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NWFlyer

Congraulations ACMESkydiver!!!

By NWFlyer, in The Bonfire

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karenmeal    0

karenmeal
Yay!!! congratulations Jaye!!!

Now be careful those first hundred hours!

When will you be able to take me on some bandit jumps?


-Karen

Sorry I didn't call you back, we had some drama.:S Jeff wasn't working Sunday anyways.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

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Guest 1010   

Guest 1010
>When will you be able to take me on some bandit jumps?


yes!! We neeeeeeeeeeeeed a good bandit pilot in the NW to get around these clouds ......

You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two.

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ACMESkydiver    0

ACMESkydiver
Ah man, THANK YOU guys and gals!! I have pictures to post, but I have to put the babies to bed before I can upload them! ;)

I solo'd, so I have the ability to fly the airplane. Now then the license, on the other hand, is still coming...:ph34r:

Tomorrow is cross-country to Bellingham, then night flights...yep, it's coming together quite nicely.
~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

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ACMESkydiver    0

ACMESkydiver
Thanky! Now, for the details (prolly too much, but hey I'm excited!)...

There is a moment in every pilot's life that they never forget, so I am told. -There are actually a few of them, and two of them happened today...

First Solo Flight.

It was more incredible than I could have ever hope for! It was, for lack of a better word, perfect.

Ben and I walk up to 'Charlie', my airplane. -It's not my airplane in title, but today, it's my airplane. In our flight school, a student's solo goes like this: pre-solo flight, including some take-offs and landings with your instructor, then when both parties are comfortable, they land and park the aircraft. The student then begins the entire sequence of pre-flight by themselves, with the instructor standing off to the side of the parking area, handheld scanner in hand.

For our pre-solo, we go up, and the first landing I'm over-excited and it's not so hot. Not terrible, but ballooned a little. "Too much speed Jaye. Back it off just a touch earlier"

The next landing I'm playing with the throttle too much and eyeing the pavement as we touch down, "You're jerking at the last minute, remember to transition your eyes."

Landing number 3: I turn on final, lined up with the extended centerline, I have the runway, third notch in, eeeeease out the power, and I say aloud, "Easy, easy, easy...looking at the end." The mains touch and we glide down so smooth you could drink a 7-11 coffee with the lid off. LIKE BUTTA. Ben looks at me and says:

"Beautiful".

2nd moment a pilot never forgets:

The Moment You 'Get It' On Your Landings

This is a revelation for me. This moment wasn't going to happen for dozens of landings...I was never dangerous, but never 'smooth'. Today it was like a ride on greased rails...

After two more gorgeous landings, we park the plane. We both jump out. "Clear blue and 22 a million feet up, Jaye. This is the time to do it."

I pre-flight my airplane. I hop in. I start the engine, taxi, call ground..."Renton Ground, Piper Warrior 8756C is at Cedar River parking for close right traffic with Yankee. Student pilot, first solo."

"Warrior 56C, taxi 33."

I stop short at 33. "Renton Tower, Piper Warrior 8756C is holding short 33. Close right traffic, student pilot , first solo."

After a brief hold-short for landing traffic, I'm given my clearance...and those words I speak mean so much more to me when I say back, "Warrior 56C, cleared for take-off."

I start rolling forward, not worried, but focused. I say everything I do in the airplane aloud, "Lights. Camera. Action. Full throttle. Instruments in the green and airpeed is alive. Here's rotation." (-Wow, it does climb a bit faster without two in front!) I'm already at 700' well before my crosswind point.

I turn to cross. I check downwind, and turn to downwind, and am very CAREFUL not to blow through 1000', as I'm light and climbing a bunch faster...throttle back to 21...

"Before landing checklist.
Boost
Carb heat
Gas tank
Undercarriage
Mix rich
Prop
Seatbelts
Lights"

I'm abeam my touchdown point. Throttle back to 16; verify airspeed in the white arc, and first notch of flaps. Tower calls me; "Warrior 8756C cleared touch and go," I answer "Full stop taxi-back if able, 56C."
"Roger 56C."

Keep that heading...dropping down to 750', time to turn base...still in the white arc...drop the 2nd notch...there's my runway off to my right. Final is clear, and I have clearance...
Turn onto final. I'm above glideslope, but I can feel the plane sinking, and I know I'll come down right on top of it in another 100 feet. There it is, just like I knew it would be..."Line up with the extended centerline."
I have the runway made, third notch of flaps. Ease the power back, ease it back, the plane only sees airspeed on the wings, make it the same airspeed, and you will have the same landing..."Easy, easy, looking at the end,"

Touch the mains, and the nose settles. So sweet, so beautiful.

Twice more. On my last landing, the stall warning horn goes off right as the mains are easing onto the runway (SHWEEEET! Perfect timing, I've landed at the exact right pitch. Ben told me that in a 'perfectly timed' landing the stall warning horn will sound right as you touch down, but I had never seen it!! :ph34r:)

I park the plane, jump out, and "WOO-HOO!!!"'s and hugs abound. We jump in his car to go get lunch; neither of us had eaten all day and it's after 3.

Ben and I grab some teriyaki and head back to the flight school. We sit there and eat our lunch, and talk about flying and skydiving (he's also a jump-pilot). Just a couple of pilots. Talking. Eating lunch. I feel like I belong.

B|
~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

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SkyDaemon    0

SkyDaemon
Jaye,

Life is interesting up here in the Great White North... I'm normally not a dropzone.com poster, but I had to wish you all the best on your poloroid day :-) You more than deserve it!

I hope you're doing great :-) How's life with you?

-=Raistlin
find / -name jumpers -print; cat jumpers $USER > manifest; cd /dev/airplane; more altitude; make jump; cd /pub; more beer;



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Guest 1010   

Guest 1010
Quote


First Solo Flight.



That's sweet! Congrats Jaye!

You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two.

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masterrig    1

masterrig
Quote

Ah man, THANK YOU guys and gals!! I have pictures to post, but I have to put the babies to bed before I can upload them! ;)

I solo'd, so I have the ability to fly the airplane. Now then the license, on the other hand, is still coming...:ph34r:

Tomorrow is cross-country to Bellingham, then night flights...yep, it's coming together quite nicely.


______________________________________

Good going! That is just too cool! You've worked hard for it! Congratulations and fly safe.


Chuck

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