Solo Flight

Started this morning on the beautiful day of July 4th 2011.  I woke to do some preflight planning and get weather.  We were scheduled to leave at 9am from KVNY and fly to KOXR to do some landing practice.  My flight instructor likes to shake things up and not keep landing at the same location as to not get complacent.

This was already about 31 hours under my belt.  And i just got the concept of landings.  For some reason it was so hard for me to get it down and understand the concept.  I would round out to high in fear of slamming into the runway, but that would cause us to slam into the runway, since we were 10+ feet off the ground.  Then suddenly a few lessons before this one, it snapped.  Runway made. Power to idle. Let the nose come down and get 5 to 10 feet off the runway. Then start your roundout, then flare, and then land.  Wow.  What a concept.  But it escaped me for some unknown reason. I like hearing the stall horn blare in the background as i fly the ground effects.  I can fly in the ground effect really well.  Its fun.

So i get to the airport at 8:30 and start my pre flight.  Today we were flying the normal N889LB.  A Cessna Skyhawk 172SP G1000 Glass cockpit.  Did my usual preflight. Every thing is optimal this morning.  Wind is light and variable.  No Clouds.  Slight fog layer over the coast, but KOXR is VFR conditions.  Full tank of gas.  Oil 7 quarts.  Unchalked the plane, and we were ready to go.

We got in the plane, and Mike gives me the low down.  "We are going to oxnard.  Going to do pattern work.  You have done this a hundred times, and it's going to be exactly the same today.  Nothing different."  He didn't hint at me soloing today.  Start the plane.  Run through checklist.  Grab Atis information.  Contact ground.  "Van Nuys Ground, Skyhawk 889LB at Maguire North with Oscar".  I hear back, "9LB Taxi to runway 16R via taxiway Alpha".  I reply with the usual.  "Taxi to 16R via Alpha.  9LB".

Taxi to the runup area.  Get the run up complete.  Then switch to 119.3 and contact tower.  "Van Nuys Tower, Skyhawk 889LB holding short of runway 16R at charlie for right crosswind departure.".  A second later. "889LB clear for takeoff runway 16R, at or below 2 thousand 5 hundred, turn cross wind no earlier than flood basin".  I reply.  "Cleared for takeoff runway 16R and Wilco for 889LB".  I turn on to the runway and remember the saying i was tough.  Lights, Camera, Action.  (Turn on strobe and landing lights), (Look out window and make sure you are lined up and ready to go), (Power to full in 3 seconds and go).

55 knots we rotate, and we are airborne.  Today has very little turbulence, and the air is clean and smooth.  She wants to climb like a jet today.  We hit our altitude before we turn crosswind.  Level off at 2500.  As we don't want to break into Burbanks Charlie Airspace.  Over the flood basin we turn right crosswind.  A few moments later we are clear of Charlie and begin to climb to our cruising altitude of 4500.  (ODD man flies east).
This was a flight we have made many many times, so i was use to this flight.  We have used KCMA and KOXR many many times for practice.  After about 15 minutes we contact KOXR and being our decent.  We needed to loose 3500 feet to get to pattern altitude.  Plus it's a straight in approach.  So 12 miles out we being our descent.  (4500 - 1000) = 3500. 3 * 3 = 9.  +3 = 12.  This is what i use to find top of descent.  Current Alt subtract Pattern Altitude.  Take total and just take first number.  Times by 3.  Then add 3.  Gives 12 miles.  Works wonders.

"9LB cleared for option runway 25.".  I have made this approach a hundred times it seemed like.  Landing was perfect.  Flew ground effect about 1 foot off the ground the whole time till we touched.  Raise Flaps and Power to full.  (Make sure to use right rudder or your going into the grass).  We take back off and climb to pattern altitude. We repeat this 3 times.  Each with awesome landings and no issues.  Very stable descents and approaches. On the 4th time we come around and to my surprise.

On Final, Mike announces, "Oxnard Tower, 9LB request full stop landing".  "9LB cleared for landing runway 25".  Mike then climes in, "My legs are cramping we need to stop for a minute.  I need to stretch.  ".  So we land and taxi off.  (Surprisingly there was no one else at the airport.  It was empty.).  We taxi to transient parking, and mike tells me to shut down the motor.

I do and he says "Lets get out and talk about the landings".  I jump out and he remains for a second.  I figure to tell tower that im about to solo, but i paid no attention to him and i figured he was caught up in his wires or seat belt.  He says "Let me see your logbook".  This grabs my attention but i didn't think anything further.  I show him, and he signs it and says "Im going to stretch my legs while you go and do EXACTLY what you just did.  Each time come back around.  Full stop landing, and if i wave you through.  keep going.  If not come over and we will talk.

By this time i have butterfly's in my stomach.  This is the day of all days.  I get nervous, happy, scared, and strong all at once.  He asks if im ready and i nod and say.  Ready as ill ever be.  I got back in.  Did start up   Checklist.  Contact ground, taxi to runway, and perform run up mag check.  Contact tower, and get cleared for take off left closed traffic.  Same as before but when i looked over mike was not there.  I got a HUGE SMILE on my face.  Now with mike gone the plane is light and wants to take off like a rocket.  Jumping into the sky.

Flew the first pattern and once i got airborne the butterfly's and nervousness went away.  As i had to fly a plane, and i had to fly it damn well.  Mike told me to talk to myself and keep repeating what needs to be done.  And more than anything be IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE.  So the whole time i was talking to myself like a crazy person.  But it kept me occupied and alert, and on point.  By the time i got abeam the numbers, I was assured this was going to be the best landing yet.  Stable approach and stable pattern make for steady landing.  Came in and touched down.  With the biggest smile on my face.  I have never smiled that big in my life.

The patterns were perfect, the landings were perfect.  All 3.  (Although i bounced just a little on the third landing), but overall.  Very Very pleased with my performance, and the surprise solo.  After all 3 i got out after shutting off the plane, and mike walked over with a smile on his face and his hand extended in a congratulatory manner.   After a short talk he said we needed to get back as the plane needed to go out in 30 minutes.  So we jumped back in, took off and flew back to van nuys.  A very uneventful flight, but a very happy flight.  After all.  I flew a plane all by myself.  Like a big boy.

He had nothing to critique in the debriefing.  He said it was awesome and congratulated me again.  It was a day to remember.  A day i will never forget.  A day burned into my memory.  It is the best feeling in the world!!!  Cant wait to go again!!!