Somerton Airport, Yuma Nov 3rd 2007. Today was that day - the first big milestone in getting my private pilot license.
My friend and mentor Dan was there to cheer me on for my first solo and recorded my first ever solo landing. Several other guys from the airport gathered to watch and witness my historic event! :) I didn't realize I had such an audience until I was released from my instructor's care and taxi'd out to the runway and saw a small clan gathered. So I'm thinking "Uh oh, I'd better not f*** this up!"
Was I confident? HECK no! I've done SO many take-offs and landings with my instructor but when you're solo you don't have that "safety net"... someone there to tell you to straighten out, too low, too high, too fast, too slow, pull up, more right rudder... etc. Now I was on my own. As anyone with any experience in such knows its not the take off that is any difficulty. Its the landing. But I nailed the first one. Beautifully. Then I did two more and they were both okay, little bouncy on the third but still not so bad. What a rush!!!
