A little bit about myself;

In October 2012 I took my first flying lesson after drooling on the pages of this forum, and watching as many of Swingle's videos as he had up at the time. I had taken a few lessons and my instructor said that before I could solo, I needed to get my third class medical certificate.

On November 23, 2012 I went in for my medical exam. I filled out all the paperwork and answered all the questions, and then a few things came up about my past that I believed wouldn't be any "big deal." Well, as it would turn out, it was a big deal. A big enough deal that the FAA decided to withhold my medical until December of this year. I had to do quite a bit of work to make it happen and although it was quite frustrating, I'm glad everything happened the way it did. If it has taught me anything, it's patience. That is something that I did not possess before this whole ordeal. I'm not going to get into what I went through or what the issues were but if you really want to know or you think I might be able to help you with any questions feel free to PM me. I'll drop a little hint, I liked to raise a little hell, and party.......a bit.

My AME is an excellent doc, and a great human being. He was very helpful and completely honest with me. I certainly hope they are all like him. The FAA.......well, you all know that story. They are a little slow, to say the least.

I have done all the required dual instruction that I could without wasting any time or too much money and passed the written exam while in wait for this day. (To add insult to injury, my instructor said that he would have soloed me at hour number four . Oh well. )

I received my student pilots license on Monday December 9, 2013.

I soloed today, December 11, 2013.

It was a bit windy and my instructor almost didn't let me go, but after five touch and go's he finally asked me, "How, do you feel? Are you ready?" I, of course said, "Hell yes." I would have said no if the conditions were too much worse than they were.

Here's how it all played out:


I have thought about making this video for over a year now. I tried to make three trips around the pattern as interesting as I could.
Hey! the wind was quartering 50-60 deg and 8 G16!

Congratulations! That took me back to my Cherokee solo. Thanks.

Very cool! Congratulations! Hope you didn't wear a really nice shirt today!

Up you will always remember that day!! Congrats

Woohoo!!! Bummer bout the year of hoop jumping, but I bet your grinnin ear to ear anyway

Congratulations! Made me think of my first solo. Still one of the best days in my flying life!

Congratulations on your Solo.

It is something you will never forget and always cherish.

Wishing you the best as you work toward your Private Pilot License.

Congrats! It's really cool that the technology is now available to record your solo for posterity. When I soloed, the equipment needed to record the event would have exceeded the useful load for the plane. Clearly that was a few years ago. It looks like you were in a Piper for this momentous event. What are your plans for getting introduced to tailwheel toys? Any cubs available for instruction at your home airport? Whatever your path looks like, enjoy each step in the process and soak up all the information you can about each plane you fly.

Congrats! Both for being patient, and then making it really happen!
BTW, nobody here raised any hell, or partied big time , so at one of our trips at campfire, we will let you explain those events in detail!:lol:

Interesting presentation choice doing the video in B&W when you are transmitting. I think I like it!

Hey Evan - you looked and sounded like a pro. I don't think I knew how to use a radio back when I soloed,

Congratulations Evan!!! Big day for sure!

I soloed a year ago this week. Way too nervous to have even thought about a video, so good for you!

I'm about half way through my instrument now....sure miss the days of having to concentrate on keeping my head OUT of the cockpit.

Congrats Evan. Such a great feeling, that we all remember well!

Way cool maaan! And nice job on all fronts!

CW

Congratulations! Only get to make your first solo flight once. Nice work making it count!

Thanks for all the kind words. The fact that I had a year to mentally prepare for this helped a lot. I WAS SO READY!

As far as my complete sentences, my instructor is also a controller at the KPKB tower and he was a controller on the USS Nimitz (I think). So he's by the book and always on me to say the proper thing!

By the way, I was getting the Cherokee stopped the other day in less than 800 ft with half fuel and two on board (practicing short field landings). I can't wait to try it for real.

Congrats! It really is a day you'll remember--and you won't need your video to do that. I still very vividly remember my first solo, warts and all, 41 years ago, at Fort Rich, AK. Don't recall the N number of the airplane, but it was a yellow 150 with "long range" tanks--so that we couldn't legally fill the tanks and take off with 2 people of even moderate size aboard. Wonderful!

Cary

Congratulations, Evan. I'm sitting here in the ol' Bark-a-lounger, watching your first solo. Your vid made me look up at my first solo shirt tail framed in glass on the wall. Made me think of the excitement of that flight. You will never forget it. Well done.

My solo was some 50 years ago in Cessna 140 N2222N - oh what a day 7 different airplanes ! One bit of advise on final approach set the speed with the elevator ( say like 60 or ?) And keep it there . The jocking around up-down up- Down should never bee " set your airspeed with nose and hold it there " maybe a little more flare at 2 or so ft. Off the deck. This runway looks miles long and wide . Keep up the practice and good landing now your on your way to more adventures . Good luck

Trim. Trim. Trim. Trim.

Good job! Did I say trim?

Mine was 43 1/2 years ago, today, in a 1951 PA-18 with an O-235. That solo was nice, because it was the first flight I got to make where I wasn't getting beat over the head with a greasy ball cap by the guy in the back seat for screwing something up!

Gump