For anyone that will be near Jandakot...

[Zebedee]

doug more or less got it in one,

Which is a first for me to actually be able to understand something *and* be able to explain it semi-coherently to someone else!!!

...a downwind will slam us onto the runway, which isn't good in any respect

Yeah, I suspect that student pilots manage that all by themselves without the assistance of any downwind {ducks and runs!}

I'm sure Nathan will be able to update us on how things went when he gets home later

[Tyranus]

I'm sure Nathan will be able to update us on how things went when he gets home later

But a) he's under age, b) he's the pilot so he shouldn't be drinking himself to oblivion for the nerves of a solo flight ...presuming your means that he was allowed on the runway see all optimism!

[Zebedee]

But a) he's under age, b) he's the pilot so he shouldn't be drinking himself to oblivion for the nerves of a solo flight ...presuming your means that he was allowed on the runway see all optimism!

Hehe - I've heard him use the expression "eight hours from bottle to throttle" before ... or words something similar to that, so I'm sure that any alcohol consumed was by the people outside the plane, afraid for their lives

As for the under age part ... I have the evidence, in the form of late night text messages that barely resemble the English language, that like any pilot, he doesn't mind a drink or two ... So long as he doesn't get like that Russian airline pilot who made the news the other week for being too drunk to fly

[Nafenn]

well, went solo... finally

Did 4 circuits with an instructor, followed by one solo. The first circuit was fine asside from the windshear on short final, which made me go around... second was fine, till a singaporean pilot took his sweet time getting off the runway... so i went around - with about 100m between me and him ... third and fourth were great circuits, despite breaking the law on final for the 4th (i rolled the wings level 100 feet below the legally required height), and he still sent me solo.

now, the solo circuit went well... asside from the landing. i had a gust of croswind when i was about 2 feet off the ground, landing: Right main, nose, Left main... which is a fairly bad landing

but, still got the certificate, and the red writing in my log book:



if anyone is wondering what i am holding... its part of the bell... i broke it

[Tyranus]

well, went solo... finally

Did 4 circuits with an instructor, followed by one solo. The first circuit was fine asside from the windshear on short final, which made me go around... second was fine, till a singaporean pilot took his sweet time getting off the runway... so i went around - with about 100m between me and him ... third and fourth were great circuits, despite breaking the law on final for the 4th (i rolled the wings level 100 feet below the legally required height), and he still sent me solo.

now, the circuits went well... asside from the landing. i had a gust of croswind when i was about 2 feet off the ground, landing: Right main, nose, Left main... which is a fairly bad landing

but, still got the certificate, and the red writing in my log book:

image removed as it was immensly huge!

if anyone is wondering what i am holding... its part of the bell... i broke it

Jeesh the younger generation, drinking underage, breaking the law whilst flying and breaking bells! haha Well done though Nathan, I'm glad you managed to get up and have a flight today, after all the problems that you've been having. So does this mean you're going to go pick up GKoutlis from over east when it's time for him to come home?

[auntys_eyes]

Congrats Nafenn, well done on your milestone.

[Off Topic] - Was filming for a while at Jandakot yesterday for a story on Robin Miller (The Sugar Bird Lady). If you have ever noticed the Mooney mounted up on a stand opposite the RFDS... that is her memorial (unfortunately not her actuall aircraft, which is rusting in a shed in rural Qld ). If you saw a TV crew there yesterday it was me filming some vision with her sister. [/Off Topic]

[Nafenn]

Congrats Nafenn, well done on your milestone.

[Off Topic] - Was filming for a while at Jandakot yesterday for a story on Robin Miller (The Sugar Bird Lady). If you have ever noticed the Mooney mounted up on a stand opposite the RFDS... that is her memorial (unfortunately not her actuall aircraft, which is rusting in a shed in rural Qld ). If you saw a TV crew there yesterday it was me filming some vision with her sister. [/Off Topic]

nah, was in the runway cafe all day... you shoud have come up and said hi

[meg]

Congrats Nafenn - may this be the first of many many many more

[Zebedee]

Yep - I gave him my congratulations there and then (celebrated in the traditional way ... with Nando's chicken ) but from an observer's perspective, I think Nathan's description above needs some perspective...

For someone with a grand total of 15 flying hours, I think he's being a bit hard on himself expecting every single thing to be "textbook". He took off well, did a great circuit, was lined up perfectly on the runway, and was scuppered at the last second by a sideways gust of wind as the wheels were about to touch the tarmac. From my vantage point on top of the RACWA building, it looked OK to me - there were plenty of other planes out there wobbling about a heck of a lot more!

(Also, I think Nathan has to win the award for the "most casual sounding on the radio" during his solo ... imagine the kind of voice you'd use sitting down at the beach, without a carein the world, and you'll get the picture )

[Nafenn]

Yep - I gave him my congratulations there and then (celebrated in the traditional way ... with Nando's chicken ) but from an observer's perspective, I think Nathan's description above needs some perspective...

For someone with a grand total of 15 flying hours, I think he's being a bit hard on himself expecting every single thing to be "textbook". He took off well, did a great circuit, was lined up perfectly on the runway, and was scuppered at the last second by a sideways gust of wind as the wheels were about to touch the tarmac. From my vantage point on top of the RACWA building, it looked OK to me - there were plenty of other planes out there wobbling about a heck of a lot more!

(Also, I think Nathan has to win the award for the "most casual sounding on the radio" during his solo ... imagine the kind of voice you'd use sitting down at the beach, without a carein the world, and you'll get the picture )

its the aviation world, dont accept anything under perfect - thats the way it works :p

[Zebedee]

its the aviation world, dont accept anything under perfect - thats the way it works :p

I prefer "aim for perfection, but accept something close-ish"

[Zebedee]

Instructor: "I'm getting out, this is all too scary..."



Nathan: "Awwwwww, nice plane {HUGS}"



"I can't believe I survived!!!"

[Nafenn]

Instructor: "I'm getting out, this is all too scary..."

i would have put down "i have better things to do"

[Zebedee]

Or "Too bloody hot out here, I'm off to the cafe..." (or the pub )

[Tyranus]

Yeah it was rather toasty...I need to learn how to parachute first if that's what you fly