"SYH, congratulations on your first solo!"

One of an aviator's dreams is to fly; another is to fly solo.

I have finally accomplished both yesterday, 20 April 2009 at 1500 hours. Oh the joy and pressure released from my shoulders!

However in actual fact, I did not fly well yesterday in the solo check. I made so many mistakes, got reference points wrong, overturning and underturning, missed radio calls, the list goes on. It got to a point when he told me he is not going to send me solo and to head back. Thankfully that last circuit and landing was so swee that I am proud to have made it mine.

While preparing to taxi back, I apologized to him for cocking it up. He then told me, based on that last circuit, he will be sending me solo and I better make it as good as that circuit. I was shocked!

After dropping him off at the engine run-up bay, I taxiied out, made my radio calls (100% this time), no mistakes made during the circuit except that I went from flaps 0 to 20 in one action. There was a moonie in front of me and he made quite a wide circuit so apart from slowing down and watching him, there was nothing much different from other circuits.

Everything was superb till the landing.

There was a crosswind coming from the right; hence I cocked the aircraft nose to the right (we call it crabbing in). So during the flare, I applied opposite rudder, bringing the nose back to centre-line, cocked my right aileron to the wind from the right and continued holding off. A sudden gust of wind threw me off as my right wheel touched, it was dangerous! I quickly threw my controls to the opposite side and the the deflecting wind put me down on my other wheels. Phew! Sure made my heart jump!

"Sierra Yankee Hotel, congratulations on your first solo!", the friendly tower radioed as I was taxiing back to pick up my instructor.

"Thank you very much!", I went.

Nothing much eventful happened during the taxi back, except tower requested us to help find this Y X V who forgot to cancel his start-up approval.

"Get some beer, get drunk, get laid and keep that smile going", he grinned as he got off the aircraft.

My first solo - never will I forget this day.

****************************************************

Date: 20/04/2009
Name: Flyboy Johnny
Aircraft Registration: Victor Hotel - Sierra Yankee Hotel

Fuel: 190 litres
Endurance: 326 mins
Oil: 6.25 quarts
Hours remaining: 22.68 to phase 2
MR: Nil
Noted bald patches on port and starboard main wheels

Take off ground roll required: 1213ft or 370m
Take off distance required to 50ft: 2156ft or 657m

Landing ground roll required: 667ft or 203m
Landing distance required from 50ft: 1541ft or 470m

ATIS

Code: G
Rwy: 24
Wind: 270/10
X-wind: M8
VIS: 10km red smoke haze
Cloud: CAVOK
Temp: 27
QNH: 1011
Others: RVFR

METAR YPJT 200430Z AUTO 26006KT 9999 NDV // NCD 26/16 Q1012 RMK RF 00.0/000.0

TAF YPJT 200415Z 2006/2024 20010KT CAVOK FM201400 10008KT CAVOK RMK T 27 25 20 18 Q 1011 1011 1012 1011