There is nothing like the first time and this week we both reflect on and celebrate the FIRST SOLO. Probably a day that aviators remember more than most, join us as we reflect on Wally's first solo exactly 39 years later today - December 7, 1981.
There is nothing like the first time and this week we both reflect on and celebrate the FIRST SOLO. Probably a day that aviators remember more than most, join us as we reflect on Wally's first solo exactly 39 years later today - December 7, 1981. Bobby's first solo came in July 2015 and we both reminisce on those days. We also interview a student who just solo'ed and get to relive that moment all over again, Finally, we share a number of tips and tricks to make your solo go great! Check out Bobby's first solo video below! Enjoy!
Bobby's First Solo Video
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What's up, Wally? Hey Bobby, how are you? I'm great. This is a special episode for both of us. I think probably for any aviator. One of the days that we all remember the most is that first time we soloed. This week is all about the first solo. Absolutely. Today's a very historic day in in our country, December 7th. And we all can probably remember the speech, December 7, 1941: the day that lives in infamy. And this isn't about that, but this happens to be the thirty-ninth anniversary of my first solo fight. I soloed on December 7, 1981. I took off on runway 4 at 09:17 am in Tomahawk N2549A alpha in Monroe, LA. So obviously, that date Resonates with me because of that. I don't remember the date of my private pilot check ride. I don't remember the dates of any of my check Rides really. but This is a date that resonates with me. And in fact, next year in 2021 on December 7, I plan to be in Monroe. And I want to coordinate with air traffic control and I want to recreate it. I want to forty years to the day. I want to take off on runway 4 at 09:17 in the morning. and Just something I want to do for me. so that that'll be a year from now. That'll be awesome. And if which, in fact I know we will be doing the show at that point, We will probably be live on the runway while he does that on Facebook or something. and let everybody watch Wally recreate that With live audio of his forty-year anniversary.
my first solo was July 12, 2015 and not quite forty years ago but I remember that day vividly. I remember, I remember telling my instructor for probably a week or so that I’m not ready and you're not going to get out of this aircraft. He kept talking about, you know: we're getting close, We're getting close, We're getting close. And I knew I could land the plane, But I just didn't feel like I didn't have the confidence. Like, what if, what if, what if, was probably what was going through my mind. I'm a little bit of a worst-case Scenario guy sometimes. so, I actually flew over to Brenham with my instructor. We ate lunch with my dad, Who lives in Brenham. Normal, great, beautiful day at the Brenham airport and the Brenham diner there, and we miss you Brenham diner. And we Fly back he's like today's the day! we're going to get back in the, I'm going to get on the plane and I’ll never forget that you know twenty-five-minute flight in a 172 from Brenham. I was like, My hands were sweating house getting nervous. I kind of wish he would have told me after we were on the ground, but We talk through it. We got back to the pattern. We flew the three laps with him In the in the in the aircraft with me. and I’ll never forget we kind of pull up to the triangle, He got out and walked away, And then It was go time. and I have that video on YouTube, I'll put it in the show notes make sure you guys can watch it. It was a big day. I’ll never forget. I've probably never talked more than I talked in that cockpit that day Any other flight to date. I was every, every airspeed everything I was dealing with my hands every turn. I was, I was definitely in go mode for sure.
I i was the same way. I do Remember talking to myself. Again, that was a long time ago. It was before everybody had Cameras or phones in their pocket, and obviously before social media and all that stuff. so, mine was a little bit Lower key. There wasn't all the fanfare behind it. I remember that day. I don't remember the day of the week, But it was either a Monday a Wednesday or Friday. And I know that because at ten o'clock that day I had an aero-dynamics class, aviation 301: aero-dynamics. and I had an 8:30 or 8:00 flight With my instructor, and he did not allude to me at all that I might solo.
