What was your time at solo?

[scottfromiowa]

Just curious what the MooneySpace time in type was for that first time around the patch when the performance (if you were in a C-150) seemed fantastic!  It is understood that there are many reasons for additional time to achieve that first "solo" flight.  I remember mine 11 August 2000 like it was yesterday...

[mooneygirl]

13.5 for me in Hood River, Oregon. It was a beautiful day, hardly any wind, just lovely. I remember I had the BEST landing. I just hooted on the radio!

[MooneyMitch]

13.5 for me.  I remember the moment well.  Lompoc, CA.   One of the most exciting days of my life!!

[Sabremech]

Solo in any airplane or in a Mooney? 12 hours to solo in a Mooney. First time out with no instructor and flew with my wife up to Sheboygan Wi for lunch. What an airplane. Wish I had bought one sooner.

[Ned Gravel]

14 for me.  Got me by surprise.  I will always remember the feeling sitting at the end of 19 in Kingston Ontario in November 1986 after Bill told me to take it up for two by myself.

"Get off the runway!!!!  Its mine!!!!"  Or, uh, words to that effect.....

 

[Sven]

It was on December 6, 1981 just a couple days before my 18th birthday. I had 8.2 hours and was absolutely not expecting to solo until my birthday when my instructor got out of the Traumahawk and sent me around pattern three times. Surprise! The air in Maple Lake, Minnesota was super cold and dense. I've never made three more perfect landings in a row in all my flying career. Shortly after that my instructor switched me over to a 152 which was much easier to fly. I asked him why we hadn't started in the 152? He told me that if I could solo in a Traumahawk, I could fly anything.

[yellowjacket]

I solo'd at hour number 8 in a C-150. I couldn't believe how well it climbed and how much it bounced around by the unstable air. I loved it and remember it like it was yesterday. BTW, the plane and instructor cost $14/hour. My PPL cost $450.

Jim

[Stefanovm]

I cannot remember exactly, 1970. My logbook was stolen, so I can not recreate. It was about 6. However, it took 45 to PPL in a Piper Cherokee 140. I was the first student of a new instructor. This had a few pluses and a lot of minuses.

[eaglebkh]

13.3 hours in the friendly and loyal Cessna 150

[joc]

I had about 20 hours in Cessna 172. The airport was a very demanding airport with 800 m long runway and surrounded by obstacles and with a strong crosswind so I had to demonstrate skills for landing in a pretty strong crosswind before my first solo. The benefit of learning landing technique I could see later as I never had problems with short runways and strong crosswinds.

[Jrob]

I too remember it like it was yesterday probably because it was!!  Solo'd 9/11/2010 in Cherokee PA28-180 at KLBB.  Bumpy, hot, windy but will never forget it and I doubt my 5 year-old boy will either.  He was amazed that his dad could fly and airplane all by himself and then asked if I could fly a whale jet (Southwest Air - Shamu 1) next. 

[Ned Gravel]

JRob:

Congratulations.  Solo done.  Now keep it up to get 'er done. 

"...For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return...." *

* A most famous aviation quote that is not really verifiable. It is attributed everywhere (including some Smithsonian publications and the Washington Post) to Leonardo da Vinci, but it cannot be definitively attributed to him. One of our Mooneyspace members (Aerobat95) uses it as his signature line.

[carusoam]

JRob,

Congratulations on your accomplishment.  Did someone cut the tail off your shirt?

Keep in mind, you may still be in the running to win "earliest to Mooney ownership"

http://www.mooneyspace.com/index.cfm?mainaction=posts&forumid=1&threadid=1558

For many of us, it is just too late.....

Best regards,

-a-

[Bob]

Cool Jrob!

What was your time at solo?

[Jrob]

I made a couple of mistakes during my solo.  First, I wore a nice shirt which has been "altered" and is not really presentable anymore.  I also had to go-around on my second approach as the wind (040 at 14) was getting a little testy for me and runway 8.  No big deal.  Overall, all 3 landings were safe even if they weren't greasers.  Officially, I had 18.5 hours in the book before solo.

I am definitely looking forward to buying hopefullly in about 6 months.  I am planning on punishing the Cherokee's gear for now and taking my time.  I would appreciate some input on E and F models as I think that is what I will consider most seriously.  Typical mission will be my wife and 5 year-old son OR a buddy on a 2-3 hour cross country.  I think they are the best looking planes on the field.

 

[Jrob]

I made a couple of mistakes during my solo.  First, I wore a nice shirt which has been "altered" and is not really presentable anymore.  I also had to go-around on my second approach as the wind (040 at 14) was getting a little testy for me and runway 8.  No big deal.  Overall, all 3 landings were safe even if they weren't greasers.  Officially, I had 18.5 hours in the book before solo.

I am definitely looking forward to buying hopefullly in about 6 months.  I am planning on punishing the Cherokee's gear for now and taking my time.  I would appreciate some input on E and F models as I think that is what I will consider most seriously.  Typical mission will be my wife and 5 year-old son OR a buddy on a 2-3 hour cross country.  I think they are the best looking planes on the field.