The Doctor's Lair

My first Solo Solo. That is the one where I pull the aircraft from the hangar on my own. Brian was flying with another student that day, so I met him in the morning and got my clearance to fly. The day was another of those rare events where you can see till infinity. Being the first, I decided to just go to the practice area and fly around looking at the map. The air was silk smooth and I flew hands free. Did the checklists!!! For a change it was nice to do everything right(since there is no one to tell me otherwise). After a bit of fooling around the area, I decided to practice something. Did some clearing turns and enter slow flight, follow that up with more clearing turns and a power on stall. More clearing turns and end with a steep turn to the left.

Next came some ground reference maneuvers. The turns around a point is still something that I find quite hard to do. In variably I mess something or the other. I am at point where I am little scared of them. Hopefully more practice and I should improve. Ended this flight with a nice landing. Oh yes, I had fun! About 20 minutes after me, Brian landed with the other student. I had to push the 152 out for them to park next to the fueling rig. Looking at me, he says,"So I take it that your flight was a success." That sums it up for me.

The second solo solo was just the next day. A nice day with high clouds and visibility (infinity-1). Brian was out of town so I got my ok from another CFI who took a mini interview and checked my paperwork. Up I go, do the checklists, clearing turns and a power off stall. Oops! A little too much nose down. More clearing turns and steep turns. Both sides. Down to the points around a turn. Today they are worse than ever. I give up after a while and head back. Nice landing, so I decide to do one more. Tower tells me to switch to ground. I tune the frequency, but do not switch yet because I am still on the active. Cross the hold line and do my checklists. Call ground, but am still on the tower frequency. Even as I am talking, I realize I am on tower and end meekly with a 'sorry tower.' Without giving them a change to say anything, I switch to ground and call them. Offcourse from my ATC trip, I know that they sit right next to each other.

Taxiback and around the patter we go. Come back, refuel and notice Aaron is preflighting the 182. I ask him if he is alone and does he mind company. So I get to ride in the 182. Park the 152 in the hangar and buckle up in the 182. Just as the engine starts, I realize I have forgotten to inform the CFI that I am back safely. Aaron helps me and switches off, so I go inform the CFI and up we go. The 182 has so much more space than the 152. I could actually flex my legs in there. We fly a short hop to a grass strip and land there. My first experience of landing on a grass strip. Back taxi on the grass and up we go again. A roundabout route back home. A touch and go and around the pattern. The pattern is crowded like anything. We extend both out upwind by 2 miles and downwind by 5 miles. No fun, so we make a full stop landing.

Flying is fun no doubt, but there are times when I enjoy sitting in the best seat and not have to think about anything. Just enjoy the view.