A long solo tale
Rob Guglielmetti
Well, I thought I would not do this, but here I go. This is a tale of
perserverance, passion and fun. I always kind of thought it a bit
pretentious to drone on in this forum about one's aviation adventures, that
this was supposed to be a Q&A kind of place. But I have a different outlook
on things now. Today, March 7 1998, I flew an airplane with no one but
myself on board.
I soloed today.
I decided to write about my adventures here because I suspect there are
others out there that are going through the same type of deal I am, and I
just want to say it's already been worth it. This is long. Please forgive.
I'm still kind of jazzed about the whole thing. And I never use the
expression "jazzed", so now you know just how jazzed I am.
I began my flight training almost one year ago, March 23, 1997. I flew (rode
in, actually) a C-152 on a 30 minute "discovery flight" out of Teterboro
airport in New Jersey. I had spent many hours watching planes takeoff and
land there as a kid, and when I was at long last ready pursue this lifelong
dream, I wanted to do it there. Actually, I still did not really think I
could afford to begin flight training, but I was really curious. The school
had a special rate on first flights, and I wanted to experience a flight in
a small plane, just to see what it was like. They should give them away for
free.
I was hooked. It was better than I could have ever imagined. You all know
the feeling. The flight featured my hands on the controls for a takeoff in
very windy conditions, and a view of the town I grew up in from 1,500 feet.
As I said, I was hooked. Game over. Before we even got on the ground, I knew
I would be back up here, learning how to do this. I was going to be a pilot.
Someday.
My instructor was wonderful, but the school was not. My scheduled instructor
was not there, he was at home sleeping. Bad sign, I thought. I wondered, if
they can't get staffing schedules right, what else have they forgotten? It's
too bad, too. I really liked my instructor, and I wonder how my training
would have proceeded with her, had she not been at that airport and school.
She was an ATP who just happened to like teaching people how to fly. Later
in my training, I would discover just how refreshing that is.
A couple of weeks later I went on another flight at a school over at
Caldwell Airport, also in New Jersey. I wanted to see another school/airport
before comitting to this. Actually, some sound advice gleaned from this very
newsgroup steered me over to the place. My new instructor was on the
opposite side of the spectrum. Ex Air Force, strict, by-the-book kind of
guy. No problem, I thought. This is serious buisness. I spent the next 6
months learning stalls, steep turns and slow flight with my new flight
instructor, in our cramped little C-152. I never really felt comfortable
around him, but I figured that this is the way things are supposed to work.
Spring becomes Summer becomes Fall.
Page one of my logbook has seven entries, totaling 8.8 hours. And that
covers April to August. I began to get this feeling that I was never going
to solo, much less get my private. I'm going to go ahead and say right now,
to everyone who told me that infrequent lessons will impede my progress, you
were all right. You win. I was averaging 2 lessons a month, not because I
didn't want to fly more often but because I lacked the time/funds to do so.
I really think my instructor thought I was not applying myself to this
effort. Whatever he thought, it didn't matter anymore; just as I was
becoming comfortable in the plane from startup to shutdown, and as we were
begininng to really focus on landing technique, he announces that he's
leaving the school. I had spent enough time hanging around the FBO pilot's
lounge to know that I would only like the other instructors there less. Time
to go.
I decided if I was going to make a change, I was going to go whole hog. I
always wanted to fly a low wing plane, and my 6'2" 200lb (on a bad day)
frame was not a good fit in the 152. I also really liked the hustle-bustle
of Teterboro. I arranged a lesson in a Piper Warrior at another school at
Teterboro. I also decided it was time to "get serious" about this. I already
had every book I could get my hands on, but that just dosen't cut it. I
needed to step up the training schedule if I was to get anywhere. My new
instructor - my third in 11 flight hours - was a really nice guy. He was
also on the fast track to the airlines. I was definetly just a "task" on his
road to flying Gulfstreams around the globe. But I liked flying the Piper,
and I liked my new instructor. He told me my flying was "solid" and that
next time we would work on my takeoffs and landings.
On the drive home, I realized I just paid for a precious hour of flight time
and flight instruction, not to further my training, but to demonstrate what
I knew to this new instructor.
I would do this again.
The best flying weather we had in the area I enjoyed from the ground, as
September and most of October proved impossible months to get on the
schedule with my new instructor. Odd, since I was able to call on a Friday
and get my first lesson with him that Sunday. Since that time, he was always
booked; it got so I was scheduling 2 weekends in advance, and then
inevitably something would come up or weather would force a cancellation.
