Anyone watching the news has seen that it’s been a miserable couple of months here in the UK as record rainfall turned the southern half of the country into a swamp. Apart from all the flooding and property damage, it’s really put a damper on my flying; from the middle of Jan to the middle of Feb I only got two hours in.
I managed to get an hour of touch-and-goes in last week but I figured I was still pretty far from doing it on my own. Today we continued with circuits, I did four decent landings, one go-around because the runway wasn’t clear and one go-around because I ballooned on my flare. When we were back in the downwind leg of the circuit I said to my instructor, “As frustrated as you are that I’m not getting this, I’m about 1000x as frustrated that I can’t make it click.” He gave me a tight little smile and said, “Watch your altitude.”
I turned onto base, reconfigured for slow flight, turned onto final and called for a touch-and-go. Nice and steady, 65kts, crabbing slightly into the cross-wind. Over the threshold, ease back, cut power, let the aircraft bleed off height and speed, pull back, glide, rear wheels touched, hold back pressured, nose wheel touched. Not too bad. I reached for the flap switch to raise them for the touch-and-go and my instructor said, “Nope, make it a full-stop.” I figured he'd had enough of me today. I put on the breaks and made a hard U turn on the runway.
Because of the rain our grass runways and taxi areas are unusable so we have to “backtrack” down the paved runway we land on. This is a bit disconcerting if you are the aircraft on final and you see that the runway isn't clear. If you happen to be the aircraft on the runway heading towards the landing planes the best you can do is hope that they see you and will do a go-around.
As I was backtracking my instructor says, “OK, pull off to the eastern edge.” I thought that was a bit odd considering the parking area is to the west but in the cockpit he is the Voice of God so I do what I'm told. I turn off to the east and swing around facing the runway.
“OK.” he said, “Now it's your turn.”
"What?!”
“Yeah, you up for it?” It was more a command than a question. “You can do this.”
I looked at him. I’d imagined this moment since the day I started flying. Mostly I imagined being pee-in-your-pants scared. A rock formed in the pit of my stomach and then, don’t ask me how or why, but 1/2 a second later a switch was thrown in my head and the fear turned to exhilaration.
"OK. Cool. Alright. Let's do it!”
We went over a few last-minute items: I had to preface my call-sign with “student” so other aircraft could give me a wide berth and sign an indemnity waver. Then, just like that, he hopped out, gave me a thumbs-up and said, “Pick me up on the hold-point after you land.” Then he was gone, running across the tarmac. I locked his door, swung around so I could see if anyone was on final and gave my first solo radio call.
“Student, golf-echo-yankee-lima-oscar, lining up two-two left.”
I positioned myself on the centre line, checked my instruments and engine readings and pushed her to full power: Keep it down the middle, adjust ailerons for the crosswind, rotate at 55kts, damn, missed, it, OK, rotate at 60kts. Whoa, she climbs a lot faster without 165lbs of instructor inside!
500’ checks: flaps up, fuel on both, engine gauges in green, keep flying the centre line, maintain 80kts on your climb, hand on the throttle, got some pretty strong gusts coming from the right, anticipate, fly the plane, don’t let it fly you. 800’, look for traffic, left onto 140 degrees, you’re in a climbing turn, don’t go past a 15-degree bank angle, level the wings, continue the climb to 1200’.
All these actions I had done over an over with an instructor sitting next to me, even, in the beginning, saying each step out loud. Now my hands and feet worked themselves and my brain did the double-checking.
The pattern was busy and I had a very slow Cessna 152 ahead of me on downwind. I pulled back the throttle, pitched up and at 80kts lowered some flaps. Slow-and-Safe, just like they taught me. The 152 gained a little distance but, damn it, he’s extending his downwind too far! There's no choice but for me to do the same since I can't turn inside him and can’t overtake. Everyone following behind has to do the same, like a traffic jam in the sky.
Eventually the 152 I’m following turns onto base but I'm still too close so I have to really slow down as I make my turn. Base is where you get the aircraft configured for final, slow down, lower flaps and ease back on the power, all without losing altitude. A neat trick that takes a lot of concentration. Well, for me it takes a lot of concentration.
I make my turn onto final and think, “OK, here we go.”
Radio call: "Student, golf-echo-yankee-lima-oscar, final with one ahead for full-stop.”
If that Cessna in front of me decides to do a full-stop and backtrack I’ll have to do a go-around; I go through that checklist in my head. Damn it, I’m getting a little low coming over the electric pylons, I need 750’ minimum and I'm just under that, add a bit more power to gain a hundred feet or so, that’s better. Nice. Crab into the crosswind, keep her lined up, trim, don’t fight the aircraft and keep her at 65kts. The 152 is doing a touch-and-go! Excellent! The runway is clear.
I cross over the motorway that runs perpendicular to our runway and dump full-flaps while pitching a bit nose-down to maintain 60kts airspeed, hardly touching the throttle. Altitude is good, clearing the trees, clearing the hedge, clearing the runway threshold, over the numbers, wait…, pull back easy, fly level, cut the power, let her drop a bit, pull back, pull back, pull back, hold…, hold…left rudder, rear wheels touch, stall warning sounds, pull back a bit more, nose wheel touches, I MADE IT! YES!
I taxi back down the runway and pick up my instructor. He's all smiles and handshakes. “Well done! Feels great doesn’t it?” I have to agree, it does.
As great as this was, my solo is just a step along the path or more accurately a key that opens the next door. I have 10 more hours of solos to do including three that are just touch-and-goes and seven of solo navigation. I also have 15-20 more hours of dual-instructor time remaining. No chance to savour the moment, tomorrow, weather permitting I'm back up doing it again. And again. And again. Fun has never been so difficult.