Road to the PPL (Flight 15) - First solo flight! (Sonaca 200 | OO-NCA)

See description below (with timestamps at the bottom, SOLO from 16m 02s).

Weather:

METAR EBCI 140820Z 15004KT 120V190 CAVOK 21/11 Q1024 NOSIG=
METAR EBCI 140850Z 15004KT 110V200 CAVOK 22/11 Q1024 NOSIG=
METAR EBCI 140920Z 15005KT 120V200 CAVOK 24/12 Q1024 NOSIG=
METAR EBCI 140950Z 16004KT 110V210 CAVOK 26/12 Q1024 NOSIG=
METAR EBCI 141020Z 15004KT 110V190 CAVOK 27/12 Q1024 NOSIG=
METAR EBCI 141050Z 16005KT 100V210 CAVOK 28/12 Q1024 NOSIG=

The 7th flight in seven weeks, this time with another instructor. A few days before the flight I passed the online Sonaca 200 test of the flight school (with a 96% result on 90 question open book exam of 90 minutes, after studying clearly way too much), so I was technically ready to go solo. I also added some French expressions to my cheat sheet to cover calls that were not needed during touch and goes, but which I would need should I be allowed solo (mostly ground movements, and full stop landing). I was a bit afraid, that flying with an instructor that I had not flown with for months would lower the chances of me flying solo, but I did not stress about it, even though I felt ready.

After take off (perfect flows and checklists, trying to show the instructor where my progress stands) and leaving the CTR, we did a new exercise: compass turns (he briefed me about this on the ground before departure already). Afterwards we flew to Maubeuge (LFQJ), and integrated to the right hand circuit for RWY 05. The previous times I always flew the other way around (RWY 23), so this was a bit new. Our first approach ended in a nicely called go-around, because somebody cut in front of us and did not vacate the runway in time, then I did three very nice and smooth landings (some of the credit is due to the very smooth atmosphere, with barely any wind today), the third after a short circuit. This (already the first two) was enough for my instructor to decide to let me go on my first solo!

He got out, took a handheld radio with him, and I was on my own. I had to do two circuits, a touch and go and a full stop landing, before picking him up again for the flight back to Charleroi. The solo was a great experience, I was not nervous, but I was not fully at ease in the first minutes while getting in the rhythm on the ground, but after take-off everything went very smooth and I was very calm and concentrated. I made one bigger mistake only, deciding to take off using maximum continuous power instead of full power, but I was fully aware of this decision, and I knew that given the available runway length (1300 meters, or 1250 meters from the start of my take-off run), I would have no issues taking off with the slightly reduced take-off power. Still, this was a stupid mistake. (I have read so much about the time limit on Full power per flight, and that we always use MCP during touch and goes, that I got confused in the heat of the moment, and I was convinced right there on the spot that this was the correct thing to do. Of course it was not, a take-off is always with full power. Both in the AFM and in the SOP.) But I will always remember it from now on.

I could have left all the mistakes out, but I decided to leave 100% of my solo flight in (with the quiet parts sped up considerably), and analyse every single moment of it, to point out even the smaller mistakes for you, so we can learn from it together. I hope some people will find this educational, because it sure is pretty hard for me to just put all my mistakes into the spotlight :) In any case, I am proud of my first solo flight, the patterns were perfect (except for a bit of ballooning here and there), the approaches and landings were by the book, and in general my flying, communication (except the French pronunciation, and mixing up some words when I am talking to myself :D), and situational awareness is very good. I just need to make sure that I don't forget doing a proper flow before the call at the beginning of downwind.

After the solo we flew back directly to EBCI, and I ended the day with a nice flapless landing, before having a small interview with Sonaca about my flying :)

00:00 Radio communications from initial contact to holding short of the runway
01:19 Line up and take-off RWY 24
04:03 Leaving EBCI CTR overhead SIERRA
04:35 Compass turns exercises
08:24 Arrival to LFQJ
09:30 Go around LFQJ RWY 05 (somebody cut in front of us on final...)
10:36 Touch and go number 1 LFQJ RWY 05
11:56 Touch and go number 2 LFQJ RWY 05
12:31 Short circuit (at 500' AGL)
14:18 Full stop landing LFQJ RWY 05
15:35 Instructor telling me that he is getting out :)
16:02 FIRST SOLO (uncut, but sped up where there is no talking)
26:05 FIRST SOLO Touch and go LFQJ RWY 05
30:53 FIRST SOLO Full stop landing LFQJ RWY 05
32:52 End of my FIRST SOLO
37:12 Listening to EBCI ATIS on the way back
38:13 Requesting landing instructions from EBCI TWR
42:16 Flapless landing at EBCI RWY 24 (aiming to touch down at S4)

Видео Road to the PPL (Flight 15) - First solo flight! (Sonaca 200 | OO-NCA) канала Péter I. Pápics