Solo Second Time Round

[Guest Orion]

We finally got the Jabiru back from the Panel Beaters at Bundy after i ended up upside down on my first solo.

 

A couple of days after that accident I ducked up to Grafton and had about six laps in the circuit area without incident with Stu in the right seat.

 

After that nothing until the Jab came back.

 

First lesson back in it after it went back on line I was a bit tentative, understandable as it tried to kill me last time and I had about two months off flying while it was being repaired. Didn't help to have a nasty crosswind.

 

Next lesson the instructor is saying, yep nothing wrong with your flying you can Solo whenever you want to.

 

I was in no rush so I had another session and then out today for another and wasn't thinking solo at all.

 

Half way through Charlie says time for you to do this pull up after the next landing and i'll hop out.

 

His final words as he slammed the door shut " now don't bugger it up this time !"

 

I line up and get clearance from the tower ( Yes its Coffs a CTAF® and our club has permission to operate in CTAF® )

 

Start the takeoff roll and bugger me if i don't start heading left ( funny how the aircraft handles differently with only one body in it) a little too much back pressure and the nose wheel released a little early. Wasn't happy so i did what i think was the sensible thing, pulled off the power applied brakes requested backtrack and lined up again.

 

I'm sure at this point the instructor was wondering what the hell i was doing.

 

However all my training says, if your not happy with something do something anout it.

 

So if its a takeoff that you don't like - Abort

 

If its a Landing you don't like go around.

 

Anyway

 

Line up again cleared for takeoff from tower and off we go again.

 

This time no dramas, nice neat takeoff.

 

up we go 300 ft fuel pump off retract flaps climb to 500 ft watch airspeed.

 

500 ft clear wings nice gentle turn to left continue climb

 

turnning down wind commence checks

 

approaching base reduce power , get to flap down speed

 

half flaps

 

reduce power commence descent

 

call tower Jabiru 5334 Base Full Stop

 

response from tower

 

Jabiru 5334 cleared to land.

 

give it some more flap watching speed and rate of descent

 

Turn on to final neatly at 500 ft

 

a bit of back trim and a nice neat 65 kts

 

lined up with centreline

 

nicely over the keys

 

commencing round out

 

Neat Touchdown, maintain back pressure, make sure rudder cetralized apply brakes.

 

pulled up straight down centreline.

 

congratualtions from the tower

 

Requested backtrack picked up the instructor

 

Not a bad end to a lesson.

 

Think i may have a beer.

 

orion:thumb_up::thumb_up::thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

Nice work Orion, like DF said show that "horse" who's boss! Also good to see you back out of things where appropriate.

 

Dave

 

 

[turboplanner]

Good decision making too.

 

 

[Thx1137]

Congratulations. :-) It must have been hard, it is a bit hard to imagine what it was like but I suspect there was some nervousness and relief in there somewhere!

 

Steven.

 

 

[Guest Orion]

Thanks everyone.

 

When the first incident happened i wasn't overly stressed out by it in fact i said at the time if there had been another aircraft available then and there i would have hoped straight in and gone round solo again.

 

Give me a couple of months between flying and time to play the incident over in my head over and over and i think i analyzed every second of that circuit.

 

Funny thing was this time round i had a "pucker moment' just as the aircraft left the ground for probably about 10 - 15 seconds I remember thinking @@@@@@%#$ "gee" what have i got myself into. Then as i climbed away i got contol of myself and settled down and focused on the job at hand.

 

Most disconcerting part of the flight is the change in balance of the aircraft without someone in the right hand seat.

 

I new it was going to be different, i had experienced it on the first solo and of course the other students training with me had discussed it so i was prepared.

 

Wasn't until i got back on the deck that i realized the 5 odd left circuits i had performed prior to the solo circuit had helpfully transfered fuel from the right to the left tank so not only had i got rid of the right ballast in the form of the instructor but i was also left wing heavy.

 

Its ok once you get off the deck and build up airspeed but a bit disconcerting in the transition period between ground and air or at least i found it so.

 

cheers

 

kent