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First Flight... the pilot. Where did you solo.

gasman

Well Known Member
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I'm glad Texas doesn't have these kinds of restrictions. My 1500' X 20' runway would never pass muster.

This post from Mel made me think about my home base.

My training and solo was out of this strip https://papapetaluma.org/about-the-airport/ in 1979. "The Sky Ranch had a gravel runway 1800 feet long by 30 feet wide." By then it had been paved but only out to a width of 25 feet... and even at that the edges were eroded back to 20 feet by the time I started training there. There was a farm fence on one end and a road with power lines at the other. The runway was 1800' long and the turnoff was 3/4 down the runway. We were trained to make that turnoff, it led straight to the gas station type fuel pump.

You think all of this is normal.... until at around 10 hours we head out of our training area and go here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Auxiliary_Landing_Field_Santa_Rosa This field is 7000' long by 150' wide. For me then, it was hard to land on. Go figure. The instructors at that airport would not let their students land in Petaluma.

My little strip was "normal" to us students and all that were based there. And that included a guy with a P-51. This guy always made the first turnoff. Remember the road at the end of the run way.... Driving in for a lesson one day, I looked down the runway just in time to see the P-51 lift off!! With the sun hitting the face of the prop, it looked (the disc) as wide as the runway.

Learn to fly from a small strip and you will never regret it.
 
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I learned to fly at White Rock Airport in east Dallas in 1967. As I remember it was 1900' long and about 15' wide (after years of erosion). Church at one end and school at the other.
Approach to Rwy 18 was across a road and blocked from view from the road so about once or twice a year landing aircraft bounced off the roof of a car.

Don Scott was starting a new flying school and needed students. Offered me a deal..... "Up through Solo for $100!" That was a great deal even then.

Soloed C-150 and soon after, bought a '41 T-Craft. Much more fun!
 
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I learned to fly at Bedford, MA, with massive runways. But... I soloed at Lawrence, MA, uncontrolled at the time. I also regularly flew out of Minuteman, before they lengthened the runway, and also flew out of another airport where the first third of the runway was narrower than the wingspan. We also went into Marlboro, MA, 1400 feet long, landing over the trees. Worked real hard at it (in the Cessna 172) and was stopped mid-field. Coming in the other way, you checked for no traffic on the highway and checked that you were level with the second floor windows in the house next to final.
 
I learned to fly on a 10,500? x 150 runway. At least now I don?t flair high when landing on a towered runway!
 
I learned out of a small airport in Chico, Ca (Ranchaero Airport) that, at the time, was nestled in the middle of almond orchards. It was nicknamed the sidewalk (2156 x 30 ft.) and the wind would always turn as soon as you got below the tree tops.
 
I did my first solo in Palo Alto (PAO) in 1996.
2500' x 50' as I recall.
 
Tims Airpark

I soloed from Tims Airpark, north of Austin, Tx. in July of 1968. 2746 feet by 40 feet wide. We used the grass on the east side in Taylorcrafts and Champs. Lots of extra runway there...
What great memories..
 
Hey Mel, got my PPL in 1968 and flew int White Rock several times. I'd usually rent C-150 out of Dallas-Garland. Both long gone now.....
 
Mine was at Lakeland Linder in 2003. Fun fact, I used to hate Sun 'n Fun because they would take our planes off field for the week and I couldn't fly. Haha that was before I knew how awesome the experimental world is!
 
I learned to fly at Bedford, MA, with massive runways. But... I soloed at Lawrence, MA, uncontrolled at the time. I also regularly flew out of Minuteman, before they lengthened the runway, and also flew out of another airport where the first third of the runway was narrower than the wingspan. We also went into Marlboro, MA, 1400 feet long, landing over the trees. Worked real hard at it (in the Cessna 172) and was stopped mid-field. Coming in the other way, you checked for no traffic on the highway and checked that you were level with the second floor windows in the house next to final.

Small world! I also learned at Hanscom, but soloed at Nashua, NH (a frequent early destination during primary training). Lots of time going into Lawrence, Minuteman, and Marlboro, too. Fitchburg, Norwood, Plymouth, and Fall River were also frequent training fields. Crosswind practice was often at Tew-Mac - with its ~21 foot wide runway, even the wings of a C-150 overhung both sides. You learned to keep it centered and straight, that's for sure!

