VAF Forums - Solo flight poll

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1975, 7 hours at Orange County Airport (now John Wayne airport) in a Cessna 172. A LOT of radio use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by springer (Post 1007895)

Sounds like you went through AFROTC FIP (Flt Instruction Program).
Those hours were pretty typical as the AF would only contract for 33 hrs per student with the local FBO. I believe the requirement back then was 40 hrs for the PPL but the FAA would waiver the last 5. Surprisingly, the ROTC students would usually receive more hours than those that graduated from the Academy.

No. Plane old flight school at Tims Airpark in Austin, Tx. I believe back then a Part 41 school could waive the 40 hours.

25 years and 4 days ago I soloed with 10 hours.

Now, the stories I could tell you of what is like to sign off a student as a new CFI.......that is stressful. The first guy I signed off had to work WAY too hard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by N5916R (Post 1007969)

I can imagine that, I am not sure if I am ready how is my CFI supposed to know. I just need to practice radio and just go for it. Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by rightrudder (Post 1007838)

Hey Robert,

Wow, I'm excited for you! I solo'd back in in 2006, but I can remember it as vividly as yesterday. No warning whatsoever....my instructor told me to kill the engine, hopped out on the taxiway with a handheld radio, and said, "You're ready. Give me three take-offs and landings." It was scary, thrilling, empowering, this whole flying thing with no safety net in the right seat.

The instructor knows. The training kicks in and you'll be fine.

Come by sometime and check out the -9A...glassing the windscreen now. Should be ready for the hangar move around the first of the year.

--Doug

Thanks Doug, I am so busy with studying, I had no idea tha there is so much to learn. Lol

I guess I've skewed the results of your poll. More than 20, but was waiting on Oke City aeromedical augury. Well into the post-solo cross country syllabus before getting my 3x 'round the patch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrillBit (Post 1008092)

I guess I've skewed the results of your poll. More than 20, but was waiting on Oke City aeromedical augury. Well into the post-solo cross country syllabus before getting my 3x 'round the patch.

Not a problem, I need more pilots who soloed with +20 hrs. lol

Some of you got it easy. My solo will not be taking off and landing at the airport. I will have to taxi to runway, take off, fly about 10 miles to the lake, get back and land. On top off that we have 3 airports in 10 mile radius.

My time to first solo was 20+ hours. My issue was ground fixation and neither myself or the instructor could figure it out. At the time I worked at Beech Aircraft with two great guys who were both ex-military pilots who pointed out to me what I was doing. The next day we headed over to Benton airport (now called Stearman Field) and I figured I would look at the far end of the airport vs the touchdown point. My prayer was the CFI would save us if I was going to do a bad landing. Much to my surprise was my new found sight picture of the landing phase and the ability to judge my height above the ground. My CFI was so excited about the perfect landing he yelled do it again, after 20+ hours of multiple landings on each approach. Every since then my landings have be good and when I have a bad landing I can trace it back to concentrating on hitting a specific point on touchdown. I have also talked to friends who parachute and this is a common issue for them also and they must look at the horizon to judge height above the ground.

Now I'm not stating to fixate on the far end of the runway, you should have your gaze alway scanning for anything such as items on the runway, uneven runway, etc..

Hmmm.

We need more options first solo was 4 hours for me.

Don't remember the exact number, but I do remember how my 60,000 hr instructor (Eddie Duffard) handled it. We went around a couple of times like it was a normal practice lesson then he grabbed his hand held radio, got out, and with no prior warning told me to take it around. My landing was long but OK. My feet were shaking as I held the brake peddles while Eddie climbed back in, but I didn't lose any sleep the night before. John