This day Obviously I had all my, I had my medical and all that stuff. But I just remember staying in the pattern with them and then he said: okay, Let's taxi in. And I kind of remember thinking only done about three landings, Why are we going in? And he said keep the engine running and go do two touch-and-goes then a full stop. and I don't think I had enough time to get nervous. I just remember getting out to the end of the runway and taking off. and Probably about three hundred feet, I looked over at The fuel gauges and I realized I probably had about three hours’ worth of fuel. And I just remember thinking to myself: okay, I've got three hours before I really have to put this airplane on the ground; worst-case scenario. And of course, I stayed in the pattern and did the touch-and-goes. I do remember Air traffic control of, Monroe is a controlled airport Class Delta, and I do remember the them giving me right hand patterns. And I’m not sure I had ever done that, quite honestly. and I just remember thinking “Oh wow Well I just turn right instead of turning left.” and obviously it worked just fine and i came back in and I got out of the airplane and nobody was there to meet me. I went into the flight school. And I paid my bill and I drove to school and I went to aerodynamics class. There was no big fanfare, You know. When I became an instructor, we did a little bit more fanfare. We did the Some of the traditions that we're going to talk about here in a little while; the cutting of the shirttail and all that kind of stuff, but Yeah, I think about that day. It was just one of the A very proud day for me. And its obviously very proud day for any student pilot to solo the first time.
Yeah, I looked it up on the internet. That was a Monday. and The other big thing that happened that day was Spain Became a member of NATO. So, you'll forget that either So yeah it. We've probably all different experiences whether we knew and maybe As a fly school owner see people that come in. They think today's the day. And maybe the winds prevent it. maybe. The ceilings prevented Maybe the first three laps. Don't go as good as they thought it was going go in in that prevents it on that given day. I've seen the emotions of those days. And I’ve seen emotions of the successful flights as well so I’m sure we've all been around varying degrees of excitement and heartbreak as it relates to the solo day. But it's supposed to be an exciting day. It is you know of all things aviation what say maybe all things in in life. There's only a few things we do One time for the first time you know that that is that monumental right. and everyone much like you said We all take check rides. We probably don't all know those dates But we probably all remember that solo day very significantly. That may be the day We got a noise canceling headset for the first time. Some something like that but My day was it was hot. And I remember how hot it was July twelfth in Houston, Texas at sea level is hot humid day. Um we do have a seven-thousand-foot runway here so There was no concerns for me. But I remember I was I remember being I was countdown. There's number one number One crosswind, number one down when number one based. number two crosswind there to, one to go, one to go. I just remember not that. I wanted it to be over. But I wanted to be. I wanted the accomplishment to happen right We talked a little bit about it if you follow any social media pages for behind the prop. There is a banner Image on linked in, Facebook, twitter all of our feeds and that banner image is a picture of a Cessna kind of early evening. I mean its definitely still daylight suns behind some clouds there. But that picture of that Cessna’s me on my third supervise solo and that's my third lap. and it to me, It's a distinguishing picture. Says that's the Last time I had to be supervised. I Had my solo ticket pretty much. After that I had my ability to fly across countries with with endorsements but that instructor and I had done enough worked where I was able to really fly alone.
