Why not make every flight really count?
As a student pilot cleared for solo, you are on the verge of joining the fraternity of pilots. That's a big deal, so now's the time to start thinking like a pilot.
The Big Day
What a great day! Your first real solo - not a supervised solo, with your instructor looking on from the ground. You're on your own. Nobody else in the airplane. Nobody even watching you while you preflight. The flight planning is all yours. Nobody is giving you instructions. What you do, within the limitations your CFI has entered in your logbook, is up to you.
You've earned this shot. Your talent and performance got you here. Make the most of it.
Have you decided what to do on your first honest-to-goodness solo flight?
An important objective on this first solo - and all that follow, of course - should be to enjoy the freedom of "being there," but you also can improve your proficiency in the process.
Realistically, all that remains in your flight training are a few cross-country flights; some intensive review on the basic skills that you need to satisfy practical test standards (PTS) requirements; three hours of night time and 10 night landings; more solo and solo cross-country time; and a little more confidence and judgment-honing. It sounds like a lot, but with efficient planning and determination, it's easily done.
From then on, you just need to concentrate on polishing up your flying and thinking skills, achieving the consistency that comes with experience; improving your knowledge; and packaging it up with the judgment required to be a safe pilot. You've almost got it made.
The challenge that you face on your first solo, however, is the same one that you'll face for the rest of your flying career: how to use your time both enjoyably and profitably.
Whether you own or rent, always keep in mind that you are "buying" the airplane - every minute of it. The money you are spending is your own. You worked hard for it. So you want to make every flight count. Here are some points to help you make your first - and every - solo flight do just that.
Planning For Your Big Day
Until now, your instructor has called most of the shots. Now it's your turn. Start by figuring out the most productive and economical use of your flying time. Once you've decided what you need to do on the flight, write down a lesson plan to help you stay on track.
Ask yourself, "What do I most need to work on?"
If you're the least bit uncertain about any of the basics that you've been taught so far, don't be. Study the book to ensure that you know how to do what you were supposed to be able to do before you first soloed. If the basic mechanics and procedures are not in your head before takeoff, they won't be in your hands during the flight. If your plan is to practice ground-reference maneuvers, for instance, make sure you know how the book says you're supposed to do them.
By now, you should be developing a sense of what you do well, what you understand - and what you don't. You also know what you don't do as well as you'd like, and what makes you uncomfortable. Try to figure out why. Sort it all out on the ground ahead of time. If any of the concepts, procedures, or requirements are fuzzy, review them before you spend money trying to do them in the airplane. That way, you'll be able to devote expensive in-flight time to actual practice, not trying to remember basic procedures. Those you can learn on the ground - for nothing!
Don't just take off and fly around aimlessly until it's time to return to the field. Uncertainty and lack of a definite plan are two factors that will cause that to happen every time.
During solo, your job is to practice so that you get good enough to fly right on your practical test - within the standards required by the PTS. If you're not sure what standards you're shooting for, get out the PTS, look them up for the maneuvers that you are going to practice, and write them down.
Sketch everything out on paper - what you plan to do, how much time you will devote to various maneuvers and phases of flight, what standards you're shooting for, etc.
But time out! Before we go on, here's a word to the really wise. Even though your instructor has signed you off for your first "real" solo, don't be afraid to tell him or her if you don't feel ready. You're the customer. If you are uncertain or uneasy about any procedure, fly with your CFI again to iron out the rough spots. That's just good judgment. Most instructors will admire the professionalism that you display by identifying areas where you think need more work before you solo. And you will want to clarify with your CFI whether there are any maneuvers - stall recovery, for example - that he or she would prefer you not perform by yourself at this point in your training. Your instructor may prefer that you have more dual instruction before attempting these procedures on your own.
Decide what your objectives are, which maneuvers you want to practice, and how much time you'll specifically allocate to each on the flight. Account for the time that it will take you to get out to the practice area and back to the field when you're finished.
Hobbs time includes the time you spend on the ground, too, so minimize it while doing a thorough job of checking out your airplane. It just takes a little planning. During dual instruction, your instructor used a lesson plan - either formal or informal - to guide what you did in flight. Do the same now.
If the day promises to be relatively turbulent (within allowable limits, of course), don't spend your time trying to practice maneuvers that require "feel," or precise handling (like slow flight or stalls). The touch just won't be there. Concentrate on something else.
On the other hand, if the surface winds are forecast to be up a little bit, don't miss the golden opportunity to practice ground-reference maneuvers. Surface winds can provide some great learning if you pay attention to what they're doing to your ground track, and concentrate on how to best handle them before and during your maneuvers.
