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First Crash Solo
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Now that I got your attention I would like to take a few minutes and tell you about my first, somewhat successful, solo.
A little background first, I am a forty year old executive who joined the Air Force fifteen years ago with the dream of flying military aircraft. All was going well until I tanked my flight physical because of a slight hearing loss.
So fifteen years later I was again making noises about my dream to fly and my wife finally relented and gave me her blessing and lots of books on fundamentals of flight for a Christmas gift. I soon found myself at a local flight school (after talking to several of the areas seasoned pilots) and began my training. All throughout my life I have never done anything in moderation, so after having about six hours of total flight time I had taken and passed the FAA written flight test and received my third class medical.
Flying was a most wondrous thing for me. I felt so confident taking off, flying on heading, doing stalls, engine outs, steep turns, etc.. Only when it was time to put the damn thing back on the ground did my confidence evaporate. I had been flying the pattern for a good ten to twelve hours, sometimes doing good landings, some times not so good (misalignment, too high of speed, bouncing, floating, you get the picture). Shortly after starting my pattern work I switched instructors as my old one had just purchased another flight school and was working on developing that. The new CFI was a terrific guy with a military background that we shared and just very mellow and cool.
One Saturday the CFI decided I had to be bored out of my mind just doing touch and goes so he decided to mix it up a little. We flow forty miles to the north to a class Charlie airport and did touch and goes with the big boys. Again, no problem with the radio work, my pattern altitude did not vary more than fifty feet, pattern speed and RPM's were dead on. I did much better that day (I had been making minute improvements with every lesson) and flew home and did a few T & G's at the home field before calling it a day.
On Sunday we again flew in the pattern and then the CFI took me out for some stall work and told me that I was ready to solo. We landed the airplane, went inside where he gave me the written solo test, signed off my log book, and walked me out to the airplane. I have to tell you that I was a little nervous as I taxied out, and then I saw that both of my CFI's were out on the runway to watch, no pressure. I went through my run up and taxied out to the runway where I did a pretty good take off. The first thing I noticed was that the P-Forces were a lot stronger without my 230LB instructor sitting in the right hand seat. I settled down, went through my check lists, and flew the pattern as I had dozens and dozens of time. As I was on final the CFI called on the radio "Call the ball Maverick" to which I smartly replied "Maverick has the ball". My first landing bounced a little but was down safely and lined up properly. The CFI radioed me and told me that the landing only counted as one. I taxied back for my second attempt and made a good takeoff. I flew the pattern better this time and was right on glide slope as I turned from base to final. I started to level off and was waiting to bleed some airspeed off when I noticed the nose was slightly right of center line. I kicked in some left rudder just as I set down. With the Piper Cherokee the rudder controls the nose wheel so it was pointing to the left as I hit. I forgot to keep the back pressure up on the yoke and the oscillations started. I was swerving left and right down the runway trying everything I knew to control the airplane. Standing on the rudders, adding power, swearing at the top of my lungs, but nothing helped. I finally started a right hand skid and went of the side of the runway. When the nose wheel hit the soft dirt off the runway it collapsed and the prop hit the ground killing the engine and jolting the hell out of me. I turned off the fuel, turned off the master switch and quickly excited the airplane. One of the CFI's was running for his office to get the plane towed off so another airplane would not run into it. The other CFI was running to me to make sure I was okay. The airplane was crippled and I had compound fracture of the ego but other than that was fine.
You would think the story ended there but it does not. What follows is one of the coolest things about flying, the people involved, friends and family.
The first thing is that the CFI's were apologetic and more concerned about me than there airplane. Here I am, forty years old, I have impacted the way these men make a living and they are apologizing to me. I went home to tell my wife what had happened (she did not want me to fly to begin with) and was amazed at her attitude. Get your butt back out there, quitting does not set a good example for our son! I crash an airplane and she is basically telling me it is alright, you screwed up, get back on that horse. I went back to the airport and was greeted by the CFI's. The owner of the flying school apologized, yet again, gave me a hug and told me "hey, shit happens". I filled out a written statement of what happened and hung out with those two great guys as they called the FAA to report the mishap.
A few days later I was contacted by the insurance company and told him my story. He said that these things happen all the time and then he told me the story of his first solo and how he removed three surplus landing lights from the runway.
The next day I was back out at the airport meeting with the FAA officials. Two of the nicest men I have ever met. I told them what happened, one of them asked what I could of done differently, which I explained. He then told me if you were going to crash a plane this is the time to do it, on your first solo (dosen't count too strongly against the rest of your flying career). The mishap was classified as incident with minor damage. Friends of mine from the flying community rallied around me and encouraged me to get back into it. I fully intend to fly again. I am waiting for the plane to be repaired as I would feel bad taking another students slot in the one flyable airplane left at the school.
Scared the hell out of me but what a great lesson I learned and how my heart has been warmed by the caring individuals that are out in this great world. The evening news shows nothing but bloodshed and tragedy and we sometimes forget that there are some people in this world with sterling personalities and hearts of gold.
Happy landings. |
Joseph Wright
Wright@iGo.com
Director, IT Development
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