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16 Year Old solo's in old Stinson
- Thread starter Basil
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My first solo was in a Cherokee 140. We stopped on the tarmac and my instructor announced that he was getting out. I never knew beforehand that I was going to solo that day.
OP
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Pretty much how it happened with me. Had no clue I was going to solo until he stopped after a landing and jumped out and told me to "take it through the pattern once and land." I was nervous, but not as nervous as my first solo cross country! I spent much of the trip looking for a place to land "just in case" LOL
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I was never prepared as to how much the plane would react with one less person. That plane jumped off the ground with his weight out of the plane. Wish he had given me a heads-up.
OP
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I've probably told this story before. My son, Shaun, who went on to be AC on an Air Force KC-135, first soloed in a glider while in High School. His instructor who signed him off for his Glider certificate was an old guy names Al Santilli. Al had his own glider license signed by Orville Wright >> https://www.ssa.org/FinalGlide?show=blog&id=950 As an aside, and kind of cool coincidence, Shaun went on to UPT at Enid OK and soloed in the jet trainer on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Bros famous flight on 17 December.
Another aside, Al was also on the team at White Sands who detonated the first A-Bomb. When Al, a retired Army LT Col, was asked to swear in Shaun as a 2Lt in the Air Force he wore his old uniform, complete with a mushroom cloud patch on the sleeve.
Brought back memories for sure. My first solo was at Westchester, a big airport, in 1965. It was in a Piper Colt, a 2-seater with no flaps and a Narco Superhomer radio. If you were high on final, you slipped it in or went around. I never had to go around in that plane but years later, as a student after going back to flying, on a windy April day at Oxford, which only had one runway, I lowered the wrong wing into a crosswind on final, almost flipped over, got it straightened out but went around, my heart pounding. A Learjet pilot waiting to take off gave me a thumbs up. As I found out later, there's always a crosswind at Oxford. I flew back to Bridgeport and landed uneventfully. Only problem I ever had in 15 years of flying.
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Me too! Not only did the airplane leap up, it did not descend as fast either! My first solo, a 150, resulted in a go-around b/c I was way too high on final. My instructor radioed me and asked if everything was ok. I replied, "Yes sir. You are heavier than I thought!" Fortunately he was a skinny fellow and took it in good humor!
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Great that the young lady is getting into flying! I've always encouraged youngsters to learn to fly if it is presented to them. Once the bug bites, initially it's hard to think about anything else. Good luck to her as a future aviator 
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My first flight and later solo was in one of these in 1957 in Kansas. Old dirt runway with pot holes everywhere :highly_amused:. PJ
Luscombe
.My first flight and later solo was in one of these in 1957 in Kansas. Old dirt runway with pot holes everywhere :highly_amused:. PJ
Luscombe
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Just came across this photo of me (when I had hair) getting ready to fly the Cherokee 140.
judow
Darth Vader - R.I.P
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My first solo was in a Cessna 150. I also was surprised by how it reacted without the instructor in the plane. Also forgot to change frequency and when I discovered it I quickly changed frequencies but not before an expletive heard by all on the frequency. Tightest air pattern ever. P.S. I married my flight instructor a couple years later. Didn't see that coming.
As to Sky (believe that's her name and so fitting) she is well on her way to being a proper pilot!
As to Sky (believe that's her name and so fitting) she is well on her way to being a proper pilot!
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My best friend has been flying Stinsons for over 60 years. He owns 5 of them and his son owns another. Bob (my friend) is the go to guy when it comes to Stinson parts and questions. He has warehouses of parts and sells them all over the world. It is a great airplane and she is going to be a great pilot. Many new pilots are afaid to fly taildraggers.