|
Flying Lesson 17
|
With a dual crosscountry flight under my belt just a few days ago, I made my way up to the airport for my first solo crosscountry under semi-clear skies, light breeze (about 5 knots), and a temperature of about 70 degrees Farenheit. I was ready but I guess I was a bit nervous also. My flight plan would take me approximately 60 nautical miles with a heading of 240 degrees (Southwest) to an airport called Penn Valley in Selinsgrove for a full stop landing, a quick cell phone call to my instructor, and a reverse route return. I didn't use the GPS or the local Selinsgrove VOR, just the landmarks we had noted on the flight plan just days earlier. The purpose of the first solo crosscountry was to demonstrate pilotage skills in recognizing the landmarks on the ground while holding the calculated heading or at least sonething relativerly close due to the wind. I must say I found all my landmarks except for one which I in hindsight I believe I flew directly over.
|
|
 |
Once within about 10 miles of the airport I changed over to the AWOS channel to get a weather briefing. Winds were calm which I felt gave me an option of runways. With the airport in sight I prepared to enter the traffic pattern making the appropriate radio calls as necessary. I entered the pattern at Penn Valley with the intention of landing on runway 17 but because my pattern entry took me in to close to the runway I radioed and circled the field at 1500 feet for a landing on 35. This of course didn't go as pplanned either. I cut my base turn to short which left me a bit high on final approach. I decided to throttle up, fly through, and try it again. Next landing attempt was the one. It went very well, I simply taxied off the runway and gave my instructor a call on the ole' cell phone.
|
After a good long drink of water and another phone call to my family, I took off with a heading of about 60 degrees and headed back. Everything went as planned on my return route passing all landmarks as it was has flight planned. My triumphant return and near perfect landing ended my first solo crosscountry on a high note. As I began to exit the plane, the next student pilot came over to ask me how things went and how the plane was flying/running. As it turned out, he was about to do his first solo flight. I wished him luck and headed inside the FBO for a debriefing and settle up for the plane rental. Next up... a dual crosscountry flight extending for over 150 nautical miles, weather permitting, in a few days.
|
|
