Solo

My flight instruction was scheduled for 12:00 noon. A slight chance of thunderstorms was forecast for Saturday, but I was fortunate they all passed by early. I glanced out the window mid-morning. the clouds were high, the winds were calm. But in the back of my mind, a thought floated around that maybe the weather might get bad enough to cancel the flight. I ignored it and started to get prepared by going over plans I made the night before.

I got to the flight school, Andy and I briefed first thing. Everything was good. He asked for my logbook as he needed to "check something out." Sure, sure.

I head out to the flightline and see the school's four 172s lined up in wait. There was noone else flying that day. It's a holiday weekend and it was quiet, calm and serene. The only sounds were of an occasional jet or another Cessna doing touch and go's. I preflighted 2099D extra throuroughly and slowly, making sure everything was where it needed to be. I had not flown in in this plane for the last 5 or 6 flights and she was in great shape. By the time Andy came out I was ready to go.

We took off into virtually no wind and the airplane floated off the tarmac with barely any coaxing. I noticed a running track I hadn't seen before just southwest of the airport. Upon turning north I comment on the housing addtion we are about to fly over. I think it's strange that people would want to live so close to an airport. We circle around the pattern for two stop and go's on 17R 5,000 ft stretch. After we takeoff from our second landing, Andy instructs me to call tower for a full-stop. Here it comes. But I'm calm, and we land on the main runway.

As we begin to taxi back to Oklahoma Aviation, I think, "this is it, just like the stories I read about. I'm about to fly solo."

We park, Andy produces my log book he acquired earlier and scribbles, I suppose, some very important information in it. He unplugs his headset, opens the door, hops out and wishes me luck with a handshake.

I call ground and head back out for takeoff. I feel good, no nervousness. I know that I can do this. I run through the checklists before takeoff before I hold short of the main runway.

I make the call. "Wiley Post Tower, Cessna two-zero-niner-niner-delta, holding short runway one-seven left, ready for take-off, closed traffic."

I receive clearance and roll onto the runway...doublecheck everything before applying full throttle...off I go.

The next fifteen minutes was beautiful. For three months I had been working towards this moment of being able to fly this $180,000 piece of hardware alone into the sky. A smile crosses my lips as I climb through the air. I stay focused on my work and hit my airspeeds and altitudes while coming around for that first landing. Everything looks good as the runway creeps closer. I drive across the threshold and slowly ease out the throttle, rotate for the flare, float a little bit and drop down a few feet, roll to a stop. That's number one. Two more to go. Okay, what do I check? Flaps up, trim for takeoff, rich mixture, engine instruments looking good.

I make the next two landings without incident and head back to parking. After the engine shuts down, some slight excitement shakes set in. Andy comes out and brings me my certificate and a Oklahoma Aviation shirt as a gift. Andy helps to get the plane parked and locked up. Tom Kilpatrick, the owner of the company, comes out with a big smile and congratulates me. "Welcome to an elite club!" he says. I have the obligitory picture taken with Andy for the flight school photo album.

The sense of accomplishment is huge. I'm on top of the world and feel fantastic. Andy informs me that I'm about a third of the way to private pilot. There is still alot of flying to do.

Ahh, pilot training. Gotta love it.