Flight Training - March 2012 - 13

Two solos in one day
A ferry flight provides a rare opportunity
MY FLIGHT SCHOOL operates out of beautiful South Lake Tahoe, California. Most of the first solos are done in Minden, Nevada, since high terrain and limited escape areas make South Lake Tahoe a difficult place for students to perform first solos. We operate two Piper Archers out of my flight school, but the one I was supposed to fly was down for maintenance in Minden and was scheduled to be picked up early in the morning and brought back up to South Lake Tahoe, so I could take it back down for my solo. I learned that the airplane was never picked up, and I would be forced to fly the other Piper Archer. Everything looked good and soon I was in the air and en route to Minden, where I would perform

SUCCESS STORY

Name: Bobby Perez Age: 16 Event: First solo Where: MindenTahoe Airport (MEV), Minden, Nevada Airplane: Piper Archer

my first three landings with my instructor. After exiting the runway I taxied over to the restaurant, shut the airplane down, and let my instructor hop out of the aircraft. “Have a good flight,” he said to me, which keyed the nerves to come into effect. It’s a different but good feeling knowing there is nobody next to you to look out for you. My first solo landing soon appeared in the window. I crossed the numbers, got into ground effect, and the wheels of the Piper made contact with the centerline. The landing was beautiful and graceful and I remember it like it was just yesterday. The next two landings were made without any issues. Then my instructor asked, “How would you like to take

this airplane back to Tahoe so I can take the other airplane from maintenance and fly it back to the Lake?” My heart was racing already and hearing this put me at a loss for words. After some thought I agreed, so my instructor signed my 25-nautical-mile solo endorsement so I could legally fly it back to South Lake Tahoe. I was completely alone for the second time, but this time the flight wouldn’t be in the pattern. I shook the nerves and started up again and taxied behind my instructor to the active, where we would take off and make our journey back home. This day was an amazing day and it will forever follow me throughout my flying career.
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TRAINING PRODUCTS

Sporty’s solo course
Go from zero to hero in no time
FOR SOME PEOPLE, the entire goal of getting into aviation is simply to fly an airplane solo one time. For others, solo is an elusive and frustrating hurdle. Get beyond it, and the training often accelerates thanks to a newfound sense of optimism. That’s why Sporty’s Pilot Shop developed its new Solo Course on DVD. The Solo Course includes information targeted to get prospective pilots from zero time to solo in the most efficient way possible. It includes six hours of video on three DVDs. Topics include takeoffs and landings, basic regulations, and pretty much everything else you need to know prior to solo. For a flight school looking to add to its flight training offerings, the solo course is a great support tool. For beginning students, it’s a good buy. That’s because if you decide to go beyond solo, the course includes a coupon for $65 (the cost of the course) toward the purchase of the complete private pilot kit. PRICE: $65 CONTACT: www.sportys.com

MARCH 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - March 2012

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