Yeah, course had a lot of work to do. And I’ve come a long way since that day learned a lot about aviation But that picture on the banner of our social media feeds is my third supervised solo and Was a was probably pretty important day. But it wasn't like the first time right. And then I think I go back to that first time before we start recorded, they we talked about. How many people do we think this year got their first time in This fly school. We do a lot of cool things while he talked about shirttails. We'll talk about that next but We give away a t shirt for every student that does there. I thas solo. And that's t shirt is a solo day on. It's got our logo on the back. It's got the cutout for the details. I think at the beginning of the year. I bought two hundred and fifty of those shirts. And it's time to order some more so I’m going to guess hundreds of first solos of happen at this school this year. You brought up man with it. How cool would it be? Didn't know how many people solo d- in all of our aircraft over the thirty-three years we've been in business well that'd be a pretty cool stat And as these planes have been around for a long time some of some of these some of our planes have moved onto other places but If you don't know where your aircraft is, he sold in look in your logbook. Find that tail number A quick search on google will probably bring up flight Aware that tail number and you'll be able to see where it was I. I looked mine up before the Podcasts and it was flying. Last week in phoenix Arizona so it's moved onto a drier higher hotter climate probably If you don't know where your aircraft is or you're interested go out there and look for the tail number of Flight Aware. I'm sure you can find that aircraft somewhere in the So let's talk shirttails. He said you didn't get cut now. Mine didn't get cut a kind of had heard about it not regularly around the school At the time. But I think I wore a shirt just in case that it if it did get cut. I wasn't going to lose a good shirt right. Yeah, that's why we give one away so that people don't they're good shirts you'd hate to wear tommy Bahama that day that offer. Maybe a brand-new Columbia shirt. I might be bad. But we give that t shirt away and we want that as a keepsake Do you know where that comes from. Wally well I just heard that it was the term was clipping. The tail feathers. I've heard that. I've heard a lot of variations of where that comes from. But I looked it up and Wikipedia years ago. When someone was asking why do you. Why are you doing this. and Wikipedia. Maybe not the best source in the world but a good source says that Back in the early days when you would fly in a in a plane you would be student in the front instructor in the back so More down the fuselage side by side and that the instructor would pull your shirt tails to turn right. You pull the right side turn left and no intercoms, no radios. You're screaming at each other And the Wikipedia says that That's why you cut the tail so once you've so load you need your sir tells anymore because your instructor doesn't have to guide where you're going to turn or go which I think's interesting so somewhere between cutting your tail feathers and no longer needing your instructor in the backseat Is why though shirt tails are cut and It's a big deal. We cut that piece off and we encourage instructors and students to write the date and tell them tell whatever story they want to tell her whatever's on their mind We had instructor probably within the last six months. Who I would advise all of you not to take that shirt tail and put it on the fuselage as you wrote messaging A sharpie will go right through a t shirt and onto the fuselage of a Cessna. that's white Wally. And that will stay there in the perpetuity. If you're not careful. Oh, that's funny. So is it still on the airplane. It is not. We've done a lot of research and found that if you use. Toothpaste toothpastes with a little. Bit of water will get permanent marker off of aircraft. So that's nice to know that. Go in the log book that did well the solo in the log book but not the time I spent cleaning the toothpaste. Now we've all seen scared. Instructors coming in talking to the owners before but that young man was a little nervous when he came in my door and said I have a problem. I have. I've written all over of your aircraft with the sharpie completely incidental but it was funny story that day for sure. That's funny I. I know When I became a CFI and started soloing. Students I wanted to make a bigger deal out of it than that. Might instructor did I. I still to this day.
Thirty-nine years later. Feel like I got a little short change. But anyway, I’ll get over it the one thing that I realized you know Teaching them in Monroe Louisiana in the south. It's most of the time it's hot So when I cut that first shirt. It's amazing. How wet. The shirt was would sweat. And I. you know its kind of like. Oh boy this is. This is kind of kind of gross. But I got over real quick and learned. What kind of permanent markers Did best on on wet cotton. Because that's usually what I was riding on but it was always a fun thing to do with the student. Speaking of that you instructed for quite some time what solo story. Stick out to you as the instructor who I ask. All these instructors was your first solo student that you signed off on and let leave the triangle per se. Was that a bigger day for you than your own solo And some say quite frankly that it is that that that's more nerve wracking. That's a bigger deal. They've done so much to get to that point. That's a big deal. Tell some of your solo students’ stories. The you accomplished with your students. I think it is a bigger deal. It's more nerve wracking because it's when you when you cut them loose it's totally out of out of your control, I remember the first times. My daughters got a car and drove away Much less you know. A of course they both have soloed as well but You know it's like oh boy. Did I did. I cover everything that I remind them of