Name: Justin Jug
Age: 16
Event: First solo
Where: Sullivan County International Airport (MSV), Monticello, New York
Airplane: Piper Warrior
I was very determined on soloing by my sixteenth birthday, and to actually be able to solo on my sixteenth birthday was amazing! The weather was perfect—a beautiful sunny day with no winds. On that Saturday, my instructor, Stuart Douglas Hirsch; my mom; and I flew to Sullivan County where I would solo for the first time. I felt great and very confident. No problem when my mom left the airplane and I did one more go around with my instructor. However, when Stu signed my logbook and exited the airplane, I knew it was for real. I would be flying alone, by myself. The feeling is hard to describe—nervous, but confident. I told myself I could take off, fly the pattern, and land all by myself. Yes, I had done it many times, but when I looked next to me and saw that the seat was empty I got a strange feeling. As I accelerated, pulled back on the yoke, and then turned crosswind, I knew there was no turning back. I had to land this Piper Warrior on my own.
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