You'll recollect that all of those fields also had airport cafes. Coincidence? Probably not... :D

I've been gone from there nearly 20 years now, but I still remember all the Bedford frequencies off the top of my head. Some things will probably never fade away. :)
 
Learned to fly and later instructed out of Point Lookout MO (KPLK). The College of the Ozarks owned the airport and had created it by leveling a 3600' space on the top of a ridgeline. It's a nice runway, that has since had several hundred more feet added to it, but there's a drop-off on each end that starts about a foot past the end of the pavement and continued down at about a 45 degree angle for 100' or so. The slope on the east end terminates at Hwy 65 and the west end in a river bottom field with lake Taneycomo running through it, then a substantially higher ridgeline west of that. The water in Taneycomo comes through a dam on Tablerock a few miles upstream and was always really cold, even in the summer.

Lots of fog and lots of wind shear due to the geography.

I remember how uncomfortable it felt to go to another airport and approach on short final over a flat hay field or houses or whatever. It seemed like the ground was way too close for comfort on short final.

The drop-offs really freaked out people that weren't used to them and there was a real tendency to land long. In the 5 or so years I was down there, 1/2 dozen airplanes and 1 crew car managed to go over the hillside on one end or the other.

Fun fact; a few years ago southwest accidentally landed a 737 there at night, thinking they were landing at Branson regional which is just a few miles away and has a similar runway orientation. Real testament to the capability of the 737 that they were able to get it stopped, get the people off (and presumably some fuel) and fly it out the next day.

https://www.funplacestofly.com/photos/DSC09105.JPG
 
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Tim's

I soloed from Tims Airpark, north of Austin, Tx. in July of 1968. 2746 feet by 40 feet wide. We used the grass on the east side in Taylorcrafts and Champs. Lots of extra runway there...
What great memories..
Small world indeed! That's where I started flying in the mid 70s in my boss's Tri-pacer. Had to hand-prop it most of the time - I can't recall if it even had a starter or if the battery was always too weak. I know it had lights as we did a lot of after work flying at night, mainly bombing Friday night football games around Austin with toilet paper - his son was in the band. No band members were injured to the best of my knowledge. :D
 
I learned to fly at Bedford, MA, with massive runways. But... I soloed at Lawrence, MA, uncontrolled at the time. I also regularly flew out of Minuteman, before they lengthened the runway, and also flew out of another airport where the first third of the runway was narrower than the wingspan. We also went into Marlboro, MA, 1400 feet long, landing over the trees. Worked real hard at it (in the Cessna 172) and was stopped mid-field. Coming in the other way, you checked for no traffic on the highway and checked that you were level with the second floor windows in the house next to final.

Marlboro is without a doubt, a challenge. Coming in over the trees or going out over them, it?s interesting to say the least.
 
Hickam AFB / Honolulu International in 1989 via the Hickam AFB Flying Club which no longer exists. Long solo cross country was from Honolulu to Kona International. That's a lot of water (150 nm) to cross in a 150. On the longest overwater leg (~60 nm), somewhere past Kaho'Olawe, I lost sight of land for what seemed like an eternity.
 
50R Lockhart, TX

My first solo I still recall when I turned to look at the runway abeam the numbers, I said to myself, "I can't believe I'm really flying by myself!" I still remember how thrilling it was.
 
I learned to fly in the 70's out of Phoenix Field (O11) in Fair Oaks, CA. The strip was 2,300' x 35'. It has sadly joined the long list of "airports that were" as it closed-up in 1986 after a 50 year run. I earned my private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine and seaplane ratings there. Sure miss it.
 
Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field 2

Dec 30, 1959
Eglin Aero Club L-21A Lyc. 125 hp
i-9wMVBnc-L.png

We had the L-21A, a PA-18 Super Cub, (2) Beech T-34's, a 172, and a Navion, as I recall.

We had the field to ourselves, gas dock, and a hangar which has since been dismantled.
 
