CE013A - My first solo!!
- Connor Raven
- Dec 8, 2017
- 3 min read
Well, flying in the baking 27° degree heat this week has been quite uncomfortable, although still very enjoyable!
The week started on Tuesday with my second hour in the circuit practicing taking off, touch & goes, landings and general circuit procedures at the rather busy airport that is Hamilton. A further hour in the circuit followed on Wednesday morning covering the same as previously mentioned plus glide and flapless approaches, EFATOs (Engine failure after takeoff) and general emergency theory. I was then back at the controls on Wednesday evening, although this later session saw us fly out to Te Kowhai to complete a few landings before returning back to Hamilton. The views were amazing as expected, however, the low evening sun made the touch & goes and landing even more challenging with the glare directly down the runway and straight into my eyes!
The last few days have been very tiring indeed. Hamilton, being such a busy airport in comparison to what I'm used to really does drain your energy. There's lots to concentrate on and do with regards to flying the aircraft itself while also not forgetting to keep tabs on ATC and keep your eyes outside on the hunt for other traffic in the circuit, such as the odd Air New Zealand commercial flight that makes the whole occasion alittle more... Interesting shall we say!
The last 11 lessons and my CA Check 1 (CE012A) this afternoon ultimately led up to one very key milestone in any pilots career... Their first solo! I'm very fortunate to already have some flying experience meaning I have already had my 'first ever' solo, however I was still alittle nervous, although I was mostly excited and rearing to go!
(CE012A - Core phase of the easyJet MPL lesson 12 is the first of my competency checks. I will be continually checked at key milestones all throughout my training which will lead me to the right hand seat of an easyJet airbus this time next year).
After successfully passing my first competency check it was time for that memorable flight, the first solo... but first let's rewind a couple of years. It was the 28th August 2014, I was aged 16 and it was on this lovely summers day that I flew an aeroplane completely on my own for the first time. I can still remember to this day finishing the lesson in the circuit slightly earlier than normal and wondering why before being told by my instructor that he was going to jump out and I was going to go up and complete a circuit on my own. I was surprised, excited, nervous... a whole mixture of emotions!
I can quite clearly remember my leg starting to shake with the nerves as I taxied down to the end of the runway ready to take off again. But then... I can't remember much else until I landed as once I'd taxied onto the runway I had became so focused on what I was doing that to do this day I can't recall the feelings I had on that milestone flight. The next memory I have is climbing out the aircraft and walking back to the clubhouse with my instructor there ready to congratulate me and present me with a certificate. I had a massive smile on my face; It was an amazing day and one I will never forget!
You can watch the onboard recording of my first ever solo by using the link below:
And now finally to my first New Zealand solo... and I have to say again it went very quickly! Having completed and passed my first competency check, we taxied off the runway before my instructor and coursemate climbed out and left me to it. After being given clearance to line up and soon after that take off, I was airborne! After what seemed like an instant I was already cleared to land on the northerly facing runway at Hamilton and after a little bit of a float I was down and my first solo in the southern hemisphere was complete. A "congratulations" from ATC whilst taxing off the runway was a nice touch!
So there we have it, the first big milestone on my road to flying an orange airbus done and dusted. The next few lessons will involve a dual circuits lesson to consolidate everything, before two solo circuit lessons and then soon after that it'll be time for my favourite part of flying, Navigation.
Until next time. 🛫
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