this And I had one student who And I was listening to him talking. Atc on the radio and so he took off and for whatever reason they The tower asked them to ident- Little bit strange in the pattern but anyway he did he. I said I don't even remember the airplane number but they said You know it was probably a piper tomahawk. And I’ll just use the one that I sold in top four nine alpha ident- and the student came back on the radio Roger tomahawk two five four nine alpha and then the controller said four nine alpha ident- and then he just came back and he said tomahawk two five four nine alpha and I’m sitting there and I’m thinking to myself. Oh my gosh. We have not had the opportunity for me to teach them that. There's this little button on the transponder. That's an ident- button. And the controller wants to push the button and the student just keeps giving the tail number back to the controller so after this exchange goes on about three or four times the controller finally says son. There's a button on the transponder says ident- underneath it. I want you to push that button. And you hear the students In in a very nervous voice Yes sir yes sir and he pushes the button and Of course he came in and as he got out airplane, he thought he was in trouble. And I had to calm him down. Say you know it's fine. It's no big deal. That was my fault. That's an oversight on my part. But I think as an instructor you're always thinking okay. What if what if what if and you know. Obviously, the vast majority of students’ solos go just fine. We did have one instructor At the flight school that I was teaching at who had a student and one thing that that my father taught me was to never really let the students know that they're going to solo. Don't say hey tomorrow you're going to solo because you know you know you want them to just get a good night's sleep you don't want them all up all night being nervous that kind of stuff but anyway so I always subscribe to that. I always was very nonchalant about things but anyway this. One instructor had evidently told his student that tomorrow he was going to solo and the Instructor drove up to the flight school and he saw the truck that a student was driving parked in the parking lot and he went in and he asked where a student was and the people behind the front desk said well, he got here forty-five minutes ago and he got the keys to the airplane and the instructor walked out and realized that his student was up there. Flying around in the pattern by himself Without the proper endorsements and everything and so he kind of freaked out and the guy came in and landed and he said The instructor said what did you just do.
And he said well. He told me I was going to solo tomorrow so I soloed but recently even surprise them yet. Yeah, so It all turned out nobody. Nobody got hurt or anything. And I’m not sure. I guess He at that point went in and made the proper endorsements to make what just happened legal but anyway so sure. There's crazier stories than that. Oh yeah. Yeah, I like to. I spend a lot of time in the summers up in Alaska flying trips up there and they have a city tour. A bus tour. That goes around anchorage and it goes out to the airport. And they talk a lot about aviation history and one thing they like to say is that Alaska has you know twenty-five thousand pilots and Twelve thousand of them are actually licensed. Heard that a lot that they learned to fly on their own up there and many of them don't have a license but they're really good pilots and yeah, those bush pilots are probably better stick and rudder pilots of us. Yeah, in the wind in the cold right. So, one thing we worked hard to do was to Obviously share our stories on for solos but we thought that there would be no better thing to do than to interview a student on the show right after they got out of their solo. So, we have Austin with us. Austin literally just came off the airfield where here hooks airport and Austin just did his. I supervise solo Austin. How you feeling doing great bobby. Thanks for asking awesome. So, Austin is working with an instructor named Jacoby are process at united flight systems. Is I someone to fly three laps in the pattern with the student. Then the cfi does the infamous exit from the aircraft. And then the student pilot gets in closes The door, buckles everything up, and then goes off for their supervised solo. So, tell me a little bit about the thoughts that you were having this morning when you got up you guys obviously had this plan you knew today was going to be your solo. Hopefully right yeah. Yeah, so weather Look great. I was even checking it kind of religiously. We had done a night flight the night before. So, I got home at about eleven and was checking the weather kind of religiously. Everything looked good. And in the morning, When I woke up everything looked great. Winds calm and I was thinking not a better day. Just couldn't be a better day for it. So, what was the last METAR or the is what was what was the weather just a few minutes ago. Yeah, so when we actually ended up going out it was ended up being Like 310. Three two zero at Five or six or four or five so ended up just being just a little bit of a cross wind which makes things interesting. that's good keeps. You keep you awake. and that you do three laps with Jacoby. Who has probably talking. And he's saying job. What was what was building as you did. The first one. And then you probably greased it. So, I hadn't flown in about eighteen or nineteen days before that solo flights. My first landing was a little rough. And I could I could hear him without him Saying it thinking you can do better than that. So, the next lap I just kept hearing him Say watch your airspeed. What's what speed should you be at? What speech to be at. And once I started picking up on that and I could I could hear without him even saying it landings got better and then you know the infamous drop out like you said taxi back to the triangle and he hops out. And you're just kind of in your own world there.