Glasgow Airport

May 17, 1979. In RAF Bulldog XX559 of the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron. Was taxiing in from an intense lesson with Flight Lieutenant Atkinson when, short of the parking area he says "stop here", calls and says something to the tower, climbs out and says "take it for a circuit or two". Take off was easy, and then the realization that I have to get this tax payer owned machine back on the ground in one piece! :)
 
To add a Canadian twist, Langley, BC in 1967. 01/19 was 2000' paved, 07/25 was grass. When we flew at night (which was rare), they put out flare pots. The CFI had flown in WW2, which made him absolutely ancient. He was probably in his 40's.
 
My first solo I still recall when I turned to look at the runway abeam the numbers, I said to myself, "I can't believe I'm really flying by myself!" I still remember how thrilling it was.

I was just turning onto the crosswind leg and thought to myself, "wait, now I have to get back down!"

Never had much fear of it until right then.
 
Donegal Springs airport (N71), Marietta, PA, November 16, 1969 at age 16. Back then, N71 was grass runway only. Instructor was my dad, retired USAF pilot.

In picture, cutting my shirt, was airport owner Ken Hershey.

N71970, 1947 Luscombe 8A, 65 hp.

firstsolo copy.jpg
 
Small is best!

These are great stories.
I started flying out of Muskegon, MI which had airline size runways. Finished up at Plainwell (61D) which was 2650x50, with trees on one end and freeway on the other. Loved the challenge there much more than the big airport. Makes you pay attention.
The best was my Grandfather's farm in Paris, IL, which was about 1400x30 sod with a hill in the middle. The fence posts lining the runway kept you focused too.
 
Marlboro is without a doubt, a challenge. Coming in over the trees or going out over them, it?s interesting to say the least.

Unfortunately Marlboro is gone now, the owner sold it a few years ago and it may have already been developed into condos.

I learned at the famous KVNY (Van Nuys, CA) and soloed there as well on Superbowl Sunday 1991 (1/27/91). Learning at a large controlled field like that made me very comfortable early on with communications, and it was a great all around experience especially those early morning flights before work at 6 AM.

I moved back to the Boston area in 1992, and the majority of my flying has been in New England ever since.
 
Sky Sailing Gliderport, Fremont CA

I learned to fly gliders first. It was something over 3000 ft long but all operations staged from mid field, so it was like two strips end to end. The take-off strip was oiled gravel about 20 ft wide with grass (weeds) on the sides.
The landing strip was just a big grass and dirt field.

One down-side to learning to fly in that environment is that there was no centerline, and thus no discipline to line up on, and land on, the centerline. You just put it somewhere on the grass. Going straight and managing energy were much more important.

I solo'ed there (1980) , and also did tailwheel SEL transition there in a 7KCAB Citabria (1986).

To this day I sometimes show rather poor discipline about landing on centerline.
 
Spadaro Airport 1N2 in Long Island, NY. I believe it was 2200 x 20. We would takeoff from the pothole stricken runway, s-turning or lifting the wheels to avoid the holes, then land on the grass (dirt) next to the runway.
 
My first solo was a mere 5-1/2 years ago on the same runway as I landed on 5 times tonight, CYQF Red Deer, AB. That first time, it didn't really sink in until I was late right downwind and there was nobody in the right seat blocking my view back to the runway to time my base turn. That was my first landing, I've done 650 more of them and still learn on every one. Coming in on final feels like nothing else in this life.
 
Adams Field, Little Rock (KLIT - now "Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport"), January 1982. I was stationed at Little Rock AFB at the time (no aero club). I trained in Beechcraft Sports/Skippers/Sundowners at Central Flying Service. This was when Central Flying Service was one of the biggest Beech dealers around.

CFS had a long history of training pilots during WWII - my Private Pilot check ride was done the following year by Mr. Claud Holbert, the founder/owner of CFS. At the time he had something like 50,000 hours. He died two weeks after my private checkride in early 1983. (https://www.arkavhs.com/claud-holbert)
 
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First solo in a Schweitzer SGS-233 glider at the US Air Force Academy, June 1987. We did take offs behind the tow plane on pavement, and then landed on a giant unmarked grass field. A year later I became an instructor pilot in the gliders and was teaching other cadets how to fly. Those were some of the best flying experiences of my life.
 
I learned to fly gliders first.

I used to tow gliders at SkySailing and, being the junior tow pilot, usually got stuck with the marginally capable Citabria. Sometimes I'd get the Super Cub, and one of my dubious claims to fame is that I've never taken off in a Super Cub without a glider at the other end of the tow rope.

