Tips for a first solo?

[lee-wave]

On 11/01/2023 at 6:06 AM, Summer said:

Hey guys! I’m new to this forum and fairly new to piloting. I’m a student pilot with around 20 hours about to solo pretty soon. Anyone have tips, advice, or things not to do during a solo? Feel free to share your personal experiences too!

20 hours and still no solo ? ..... seek a new instructor or a different flying school... on average most students solo between 8 and 12 hours.  

[Bernie]

My first solo much the same as everyone's.

Except I had a RPT on the ramp waiting for me to land,my instructor had informed him it was my first. He/they congratulated me on my landing.

Bernie.

[RFguy]

20 hours and no solo might be OK, depends on age

stats are something like 30 minutes longer to go solo for each year over 25.....

[facthunter]

Going solo is over hyped. IF you have a career in aviation, you will face competency challenges far exceeding your first  solo effort. Good pilots continue to learn till  the day they stop flying or researching etc.. AGE is ONE factor RFg. STATS doesn't cover individual cases. Not every occurrence in Aviation lends itself to stats.  Nev

[Garfly]

32 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Going solo is over hyped.

I agree.  I think I was just as nervous going solo on the roads as in the air, maybe more so. 

(Probably with good reason.)

[facthunter]

There can be plenty of reasons to have extended training  Eg Long taxi times, Bad weather . High trafficked aerodrome, lack of finance Instructor is cautious and sets a higher skill level.. . The chosen plane may be quite demanding  and have a few quirks. It's the instructors call. . IF a student said "IF I  don't solo in "X" hour's i'm off somewhere else, how does THAT sit in the scheme of things. Instructors bear a lot of responsibility making the call and the consequences can be dire.. IF you haven't done it you won't know.  Nev

[red750]

It's not a race, better to be sure than sorry. I can't remember how many hours I had under my belt. Most of my training was at an airport that at about that time was the busiest in the southern hemisphere, sealed strips, ATC, and all. I also did some training at the schools country strip, with grass runways and no ATC. Had a total of 3 different instructors. So I had more than the "average" number of hours when I did my licence test. That was no impediment. Went on to do a lot of cross country trips, with passengers, in two states, and checked out on seven different aircraft from Cessna 152 to Beechcraft Bonanza. Go when YOU are ready.

[Yenn]

First solo may not be as big an event as later hoops you have to fly through, but it is still a big event in any pilots life. It is the start of what should be a rewarding pastime or job. I can only rank one other thing higher than first solo and that is first parachute drop. I remember mine vividly and when I landed I was even more gratified to be told that the chute I had used was one I had packed while training.

[facthunter]

I've dropped a lot of chutists and have always wondered why a sane person would jump out of a perfectly good plane without being pushed or tricked..  Nev..

[Bosi72]

On 11/01/2023 at 5:06 PM, Summer said:

Hey guys! I’m new to this forum and fairly new to piloting. I’m a student pilot with around 20 hours about to solo pretty soon. Anyone have tips, advice, or things not to do during a solo?

Welcome to the forum!

Trust yourself

[spacesailor]

facthunter

It's the Thrill of zero gravity . I loved it , A T C in the U K, used old barrage ballons. Took lots of lightweight cadets up,

Only to have to winch the balloon down , that was more boyent .

spacesailor

 

 

[hkaneshiro]

first solo is overrated. i hated my first solo and the hype / pressure to get there (i was under a time constraint given i was doing an intensive course) and weather / x winds were not favourable. 

 

wasted so much money on pre solo circuits only to have the solo cancelled due to weather conditions

[ClintonB]

First one in light sport was ok, nervous but went ok. Second time when I moved onto GA, I was so nervous, flew my best on day before with instructor for check out, just thoughts got in my head about this is it at the threshold, I made one circuit, landed and packed up. Next day went back and no nerves, had a great day out. Don’t let your head get cluttered with stuff would be my advice. Your instructor must believe in you or they wouldn’t let you go up alone.

 

[facthunter]

  When you are loaded up, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. In a circuit you have been taught a series of procedures that get you back on the ground in an orderly and manageable way. That's the purpose of a standard circuit.  To space out and complete each bit properly and it all comes together as it's intended to.  No rush  no fuss.  You know you can do it because you've done it many times. Just allow for the weight difference of having the Instructor absent.  Nev

[johnm]

philosophical with a drizzle of physcological FH - well said

[facthunter]

Thanks john. I hope it helps. You don't need the hype.  You'll have greater hurdles to jump if you fly long enough.. Nev

[BrendAn]

i have 16 hrs up now but i think i will need a few more yet before i am confident enough to go solo. i like having an expert sitting beside me. 

[facthunter]

You could do that forever if that's what you want. You are Paying.. You need enough confidence to know you can do it and not so much that you think you can do lots more than you really can. Careful Pilots fly safer. and it's not sissy to be careful.  Nev

[Bosi72]

On 01/02/2023 at 10:18 PM, BrendAn said:

i have 16 hrs up now but i think i will need a few more yet before i am confident enough to go solo. i like having an expert sitting beside me. 

Trust >yourself< and your instructors when they tell you that you are ready.

 

There are small differences when learning as an adult (30+) vs when you are teenager, therefore the lessons should be adjusted accordingly.

 

Don't make big gaps between flights. At this stage choose either early morning or late afternoon flights when the weather is calm.

 

Relax and enjoy learning.

[phantomphixer]

Talk yourself through it as you fly it. You’ll find that affirming what you’re doing will keep you calm and help you to fly and land well. Most of us still do that on most flights, it helps us to remember the numbers, the height, speed and spacing, the positional cues, the landing checks and the approach and landing. It all helps.

[RFguy]

I used to run through, while driving, what I needed to do, in the time it would normally occur at ..... IE startup checklist, taxi, circuit flying , application of controls, radio calls, going around, windsock check abeam, BUMFISH  etc etc  etc. 

[Student Pilot]

Over hyped, just part of learning to fly. As FH said you keep learning every flight no matter how much flying you do.

[facthunter]

IF you think you have it all that's the beginning of becoming more dangerous. Skipping checks, saying she'll be right. I've done this hundreds of times.  I "think" I can see the runway etc.. Double-check IF you're not sure .  Nev