go for option 1. I flew the circuit a little high, did not compensate for the minus 85kg but realized this before turning base in time and landed her like a champ. This solo business was fun and much more economical on fuel so I did a few more circuits solo before it started raining lightly which brought an end to my fun.
I think everybody will have to admit that the first time was scary and absolutely amazing at the same time – And boy, it is worth it! Got my solo certificate and took my instructor for a pub-breakfast.
What a day!!! What a hobby!!!
:D :D :D
I woke up at 4am on Saturday, got a sms from the weather service and what do you know….no wind – Damn!! No wind means perfect first solo conditions! Damn!
I drove to the airfield with a funny feeling in my gut and found myself kinda wishing for a storm to erupt to save me from what I knew I no longer could postpone – Anything to get me out of having to do what all microlighters have to do at some point – Go SOLO. Fly a trike all by yourself with nobody to help you out of the ka*k!!
I arrived at the airfield and saw that evil grin in Alan (My instructor’s) face – He knew it…, I knew it…, the rest of the flyboy’s at our club knew it… - The conditions were perfect and today was the day that I had to take that giant leap of faith in my own ability and go SOLO – All by myself (Like Celine’s song)
We flew 3 circuits together and then I heard Alan speak those dreaded words “Perfect landings Dave, How are you feeling…?†– Eish!! Couldn’t be honest and tell him that I actually felt like having a double Klipdrift and Coke (Met yssh ja.., met yssh...) and some smokes.
I don’t really remember Alan getting out of the plane or me taxiing back to the holding point – The next thing I knew I was lined up and rolling runway 03, SOLO, ALLEEN – The plane felt like it was airborne before I had even completely put my foot down and then it happened…. At that very moment as I reached 200ft AGL, I realized that there were only 3 ways that this trike could get back onto mother earth today
1. A gentle landing
2. A not so gentle landing
3. Using the GRS
Options 2 and 3 seemed expensive so I decided to go for option 1. I flew the circuit a little high, did not compensate for the minus 85kg but realized this before turning base in time and landed her like a champ. This solo business was fun and much more economical on fuel so I did a few more circuits solo before it started raining lightly which brought an end to my fun.
I think everybody will have to admit that the first time was scary and absolutely amazing at the same time – And boy, it is worth it! Got my solo certificate and took my instructor for a pub-breakfast.
What a day!!! What a hobby!!!
:D :D :D