IIRC, I think that's where I gave a little bit of aerobatic instruction.

I still remember the morning when they all flew south on double tows...
 
KBJC, KLMO

Training at what was then Jeffco Airport in Broomfield CO, first solo at the Longmont airport, 1985. I recall seeing my instructor looking pretty small when I saw him on the ramp while on downwind!
 
Stone Mtn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Mountain_Airport

Stone Mountain airport (00A) in Georgia. I soloed in N757AA, a C152. Was wearing a Georgia Tech shirt that was cut for the wall.

I was maybe 19 and vividly remember the geezers who'd sit on the porch of the FBO and critique everything. It was intimidating. Whatever you did, right or wrong, you'd hear about it when turning in the keys.

It was a great little airport and easy to find ... just head towards the big hunk of granite. It closed during the run-up to the 1996 Summer Olympics. There were some events in the area and they ended up using it for a parking lot. It never reopened and is now used by an R/C club. Sad.
 
IA-24

Learned and soloed at sleepy little Green Castle airport in Eastern Iowa. Don Nelson was one of my instructors. Very laid back place and a wonderful place to learn.
 
L16 Meadowlark

Took my instruction at Meadowlark Airport in Huntington Beach, California. First solo January 20, 1984, in N714YQ (a 152). Did my checkride at Long Beach, June 30, 1984, with Abe Paster (anybody remember him?) in N4946H.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_OrangeCo_NW.htm#meadowlark

It was a great place to learn, unfortunately it closed in August 1989 as the land it sat on was worth more to developers. I had been an airport kid there since I was about 10, my father worked as an instructor there for a while. And after my PPL, I would trade time washing and detailing airplanes for time in the air. I remember washing and waxing the 172 that I was renting from an individual, he told me to take it for a couple of hours and "dry it off".

It had a 2300x36 runway, but had severely displaced thresholds at both ends, so landing you had only about 1700 usable. Plus there was a church steeple off to the left of final to 19, if I remember correctly you were below the top of it when you crossed the end of the runway.

Like I said, good to learn there -- other schools at LGB, Fullerton, Orange County and others wouldn't allow their students to fly there as it was too short and narrow. I had one day of pattern work where I got in twelve full-stop landings (no touch and goes), in a litte over one hour, and was getting off by the first turnoff. I wasn't paying for brakes, so I know those poor planes took some abuse :eek:.
 
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March 5, 1979, KFUL, N4603X--a somewhat battered 1966 C-150. It was amazing how well the plane climbed with just me in it. I still fly to Fullerton on a regular basis for lunch at the restaurant or FAAST seminars at the same FBO (AFI) I trained at. Good 'ol 03X had a long life and was eventually taken out of service and the N number released. I was able to reserve it and it now adorns my RV9A. It's cool to hear the controllers use that number now when I fly in...good memories.
 
Training at what was then Jeffco Airport in Broomfield CO, first solo at the Longmont airport, 1985. I recall seeing my instructor looking pretty small when I saw him on the ramp while on downwind!

Wow! Same experience here! Training out of what is now Rocky Mountain Metro ten years ago, first solo at Vance Brand / Longmont. Wasn't expecting to solo that day. We were doing touch and goes at KLMO. The instructor told me to stop and taxi back, and I figured he was jumping out to take a quick bathroom break in the grass. Instead he pulled out a portable radio and said "I'll be listening to you on this. You are ready to solo. Let's see you do three laps."

I recall climbing through 500 AGL and thinking "well, I guess there really is only one way to get back down now!"
 
Solo'd in a PA-28-161 at KGEG (Spokane Int'l) got to do three laps around the pattern with 737s and FedEx Caravans thrown in just for fun. Good times. :D
 
March 5, 1979, KFUL, N4603X--a somewhat battered 1966 C-150. It was amazing how well the plane climbed with just me in it. I still fly to Fullerton on a regular basis for lunch at the restaurant or FAAST seminars at the same FBO (AFI) I trained at. Good 'ol 03X had a long life and was eventually taken out of service and the N number released. I was able to reserve it and it now adorns my RV9A. It's cool to hear the controllers use that number now when I fly in...good memories.

