Trying to piece the day together.

There’s so much about my first solo that I just don’t remember. This worries me slightly as normally I can remember every turn, every radio call, every good feeling, every slip up.
I get random flashbacks of things I recall, so I’m just jotting them down here as I remember them. I anticipate multiple posts just to split the text up a bit.

I remember thinking that we were just coming in for the end of a lesson. I genuinely didn’t think I’d done well enough to go solo. Too many small errors and dicey landings. Looking back now I realise that the difference between my flying now and when I started circuits is not my ability to make mistakes but my ability to correct them.

I remember Bob asking me how I felt about going solo. I remember telling him that I would never agree to it without being pushed. He said that ideally he would like to see more consistency in my landings but he had no hesitation in sending me solo. Then I recall telling him “No” – I wasn’t ready, not after today’s flight. He asked me why – was it because I needed pushing or was I genuinely not able to?

Then I remember a stream of incoherent profanity which somehow ended up in my agreeing to do it. I really don’t remember how I came to that conclusion. Seriously, I was so torn between thinking I I was completely out of my depth and knowing that I needed to move past this.

Next came some kind of pre-solo tips and tactics talk from Bob. I’m sorry Bob; I didn’t hear a word you said!

To be continued........