Yes so. I remember when I sold, I guess it was July 2015 I remember when mine instructor got out. I wasn't really planned it. We knew we were close to bobby soloing but that day I did not know he was planning on getting out, right? so it was kind of a. Oh wow this is really happening for me. Wasn't like came in planning but when he got out it seemed like that Cessna cockpit grew immensely. Yes, four times bigger than it was before. how empty that cockpit feel? I mean I’m a big guy so you know for me. I'm very used to bumping into somebody in that cockpit and you're one hundred percent correct you kind of feel almost naked. You're like where am I. What am I doing here be here you know. Am I ready for this type question. And I had every bit of that. I mean my uncle's been a pilot since two thousand six. I did a lot of the training with him. When I was nine or ten years old. So, I’ve always been in the cockpit with somebody. I've always kind of had that failsafe. ESPECIALLY not being and then you know he steps out and you're just kind of like go. Yeah, where am I. And then it almost became natural. You keep the radio taxi clearance and go up to one. Seven right at Charlie and ev- everything from there just like a ball rolling downhill. You got better and better and better. and we have some great controllers here very aware of the fact that you just had to cfi get out of the aircraft taking care of you with white gloves, and they do a great job around here. but you get the Charlie in your whole short for the first time the other thing that I remember kind of at that moment was there's no one to ask a question to Jacoby has a radio in his hand.
But you're probably not going to ask him a question on the radio. no. And I think I became a better pilot because of that almost instantaneously. Yeah, and I can agree with that. There was there was at least one situation where I thought I would ask him for this but then I said you know what it's sink or swim. You need to make those decisions on your own. He's not going to be there to hold your hand forever and the other radio work the being they're listening for my tail number. I knew that that he wasn't going to be there to pick up. If I miss the radio call some a just listening much better than I was before I think but I did a lot of talking to myself. Did you talk to yourself in the plane? Yeah, I definitely did in that very beginning. And then that I take off came and you know we had a negative eighteen hundred DA so climbing was already awesome. But you know when you're moving two hundred pounds for the plane. I had no idea it was going to climb as hard as it did so I kind of froze up for a second once It was Getting to about traffic pattern altitude. And I remembered I need to be doing something I need to be talking to myself. I need to just be saying what I'm doing as soon as I thought about that, It was just like you said nonstop talking. Just making sure if there was somebody in that passenger seat, they're not getting a word in edgewise. Yup and I remember, I think it was probably my third lap. I took off. And I was like I'm almost done. Got to do one more. and the feeling of accomplishment like this isn't learning how to play badminton or something right. We all have a little bit of fear of the unknown. We all have a lot of work to do. There's a lot to learn about flying airplane. What would you What were you feeling when you're wrapping up your third lap? I mean this has to be a big accomplishment. Yeah, I was. I was honestly my biggest dog or my head was I. Want to grease this landing and say to myself. Like I finally had one of the best landings possible and I don't think I’ve I had the best landing I possibly could made myself yet but it was to date one of the best I’ve had and that felt even better that compounded on top of the accomplishment.
So, today's the day you're now solo pilot in command pilot That's a big accomplishment. Hopefully you'll solo many more times and get all of your work out of the way and then you'll be ready for a check ride. Who do you think you use for your check Ride? no honestly don't I kind of me personally as a person, I tend to think about things only a couple of days ahead. So, me and Jacoby of just been discussing What's the shortest next steps as far as getting the cross country done and all that. and when it comes to the chart right. I'm just going to tell him, Whoever you think, I trust you immensely.
