Top Three Moments in a Pilot’s Life
Each flight is an event, but some are more memorable than others, and are never forgotten. Some are common to all pilots, some are more personal. The ranking probably also varies amongst pilots, for me it’s as follow…
Number 3: the PPL examination flight
This is the very first in-flight exam, hopefully the first of a long series… Even if one gets there only with the blessing of a trustful instructor, the possibility to fail exists. For student pilots which have been trained by a single instructor, it’s also the first flight with someone else in the right-hand seat.
My personal exam took place on a day with less than optimal weather conditions, but it went fine. I commented all what I was doing, and the examiner was silent. I made what I had to do, and managed the usual “emergencies”. I executed the imposed maneuvers as in preparation flight, and the landings were acceptable.
The presence of the examiner – which is also an instructor – somehow diminish the stress. A pilot mistake would result in a failed exam, but no one would get hurt…
Number 2: the first solo flight
This is certainly something each pilot do remember. At some point during training, the instructor decides to jump off the plane (usually while on ground), and the student has to fly one or several circuits on his own. The presence of the instructor on ground is somehow re-assuring, in the sense that he think it’s time, and that weather is ok…
But anyway the first circuit flown alone on board is stressful, exciting, and memorable. Where I trained, the circuit is relatively long (usually 7 minutes with the basic trainer plane I used to fly), and I spent time in downwind singing the checklists. I know some other who scream, or remain silent… I’ve heard a lot of different reactions.
I was not particularly stressed, while in-flight, because I was concentrated so much… The emotion hit me when I opened the canopy to get out of the plane…
Number 1: the first flight after the exam
Many pilots would say that the first solo is the most impressive moment. For me however, the first flight after I got my license was much more stressful and emotional. This is probably because I was fully in charge for the first time. There was no examiner, no instructor by the runway, no one to validate the go / no-go decision. Only me… and my beloved one !
Having my wife on board also certainly contributed to make this flight a very special one. I spent one and a half year to complete my PPL, taking lessons beside my job. After that, the big moment come to take my wife for her first flight in a light aircraft. She was probably as stressed as I was, but she reacted well, and enjoyed it.
Flying completely on my own for the first time, with my wife on board was a great feeling. It was a short leg, to see if she liked it or not, and the leg back was a bit longer, because she liked it. This flight was definitely the most memorable of the three, and after the second landing I had a feeling of great achievement which was really satisfactory.
Now that I shared my top three moments, I’d be happy to know more about yours in comments.
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
Julien
First solo, definitely one of my top three moments so far… The instructor jumped out just after I cleared the runway, told me I was going to do one circuit on my own, made a radio call to let everyone know this was “the student’s first solo” and off I went. I remember having trouble keeping the nose wheel on the yellow line, probably because of my shaky legs
Everything else was fine, the 152 was climbing way better without the 200-pound instructor in the right-hand seat.
Second best moment so far was my first flight with a passenger, after I finished the GFPT, which in Australia allows a student pilot to take passengers to the training area and back. This was a colleague of mine, his first time in a light aircraft, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The responsibility of being PIC with a passenger on board changes a lot of things, I think I was a lot more cautious than on my own, checking everything twice, making lots of radio calls for arranging separation, keeping my eyes out of the cockpit most of the time, etc.
Best moment so far was my first solo nav exercise. Everything went just fine, I found the remote airstrip where I was supposed to land, landed there, had lunch, chatted with local pilots, went back, all without a glitch. Very very satisfying experience. I couldn’t stop smiling to myself while cruising at 6500ft on my own away from the home base.
Hopefully I’ll manage to bump one of these three ‘best moments so far’ off the list in a couple of month when I take my PPL checkride. In which way it will become a memorable moment still remains to be seen
Apr 16th, 2008
Mark
True, although it might be more appropriate to name the entry “Top three positive moments …”
The other kind deserves mention, assuming you survive them. I won’t name three, but one would be realizing that you’re in a situation that will rapidly take you beyond your training. That’s what made me quit flying, not from fear but from knowing I didn’t have the time or money to train to that level.
Apr 16th, 2008
PlasticPilot
@Julien: thank you for sharing your top three. Glad to know your first solo went fine, not as one I related a couple of months earlier (http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2007/08/07/the-day-i-scared-a-solo-student-pilot/). Let me know when you’ll get your PPL, and enjoy flying down-under.
@Mark: correct, top three positive moments. I admire your capacity to decide stop flying. As you might know, I’m in a temporary stop after our family move to Germany. I do plan the re-start of my flying carefully, with a focus on being sufficiently trained. Not only fun flying, but good recurrent training. I hope you’ll be able to do so someday…
Apr 16th, 2008
Jess Sightler
Nice post… I have a hard time limiting it to three.
For me, there were several:
1. The first time flying (disco flight). I’ve always been a bit afraid of heights, and really didn’t know how things would go. I was a bit stressed taxiing out to the runway, and then the instructor had me add power for takeoff, the wheels lifted, and I didn’t worry about that any more.
2. First first solo – At the same place, I soloed in a 172. Unfortunately due to job changes and moves I had to get out of flying for about 5 years and never flew after that.
3. Second “first” solo – It took a bit longer to get to solo this time, but those three trips around the pattern in the Alarus were quite memorable.
4. First flight after checkride – Like you, I took my wife for her first small airplane ride. It was a great feeling taking a non-DPE passenger for the first time, and even more so with it being my wife.
5. First x-ctry with my wife – Going to visit my parents and taking dad for a quick trip over his house was very nice.
Even leaving it at 5 leaves off some pretty memorable moments, IMO.
Apr 17th, 2008
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