First Solo

My nerves were definitely going. My instructor had me fly over to KLMO Longmont and do the requisite 3 full stop taxi backs. The fact that we did taxi backs and talked about each one versus racking up the touch and goes suggested the day was different. Of course it was different.

When she jumped out of the plane it was an eerie feeling. I hadn’t been alone is a running plane before. And at the same time that it felt very different, it also felt very familiar. I was sweating and pretty sure I could smell the excitement and fear seeping through my shirt. I double checked the wind and taxied for takeoff.

Instinct and training started to take over as soon as I taxied out and crossed the piano keys. The first takeoff was uneventful, and as I circled around on final everything was setting up well. I pulled the throttle back and the 172 let out a gentle squeal as she touched down.

The author’s selfie taken on a later solo flight.

I taxied back noting the wind had shifted to more of a crosswind, and took off again. As I was on downwind a couple of planes decided they wanted to switch runways as the wind was shifting to a quartering tailwind. It was a bot of a heart stopping moment. My instructions had been to make 3 full stop taxi back landings in the pattern, but to switch runways for the wind I would have to leave the pattern.

I decided to do just that. They knew I was a student pilot and asked me to verify my intentions when I called I was leaving the pattern and would rejoin for the runway change. I left the pattern and re-entered it, and it went very smoothly. I landed, taxied back, made another lap and picked up my instructor.

She had been listening on the handheld radio and of course the change of runway made her nervous, but because of her solid training I handled it just fine. The 3 landings were successful and I got my tail cut that day. With the change of wind it required a problem solving that we face each time we fly. Thankfully, everything went well!