DarkSarcasm

I was doing that too :big_grin: Stuff like "We're a bit too high here, let's go down a bit ok?" when I was too high on downwind

The current plan is to stay in circuits until I have 3 hours PIC circuit time up - so something like half a mission dual, half solo but I suppose it'll depend on weather and crosswinds and stuff Can't wait to go solo again though :big_grin:

Your turn will come! :) Probably quicker than mine did! Sometimes I feel like I should be kind of ashamed at how long it took... It seems like lots of people measure success in number of hours to solo and even thought I try not to, it feels like I should... :confused:

Absolutely nothing Yenn :big_grin: (just trying to pull Tomo's chain)

Guess there's not much else to do up there :stirring pot:

and the joy of dealing with CASA

If only I had an ASIC.... i_dunno

What is this, pick on Darky day?!!

Urgh, worst picture EVER thumb_down

...grinned :big_grin: so much his ears fell off...

...unfortunately there are only two seats, so you're going to have to draw straws to see who actually gets to sit inside... Darky momentarily departs the NES to crack up laughing at McLock's post

I got my post-solo picture :big_grin:

It's all good experience :) You never know, they might just be waiting for a good weather day to send you solo! eeeeeeee! :big_grin:

You'll be next Graeme! :big_grin:

Bec, what did you do?! And yes, still smiling! :big_grin: Suffering withdrawal symptoms now though, can't wait to have another crack at it by myself!

pahahahaha, that would be rather hilarious! :big_grin: I talked to myself on upwind, sang (tunelessly) on crosswind, talked to myself and laughed on downwind, talked to myself on base and final (seem to do that a lot don't I?) and laughed myself silly on landing

I think it took me longer because I'm so short! On Wednesday we added a third cushion (this one under me to make me taller) and on Saturday I go solo. Connection? Yes I think so! I'm not bothered though, it's all good experience - I've messed up so many landings I'm a pretty dab hand at fixing them! (so when I land on one wheel I apparantly laugh rather than scream) :big_grin:

Thanks Ian :big_grin:

Just out of curiosity (and apologies if you've mentioned this in your posts)....but have you actually done an aeros trial flight? I agree it looks like fantastic fun from down here but it probably feels a fair bit different up there (dealing with G-forces etc). I'm planning on getting an aeros endorsement when I eventually get my PPL so I understand the appeal. Just wondering if you should have a trial to see how you like it before actually buying a plane... :)

Thanks all! :big_grin: The pic isn't actually my first solo pic, still waiting to get that sent to me. Pic's from a few weeks ago with 5231 :) (soloed in 4964) I'm still trying to convince myself it happened! Even when I was flying it, it didn't seem real. Although I think that was partly because I knew what I was doing so it felt kinda...normal?...as well as being totally exciting (hopefully that makes sense!). I absolutely can't wait to get up there and do it again!

At around 11:15am today (16th Jan 2010), with 29.6 hours of flight time, I was let loose above YLIL by my instructor for my FIRST SOLO!! :big_grin: After a good session of circuits (if I do say so myself) - all unassisted landings - my instructor told me to do a full stop landing. I assumed it was just the end of the mission. I was taxiing back to the flight school when my instructor (oh so casually) said "drop me off and you can take it round by yourself". I was totally taken by surprise and made a noise that was a sort of a mixture of 'eep', 'argh' and 'oh '. I was given a heap of instructions about how it would fly better without him there and also may need a bit of right aileron to compensate for all the weight (me) being on one side. He told me to have fun, climbed out and I was left by myself. I slowly taxiied it to 36 and did all the usual checks. While I was doing the checks I had a sudden moment of "oh my god, what am I doing" but then I was like "well I trust J and he clearly thinks I can do it, so I can " I did the takeoff - I think I raised the nose slightly too early but once I got that under control it leapt off the ground - I was airborne by myself!! When I went to raise the flaps, I forgot to fully take into account the lack of weight in the RHS so tipped to the left a bit when changing to my left hand on the stick but got it under control pretty quickly. Turned onto crosswind, only to find myself start singing (badly). Got about one verse into 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' (good song to fly to I reckon) and had to stop to make my downwind call. During downwind it got a bit bumpy and I ended up at around 1500ft rather than 1250ft so I had to deal with that (no biggie). Base was fairly uneventful. My approach was pretty unstable, for most of final I was to the right of the centreline (oops). I managed to correct it but in hindsight I probably should've gone around. I think I came in slightly fast for my landing and ended up landing just on the right main wheel (or so it felt) - I told my instructor later that I nearly bent the plane (apparantly it didn't look too bad to him so it must've felt worse than it looked :thumb_up:) I controlled the landing though so it's all good. I have discovered, however, that when I'm about to crash I start laughing - interesting to know! :big_grin: Taxiied it back to the flight school (saw a bunch of people sitting outside who probably watched my interesting landing ) and shut down the plane. My instructor came out to see how I felt (told him I nearly bent the plane, teehee), had a photo with the plane, entered it into my logbook and have been smiling ever since! I still can't really believe I've done it, it felt a bit like a dream when I was up there and even now I can't believe it. I know I was sent solo at the right time though, at each point of that circuit I knew exactly what I had to do and felt totally calm about the whole thing. I am so completely, unbelievably stoked!

"Excellent time for a party then!" declared Darky cheerfully. "BBQ and drinkies on the top deck of the Subrolla lads?" If we're going to be told we're too noisy, we may as well make some noise to justify it :stirring pot:

I'd probably have more of a chance if I had an ASIC I guess, but not paying for an ASIC just for this

I'm going on a domestic commercial flight in a month or so and I was wondering if there was any chance I'd be able to visit the cockpit before/after the flight...opinions? Has anyone visited (or attempted to visit) the cockpit on a commercial flight since Sep 11? I'm guessing it's unlikely they'd let me, I don't have an ASIC or anything to try and prove I'm safe (I do have a RA-Aus licence, surely that must prove I'm trustworthy ;)) Do you reckon it's worth asking someone when I get there (say at check-in?) or just giving up the idea completely?