After 12 hours of training and waiting on good enough weather i finally soloed. I dropped my instructor off at the tower (the tower controllers let instructors go up and nervously watch as their students progressively lower the field elevation) and taxied to the runway. My first takeoff was probably the most memorable. After getting about 200 - 300 feet in the air, the passenger door opens and starts flapping up against the fuselage. After my "oh $h!t" reaction, I reached over and slammed the door shut. After I nervously completed my first lap in the pattern with a decent landing I gained some confidence and completed the other two laps. I remember asking tower to ask my instructor if I could keep soloing in the pattern after I finished my required 3 landings. Unfortunately, my instructor told me to come back in. That was all nearly 5 years ago.

After loads of wx, bush, and mx delays this guy ^ (Multipilot) finally let me solo. We went out and did a few early morning crash and go's and He said lets go back in. I dropped him off at the tower and he told me do 3 laps and dont do anything to make me lose my certificate. LOL. At first when I taxiied out I was a bit nervous but after that I was happy and it was like nothing. Did my 3 laps like there was nothing to it. When I got back, I got the famous "solo bucket" full of water, (5 Gal) Poured all over me and had to rush to class.

Even worse!
 

We were each thrown into a rusty cow tank full of green, slimy water. (T-41 solo, Big Spring TX, 1971)

Nice!!!!!!

We need more people like you - a captain for a major airline that still has a good time...

like no other feeling! Plane flies alot better with out a cfi:D

this person won't soon forget her first solo....

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1024882

Was flying out of Laporte, TX (Houston) when my instructor looked over at me and said want to do it solo. We taxied back to the runup area and he got out and said do 3 touch and goes and come back here and pick me up. Took off and downwind all I could do is smile and look into the right hand seat with nobody there. Did 3, went back to the run-up area where my instructor was smoking a cigar. Picked him up, flew back to Hobby and after landing he cut the big hole in my shirt. Driving home that day with a hole in my shirt all I could think of was WOW.

I have always felt a little gyped. No one ever cut off my shirt. But I make sure that I do it to all of my students.

I got ripped off too. My instructor cut my shirt and hung it up in his office. Later on during the year the flight department was assigned to another building closer to the flight line and during the move they trashed of all the stuff hanging on the wall, including solo shirts. So I never got to keep mine.