Small world, Greg! My checkride I mentioned was from KLGB to KFUL and back.
 
Glider Guider

First solo was in S2-33 glider out of Rosamond, CA in late 70s ( yes i was only 8 years old). Seemed like it was always blowing 15 kts. Hung out with the likes of Paul Bikle and friends. Good times.
 
Add one more who started with gliders, at Hemet Ryan. July 1970.

My instructor mentioned I could save a lot of $$ by getting my power rating and then adding the glider to my PPL.

Went across the field to the paved side, got the PPL, never went back and finished the glider rating.

Need to do that someday.......
 
...We also went into Marlboro, MA, 1400 feet long, landing over the trees. Worked real hard at it (in the Cessna 172) and was stopped mid-field. Coming in the other way, you checked for no traffic on the highway and checked that you were level with the second floor windows in the house next to final.

Coming into Marlboro over those trees was something...Bob S. came over the first time I went in there, leaned into the cockpit, took a big sniff, and then smiled and nodded approvingly..."I can tell you didn't s*%t yourself."
 
First solo was at KPRG Edgar County Airport. Paris, IL
Cessna 150 N10545

1975

Rental was $22 hour with instructor.
I made $1.65 an hour then so it was quite expensive!
 
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Mark Burns; Rental was $22 hour with instructor. I made $1.65 an hour then so it was quite expensive![/QUOTE said:
Soloed in July 1976 at New Smyrna, Florida, KEVB, In a Cessna 150 (N6590G) back then the airport ID was 44J. The runway I soloed on was big 5000? x 100?
It was 6/24 now it has rotated to 7/25. I too was surprised how well the mighty C-150 climbs with just me onboard.

I was paying half of what Mark was paying. I still thought it was very expensive,
$9 hr (Wet) for the plane and $2 for the instructor.
 
Soloed in 1979 at Harvey Young field in Tulsa, wires at one end and apartments at the other end. Tom Imes was my instructor, Piper Tomahawk.

Quite literally the first thing I signed up to do when I came to the US in 1978 as it was very expensive to get a pilots license in the UK.

Still remember the flight the week before I solo'd when after we landed Tom asked if I had all my documents on me and I said no (did not have the medical certificate on me), and he said **** I was going to solo you today Oh well we will do it next weekend so I had the whole week to think about it.

Never looked back.
Figs
 
My first time taking off in a plane, at the controls, was my very first time ever flying in a plane. That happened out at PWT (Bremerton, WA) in 1998. Thanks to the EAA, I had earned a scholarship to pay half of my first 10 hours of flight from work I had done helping scratch-build a Zeinith CH701 as a school project.

First solo happened down at LNA, Palm Beach County Park, in Lantana, FL (moved down there months later) in 1999. I remember the little 152 leaping into the air much more so without instructor. Flight must have gone ok, I'm here typing about it. :)
 
Flight training and first solo at Lake Elmo (21D), MN. Private check ride at St Paul Downtown (STP). All in a Piper Tomahawk.
 
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Add one more who started with gliders, at Hemet Ryan. July 1970.

My instructor mentioned I could save a lot of $$ by getting my power rating and then adding the glider to my PPL..

Was your instructor Richard Ensign? He used to instruct at Hemet, and gave me instruction at Slylark (Elsinore) where I used to tow and give orientation flights for the club.

-Marc
 
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Did my checkride at Long Beach, June 30, 1984, with Abe Paster (anybody remember him?)

Yes I knew Abe, and flew a couple of his planes at KLGB. I think he had a brother that worked there too.

I started flying at Ruth Johnson Flying Service in Chino, CA. My instructor was her son, and he soloed me in a 1946 J-3 cub. Back then, Chino only had one runway, and there was no tower. Didn't matter as we didn't have an electrical system anyway... I got my license at KLGB in December of 1970 at Ces-nair aviation.

-Marc
 
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First solo

Took advantage of a ?Learn to fly for $100? in 1969 at Skyport Airport in Mechanicsburg, Pa. It was an Aeronca 7AC that rented for $8.00 and $2.00 for the instructor. Soloed at age 16 @10 hours.
Sadly, the airport has been replaced with houses for several years.

Jim Diehl
7A
 
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