Zwestwood

Back and alive. Everyone was spot on. Training took over and it was a thrill and a big confidence boost. P.s. dry time, according to my cfi, is sitting the plane/chair with a mockup of the plane going through the maneuvers without actually flying.

AZFlyer

I think most people call that 'chair flying'.

Congrats on the solo. I wish I could remember mine. It was only a few years ago but for some reason it just didn't burn into the memory very well.

If you're like me, the moment when your examiner tells you that you're a pilot will be way more exciting. Keep at it!

KC135guy

Couple things I was nervous about with my first solo, my instructor told me to let the tower know I was a student doing my first solo and they would give me more room in the pattern and work with me. Was more worried that they would mess with me. Was very wrong. Also, when I taxied out for takeoff, I was worried that I would forget to do something and freeze up. When I took off I was shocked to feel the plane climbing much faster with only ME in the plane. I looked over to the right to tell my cfi about the performance of the plane and he wasn't there. That's when it really hit me that I was really doing it.

USMCFLYR

I think the solo is just the **first** exciting moment of an aviation experience. I guess each new experience could be regarded against the last and ranked, but until the end of the experiences and reviewed I doubt I'd be able to say which was the MOST rewarding experience.

I don't remember my solo in nearly as much detail as I would like too; but I remember it enough to be able to share it with other who not around when it happened. There are other moments though which I feel I will remember EVERY DETAIL of the experience and there were plenty of people with whom I can share that experience with and would understand every emotion.

KC135guy relates remembering the performance difference. Far to detailed for my memory. I doubt I even noticed it (though my CFI was a very small female ). I do remember her voice in the back of my hed though talking to me as I went around the pattern. It all made sense why she talked to me all the time while instructing and at the time I wondered if I was making so many mistakes that she felt that she had to constantly correct me.

Congratulations Zwestwood and welcome to the club.

SMACFUM

Hell yah man, Congrats!!!!
P.S. Dry Time = Chair Flying = Self Practice = Free Training
Good Job, where are you training?

Yoda2

I remember being apprehensive about my first solo. Luckily I saw a girl do it about three days prior to mine, so I figured it couldn't be that difficult.

Vslo

Congrats on your solo!

PotatoChip

I remember mine was in the late afternoon summer sun over 10 years ago. Since then that has always been my favorite time to fly. (I also took off with landing flaps on one of the patterns and cursed myself, hah).

ForeverFO

Mine was in a Schweizer 2-22 glider when I was 14 years old. What a rush.

As far as "girls first"... when I was parachuting at the Ft. Rucker skydive club, we had half a dozen on their first jump, 2 of them girls. This was done out of a Huey helicopter. The jumpmaster sent the girls out first so the big tough men would have no excuse!

N9373M

Don't remember much about the flight, but I do remember my CFI. One for advice - if you get nervous, just fly around a bit until you're ready, and a go-around is not a bad thing. Two, watching him urinate at the end of the runway as I turned base.