Finally, at the end of October, we gell. I'm on the schedule for Sunday, and
weather looks good. I'm preflighing the plane, and I discover a serious
problem with the right main tire. The plane is not safe to fly. It's Sunday,
8:00AM and there are no A&P's around to fix the problem. This could only
happen to me. I can't remember the last time I was even awake at 8:00AM on a
Sunday, much less showered, dressed and functioning. I wait 2 months to get
a lesson, the plane is no good, and guess who has no other planes available?
I drive home, mad, and getting madder. Now I won't even be able to go back
to sleep.
Change number four. I go back to Caldwell, new school. This school only has
one Warrior, so I'm now going to fly a C-172. I'm advised that with only one
Warrrior, scheduling can be troublesome. I know all about troublesome
schedules, so I agree. I'm on my 4th instructor, 3rd plane, 2nd airport
(again), and starting to question my thought processes.
My first flight with my new instructor goes well; another hour in the air,
demonstrating ability and learning a new plane. But it's OK, I think I have
a good combo here. I like the larger Cessna and my instructor is headed for
jets someday, but he clearly likes to teach people to fly, and loves to fly
himself. When we walked out to the ramp, he said "let's go fly". I liked him
immediately.
At this point, I'm getting pretty good at evaluating instructors.
My new instructor knows I have time logged, he's seen the logbook, and I
think he even knows how I feel. He tries to keep things interesting; we go
to other airports, do some VOR tracking and pilotage, and pretty soon I have
flown to many area airports. I can track a VOR radial, and he can say to me,
"take me to XYZ Airport" and I can do it. Hey this is getting fun...
Wait a minute. I haven't soloed yet! Now the "first solo" stories in the
internet newsgroups and magazines are taking on a new importance. I
particularly like the cute little "9 hrs dual, .5 PIC" signatures. Nice way
of letting me know that it only took you 9 *&!@#$ hours to do it! This
becomes VERY important to me, and my instructor knows it. We perfect
(relative term) my landings, and I get signed off for my... presolo
checkride. Another demo flight. Yep, this is a part 141 school. Someday,
I'll solo. I know I will.
Well, that was last week, and everything went OK. So today, I lucked out. I
was due for some. The overcast that was hovering over the area burned off
just in time for my flight. 3 t&g's with the instructor, and he hopped out.
Just like I had seen it in all my daydreams.
I call ground:
"Caldwell ground, Cessna 4909G, at the ramp, taxi runway 22, closed
traffic".
"Cessna 09G, the pattern is saturated, unable closed traffic. State your
intentions".
I sat there, with the biggest case of blank brain I'd ever encountered, and
stared at the sky. My intentions? My intention was to fly this this thing,
right now, whether there was one plane in the pattern or whether it looked
like Oshkosh in the summertime. I had flashes of that cold fall morning at
Teterboro, when I found the bad tire. I thought I was going to fly that
morning, and I watched "CBS Good Morning" instead. Can they really keep me
here, parked, this close to my first solo flight?
After an eternity, which was approximately 10 seconds in this particular
case, another controller got on the frequency:
"Cessna 09G, let me ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Is this your first solo?"
"Affirmative."
Affirmative? Honestly. The guy knows it's my first solo and I'm trying to
sound like a 747 captain.
I'm not sure what was happening, but I guess the controller made an
exception.
"Cessna 09G, taxi runway 22 intersection november"
At this point most pilots would read back the clearance, but I added a
"thank you". I meant it.
At the hold short line, I checked everything about 37 times as I waited for
a couple of aircraft to land. I may have even checked the nav radio a couple
of times.
"Cessna 09G cleared for takeoff".
Ooh. That's me...
What can I say. It was great. Worth everything I've done so far. I can't
wait to do it again. It's frustrating in a way; I feel I can tell a pretty
good story, but here I am, at what I thought was the point of this tome, and
I'm at a loss. Like I said before, the first time I flew a plane, I knew I
had to do this. Today, I did it. I flew a plane. Not me and my instructor,
ME. I made the thing go up, and I made it come down. And it was wonderful.
Flying is not hard. Finding the money and time to do it and do it well, is.
