First Solo

Met up with Josh at 8 o'clock on a Saturday. Everything was just a regular routine, for the most part. We stayed in the pattern at the airport, and did two touch and goes. When we were coming around for the third one, he announced to the tower that this would be a full stop landing. What the hell!?!? Taxi back to the ramp, and go through shutdown. We head inside, and Josh asked for my logbook. He filled out my solo endorsement and asked if I was ready. I told him "You know more about it than I do." He told me to go give him three good ones (Landings) and that he would be listening. I went back out with a rather odd feeling in my stomach. After calling the tower for taxi clearance, I had to taxi over two miles to get to the active runway. This gives you plenty of time to think about what is about to happen. "I'm either going to do this, or I'm gonna end up in a smoking hulk at the end of the runway."

Anyway, I pull up to the hold short line and call the tower. Tower replies with "Cherokee 8 Mike Charlie, cleared for take off, runway 26, make right closed traffic" I pull out onto the runway and begin my take off roll. the whole time I'm thinking to myself "You can stop this any time, You can stop this anytime." next thing I know, the nose is in the air, then the plane is leaving the safety of Terra firma, and climbing skyward. "Holy shit, I'm in a an airplane by myself, and now I have to land the damn thing!" I come around and start setting up for landing. I look and everything is spot on. Pitch, airspeed, glide path, everything is good as gold. "My god, I'm gonna pull this off, after all." The landing was one of the best I ever had. After two more trip around the pattern and two more good landings, I taxied back to the school and was greeted by cameras, handshakes, and the congratulatory "Good job." I spent the rest of the day just beaming. My wife was ecstatic after I told her that I soloed. Mom, on the other hand was glad that she didn't know about it. I kept it to myself as not to raise too many worries about my well being. All in all, I had a great day and it is not soon to be forgotten