Taking the Leap

Aviation has always inspired me. I am still the guy that’s glued to the window on takeoff. It’s been thrilling to learn how to fly. It’s also been daunting. Wedging study hours and flight lessons in between a full time job an some semblance of a social life.

Finally, I am ready to share this journey here. And that’s because I recently flew solo for the first time. It marked the change from “student taking lessons” to “Pilot in Command.”

Solo Flight

Flight school isn’t always pure fun. There’s no epic background music playing when you bounce your first few landings. A professional “Okay, so let’s talk about that one” from your instructor. Learning the hard what what a Pilot Induced Oscillation (PIO) is from overcontrolling the yoke after flaring. Hours of simulator time that resembles the real thing. The list goes on. Being a student with a full-body performance element, high-speed multitasking, and a constant feeling of having forgotten something are some of the realities. For those unfamiliar, your feet control your pedals for the rudder (yaw), your left hand (I am right-handed) control the yoke for ailerons (roll) and elevator (pitch), and your right hand is on the throttle. And ATC might call you exactly in the middle of trying to touch down or clean it up for immediate takeoff. My personal favorite metaphor is that you’re suddenly a one-man-band.

All of that is why my solo flight is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When my instructor jumped out of the plane, I knew he and the flight school had full confidence in my ability. I also had full confidence in myself, having done dozens of takeoffs and landings (TOLs). Even so, a healthy amount of nerves kick in. Checking the checklist twice, looking in and outside the cockpit, thorough checks of all instruments. Line it up, take off on the roll, instruments in the green, airspeed is alive, rolling at 55 knots, and we’re off. Right traffic, before landing checklist, midfield call to the tower, extend downwind for traffic, configure and work the flaps in and airspeed and altitude down to 65 knots on short final. Managing energy to touchdown as gently and precisely as possible.

There are many less-challenging endeavors out there. Days like these, and crossing this milestone, help compensate for many others that may shake confidence. There are times in life where you remember that not only can you do this, but you can be excellent at it. There’s a future for me here, and I can feel it.

Solo Takeoff

Solo Landing 1

Solo Landing 2

Taxi back to JAXAERO

This video serves as evidence there was in fact no one else in the cockpit. And I might as well point out the nosewheel tracking almost exactly on the centerline… I learned early you have to celebrate the small wins.