All I want to say is if you can do it, and you want to do it, do. It's worth
every penny. And don't let the time it takes get in the way or mess up your
head. As long as you're flying, that's good enough. I'm not any better a
pilot now than I was yesterday; the solo is just something you do. Dosen't
matter when.
If anyone is still reading, thanks for listening.
Robert L Bass
CONGRATULATIONS Rob!!!!!
This was one of the best solo stories I've read yet. Your perseverence
is commendable. Perhaps someone will take the trouble to snail mail a
copy to each of your FBOs, for the enjoyment of the most recent one
and to encourage the rest to improve.
I look forward to reading your solo x-c stories soon. And please do
make them just as detailed and full of encouragement as this one.
Having flown alone, you are now a PILOT!
Blue Skies,
Robert L Bass
THoeks1567
Congrats!! Glad you posted. Your persistence despite the obstacles in your
path is as valuable a lesson to be learned as"how the flare" or other
mechanical skills. Thanks for the inspiration.
Rick Potts
>Well, I thought I would not do this, but here I go. This is a tale of
>perserverance, passion and fun. I always kind of thought it a bit
>pretentious to drone on in this forum about one's aviation adventures, that
>this was supposed to be a Q&A kind of place. But I have a different outlook
>on things now. Today, March 7 1998, I flew an airplane with no one but
>myself on board.
>
>I soloed today.
<snip>
I've read every first solo story here (mine was along time ago, but I
really enjoy hearing the excitement and trepidation in each new one).
This one was the best.
>Flying is not hard. Finding the money and time to do it and do it well, is.
>All I want to say is if you can do it, and you want to do it, do. It's worth
>every penny. And don't let the time it takes get in the way or mess up your
>head. As long as you're flying, that's good enough. I'm not any better a
>pilot now than I was yesterday; the solo is just something you do. Dosen't
>matter when.
That neatly summarizes the collected wisdom of a lot of folks here,
I'll bet. Thanks for the story.
robert a barker
In article <6dukd0$3...@news1.panix.com>, rgugli...@fmrs.com says...
>
>
>If anyone is still reading, thanks for listening.
>
>
>
Rob:CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great story,I loved every minute.You
sure had to put up with a lot to get here but it just proves that if you
want something bad eneough you can usually win.With a mindset like yours
I know you will be a *good* pilot.
Best of luck
Bob Barker (student pilot)
Glenn W. Evans
Rob,
Your story mirrors most of ours at one point or another. The
important thing is that you stuck with it. Continue to stick
with it; your training will have its ups and downs (especially with el
ninos screwing up the weather) and in the end you'll be glad you did it.
Glenn Evans
PP-ASEL (1/98)
Peter Gottlieb
Rob Guglielmetti wrote in message <6dukd0$3...@news1.panix.com>...
>If anyone is still reading, thanks for listening.
If anyone is still reading?? How could we stop?
Congratulations!
Troy Whistman
Rob Guglielmetti <rgugli...@fmrs.com> wrote in article
<6dukd0$3...@news1.panix.com>...
> Well, I thought I would not do this, but here I go. This is a tale of
> perserverance, passion and fun. I always kind of thought it a bit
> pretentious to drone on in this forum about one's aviation adventures,
that
> this was supposed to be a Q&A kind of place. But I have a different
outlook
> on things now. Today, March 7 1998, I flew an airplane with no one but
> myself on board.
>
> I soloed today.
>
Wonderful story, thanks for sharing. And don't feel its pretentious to
share your experiences... we all love to read about flying!!
--
Troy Whistman
Student Pilot
Tacoma, WA (TIW)
ICQ 7463502
THoeks1567
Hattaway
Nice story, and I can relate. Not too long.
Time for a coffee delivery to the tower, though... maybe some
fresh-baked cookies, too.
NJ
gene...@ccp.com
> I soloed today.
Congratulations! What a story. You've earned the right to be proud of your
accomplishment.
> I wanted to experience a flight in
> a small plane, just to see what it was like. They should give them away for
> free.
This is where we come in. Once you get your ticket, you will be giving rides
that will make life-long impressions. I have been flying for 20 years. Over
the last year I have made contact with several old friends on the internet.
The first thing several of them mentioned was a flight they took with me, even
though I did not remember taking them up. At least one went on the get his
license.
Gene
http://www.ccp.com/~geneseib
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Steve Jones
Let me guess... You were the controller that cleared him? :-)
-SJ
Hattaway wrote in message <350531...@aol.com>...