Flight Date: November 23, 2013
Flight School: Rockliffe Flying Club
Flight Instructor: Mike Lamb
Message:My first Solo Flight was very special in more ways than one. It was first and foremost the realization of a boyhood dream. I grew up near Rockliffe Airport and saw many GA aircraft flying overhead and I always wondered who was up there and where were they going? It was a mystery that remained unsolved until recently, yet the magic and wonder of it has only grown with each passing flight, and now new mysteries lay ahead to uncover.
The other reason my first Solo Flight was so special, was because it happened on my birthday. I had been working hard meeting all the requirements leading up to that day, and I booked some vacation the week prior to get extra prepared. There was no guarantee that the weather would cooperate, but the morning of my Solo, everything looked just right and the winds were straight down runway 27. I called my instructor Mike who had graciously agreed to come in on his day off to let me get a flight in on my Birthday. What he didn’t tell me was that it was also his anniversary. After a few more circuits, Mike asked me to land and he jumped out and sent me on my way. My landing had a little bounce to it, but overall, I was very pleased with it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m required to maintain visual reference to the ground, I would have been on Cloud 9! After I landed, I gave Mike a bottle of Champagne to thank him for getting me that far – which turned out to be perfect for his anniversary!