Look for crosswinds in which to practice landings, assuming your solo limitations permit. Practice will make perfect. Think about specific types of landings and potential landing sites ahead of time. Also ask yourself reasonable "what if" questions about the variables you could encounter during the flight. Think about how you will handle them if they occur.
I once taught a student at an airfield in tightly controlled Class B airspace. Arriving from outside prescribed a specific entry procedure over a specific point (preauthorized by written agreement with the FAA). On the day of his "real" solo, low and behold, a gigantic thunderstorm appeared unexpectedly and blocked the entry point. If something similar suddenly happened to you, what would you do? What's your plan? Do you have one? He did.
What happens if the winds suddenly increase during your flight - as happened to another student and me on our most recent dual flight? The crosswind components for all runways within 30 miles suddenly went out of limits for our aircraft, and it was totally unforecast. But no problem - we had a plan.
If that were to happen to you, do you have a back-up plan? Make sure you always carry a wind component chart so you can compute crosswinds. It's also a good idea to know where you're going to go - ahead of time - if something like that happens.
Making It Happen
If you really want to improve proficiency while you save money, develop a thoughtful, purposeful, objectives-oriented 1-2-3 plan of action every time before you fly. Allow adequate driving time to the airport as well as time for flight planning and to obtain weather, notices to airmen (notams), and other information that you'll need.
Particularly in these days of frequent "pop up" temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), take nothing for granted. Specifically ask your flight service station briefer if there are any TFRs affecting your route of flight during the time in which you intend to fly. Check them out every time before you fly, especially on solo cross-country flights and at every en-route stop when you're updating weather and notams.
Before you take that first solo flight - and every time thereafter - get a good status check on the airplane. Do a good preflight and good in-aircraft systems checks. If something doesn't check out, park it and request another airplane, or try another day. Never take an airplane unless you're completely satisfied with its airworthiness.
Pay special attention to your radio calls. Make them as professional as you can. Demand high standards of performance for yourself - and you'll achieve them.
Focus, but make it a point not to rush. Once again, plan for the time it will take you to fly to and from the practice area. Then add whatever time you plan to spend doing high work, low work, and pattern work. Anticipate airspace and traffic delays; fly a good final pattern and landing. Account for postflight and buttoning down the airplane, too. They all take time, much of which you pay for. Be purposeful and efficient. Do the paperwork and be considerate of the next pilot on the schedule.
Here's one other important point. Don't forget to give yourself a thorough critique after the flight is over. After all, you are your own instructor for this flight. What you shell out should pay for a good critique and a definite assignment to prepare for your next solo lesson - or you aren't really getting your money's worth.
In your role as the instructor on your solo flight, think about what you would say to your "student." After the flight, try to recall what went well, and what didn't quite measure up to the standards you had in mind. Think about reasons why.
As your own student, make mental notes to get back into the books and brush up on any areas that seemed uncertain to you or in which you didn't perform well. Put those items on your checklist and incorporate them into the planning for your next solo flight. Ask your CFI for help if you can't determine why you had difficulty with a maneuver.
Making the most of your flying time - particularly solo time - doesn't have to be time-consuming, but it does take purposeful forethought.
Getting The Most For Your Money
Let's recap the process with a specific six-point plan to make your solo flying count.
- What do you want to get out of the flight? Write down your purpose and objectives.
- List exactly which maneuvers and events you will include on the flight.
- Make a definite plan to accomplish all of your stated maneuvers and objectives in the time you have allotted. Develop alternatives to salvage the flight if conditions change. Write down your plan and assign times to various phases of flight and maneuvers. If your scheme isn't workable, you'll quickly find out when you put it on paper. Refer to this lesson plan while you fly.
- Get a good preflight briefing (weather, notams, TFRs, etc.) and adjust your plan before takeoff, if circumstances dictate.
- Fly what you have planned according to your timeline. Don't mill around between maneuvers or phases. Clear yourself well and keep it moving! Finish one maneuver, make sure to get properly set up before you perform the next, and make results happen.
- Critique yourself after every solo flight and use your analysis to plan the next one.
Following a simple plan of action like this is the only way to ensure satisfying, productive, and fun solos. The feeling of accomplishment you will experience after landing will more than pay for the effort.
Wally Miller is president of an aviation training, consulting, and marketing firm in Monument, Colorado. He is a Gold Seal CFI who has been instructing for more than 30 years and flying for more than 40.
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