How was your first solo?

Question

I'm 17 flight hours, just did my first solo and feel very disappointed. I did three take offs and landings. The first two were "full stop taxi back" then full stop for the third of course. My first landing was great, on the glide speed, on the glide slope, nice smooth flare and soft no bounce touch down. The last two were not pretty. Glide were good but I bounced twice on touch down. I tried to exit via the nearest taxi way so I applied brakes. The aircraft skied and I thought it was going to flip. I barely got in to the taxi way and almost plow in to the grass beside. The third one was okay, but I bounced three times on touch down. Its really annoying. I felt like I made my instructor look bad since he was watching me along with other instructors and other pilots.. They were laughing their a** off when I taxied back to the ramp and called me "Captain Skid Bounce" or something like that. Its really frustrating, specially that my goal is one day earn ATP. I'm not being a cry baby here, just extremely disappointed.

Thanks for reading this!

Answer 1

Don't let a simple bounce or skid ruin your confidence



You will always do these sorts of things right throughout your flying career.



One of your main responsibilities as a student pilot is to LEARN from all of your mistakes, the only way your going to learn how to fly is to make these mistakes.



What matters is what you do to make corrections? did you just let the aircraft bounce? or did you let the aircraft bounce you? Did you make all necessary corrections to fix it? go-around etc??



Same with the skid as soon as you noticed the aircraft skidding, did you ease off the brakes or just let it skid?



Bear in mind no matter how many hours you have your always going to make mistakes and continue to learn how to fly... The day you stop learning how to fly is the day you stop flying.

Answer 2

My first solo was at Halfpenny Green an old RAF airfield near Wolverhampton, England, now used almost exclusively for flying training, but expanding. I did three circuits with the instructor then he told me to land, full stop. I didn't know why. Then he used to the radio to tell the tower that this was a first solo (gulp) and got out of the plane (PA 28 G -BPBM) and said, "See you back at the ranch" and walked away. I sat there for a minute and thought , if I don't do it now I never will. First I checked the door he had just used - I had of course never closed it from the inside so didn't know the handle position. Anyway, I moved the handle to the other position. Then I did all the usual stuff, taxied to the edge of the runway (did freedom of movement and mag checks and got permission to take off, taxied out onto the centre line and opened the throttle full. At about 50kts the door opened!! It was strange that only a week before I had read that it will fly ok with the door open though a bit noisy and drafty. So I continued and climbed out and at 300 feet checked instruments and banked left. Climbed to 1000ft on crosswind, levelled out and banked downwind. Then I did the BUMFITCH and part of that was to try to close the door (try it sometime). Anyway I abandoned it, told ATC I was to land (2 ahead) turned onto base, flaps, look at runway and landed perfectly (all in a dream of course). Elated I taxied to the end of the runway and parked the plane. When I did the post flight checks i found I had done the whole circuit on the right magneto only. I shut down and climbed out and a complete stranger came over all smiles and shaking me by the hand said "Congratulations" (it was his first day...) then I went into the flying school and saw a notice with my name on (First solos this week). My instructor shook my hand and gave me a certificate in an envelope. On the outside he had addressed it to Mike (right magneto) Smitten. I didn't mention the door. You always remember your first solo so I am sorry you are disappointed. At my flying school you are only allowed one circuit, then you have to go home - no more flying that day - too high on adrenalin. I was aged 52.

Answer 3

My first solo was uneventful. Don't remember too much of it. The instructor got out and said go land 3 times. He didn't get all crazy excited rite of passage on me. Which kinda sucked. Looking back it was an important flight but he didn't seem to care a ton.



Anyways it happens. Bad flights here bad landings there. You just happened to do it on your solo flight. Trust me you will have better landings and worse landings.



My last instructor (while taking ifr lessons) signed a guy to fly solo. He done gone and flipped 733TM, a older 172, over on the runway while taking off. Aircraft was totaled. He had to field a bunch of questions from the FAA afterwards and luckly didn't get into any trouble for his student. At least you didn't do that. Lol

Answer 4

My first glider solo was easier than i expected. It was raining lightly but there was plenty of visibility. It was, and probably will be my best flight ever. The tow was perfect, i entered the pattern at the perfect altitude/speed, made smooth turns, and purposely used half the runway to make sure my first solo landing was a greaser. Kissed her on the ground and could barely feel like i stopped flying. but i can tell you this, i will NEVER have a flight good as that again. As an example, on my second solo i nearly touched my wing on the ground during the takeoff roll and started to reach for the cable release until i corrected it (crosswinds were prevalent at the airfield and i failed to compensate). One of my future flights after that i nearly had to land in corn because there was a glider and towplane on the runway. They got off but i was laughing at myself when i was pulling the dive breaks back on final.



You always learn from your mistakes. when you are a solo pilot you are still a student and will learn as such. if you have questions or are unsure it is still okay to fly with an instructor. Expect to make mistakes but make sure you correct them on future flights.

Answer 5

First relax, the visualize a good landing, and keep trying. I had always dreamed of flying so on my first solo I did fairly well, though of course got better with time. Visualize yourself doing smooth good landings, proper patterns, etc. Keep at it and you'll do just fine!

Answer 6

Not a pilot but from what I hear first solos are always full of mistakes

It's natural

I say to myself when I do my first solo I won't do any mistakes but I'll probably do many as well

As long as you don't damage the aircraft it's fine

Answer 7

not a problem I trained for it knew what I as doing and it was the second scariest landing I've ever made (first being in a really bad cross wind) every time I made a call on the radio I always added crash and burn to myself.



Your first solo landing is usually at best crappy but with practice you get better don't sweat it.

Answer 8

And my only ground loop, thirty years ago, was in front of 35 of my peers at the hangar where I worked. When the Battle of Britian veteran walked out with a roll of toilet paper for me, I knew I had arrived.



Don't sweat it, you'll get better.

Answer 9

It happens. The single worst landing I ever made was on my private check ride!

Answer 10

Was at my home Airport, during Rush Hour- That was Fun