Perfect. I'm kind of picking on you a little bit since my podcast partner here, Wally might be available for you. awesome. I appreciate you joining the show, And I appreciate you being a student the united flights systems. Yeah, not problem at all. and if I could I’d like to say huge shout out to you guys, first and foremost, for you know letting us do this. You don't have to and second thing: Jacoby has been quite possibly the best thing I could've ever asked for all far as personality types. He goes very well with me and he's an incredibly nice guy.
Well, if you're listening to this podcast and you want to fly with Jacoby sometime, check out Our website Unitedflight.com/crew and read more about Jacoby. We look forward to seeing you at the fly School, and Austin we look forward to seeing you back at flight school as well. awesome. Thanks, bobby and you have a great day.
Wally, That's so fun to hear how much fun and excitement is in that person's voice right when they get out of that plane. It might have been forty years ago for you, But I’m sure you can resonate with how exciting that must be to do that first solo for that young man. Definitely, It's you know as an examiner, I tell a lot of my applicants That I’m it's my honor, It's a privilege to get to be a part of a real important date for them. earning a certificate whether private commercial whatever and To for me to get to witness it is just Very heartwarming for me. It's just a privilege to be able to be a part of that. and Being at a flight school You know every day like you are just to be able to see somebody Walk in from the first solo has got to be Just got to make feel pretty good. It's awesome. I love to see it happen. I love to see the pictures. I love to post the pictures. There's not too many people frowning in their first solo picture so that makes it even even more exciting to be around that all day.
as we wrap up the show, What suggestions would we give the listeners, Assuming we have a lot of listeners that are going to their first lesson a day thinking about getting into flight training. What kind of tips or tricks would we give them around their first solo or getting through that stage of education and training to where they're going to approach that first solo timeframe?
back when I solod- I was in college situation and lots of 18, 19-year-olds, At the time mostly males were there.
A couple of females. and Fortunately, the scale is tilting to where it's more even, but back in the day At least where I was there was a lot of competition. and it was like, Oh well I solod in this many hours while, I solod this many hours. Of course, you wanted to solo with the least number of hours and it was a badge of honor. And I will tell you The where you solo, I think means absolutely nothing in the big scheme of things. I've seen people solo at seventy-five hours. I've seen people solo at five and a half hours. and The end results Really it really means nothing. So, the next few ratings, right? private still takes forty hours. What if you're part of 61, right. Doesn't matter if you solo at thirty-nine right. I think the Instruments still has set a number of requirements That you have to take her win. You solod commercial. Has a number of hours of cross-country flight designations. You have to dual no matter when you solod right. I do I as the flight school owner, I talked to parents who are frustrated Sometimes that johnny's not there yet and we talked through the reasons why he's not there yet; but it is such a small window of time. as a flight School owner, is a pretty risky time For students to do it. We have pretty strict rules around it for students to protect them Because not everyone makes the best decision all the time. But you know if you think about a solo student. The way I do or if you're solo singer out there and you're thinking man, “I'm not there yet. Are struggling or the weather keeps keeping me on the ground this sucks.” We've probably all had those days. but if you're at twenty, let's call it, Twenty to twenty-five hours is probably when the large majority of students solo for the first time. And you're at twenty-twenty five hours and you want to be a professional pilot in some form or another twenty-five to forty is fifteen hours. of a thousand-hour pilot time before the cant even go to the airlines without a thousand hours as a restricted Atp. we're talking less than one and a half percent right of your overall flight time before you're the airlines is that window between solo and private pilot’s license. Right. and I try to tell people in the front foyer all the time that the winds are too strong and they can't go there long cross country. This is a small, small window of time. Right. This too will pass. It's a big deal to you today and I get. It's a big deal for me today. But let's let this one and a half percent of your training. Right. extend a little bit longer to my safe right And I can't stress that enough for anyone out there. My story has become to the students into you, If you're listening: Find a reason why you shouldn't go and stick to that. Instead of sitting up front and you’re at computer, trying to find a reason why you can go. Right. It's hard, but its what professional pilots do. Finding the reason why you're not going to go is so much more pro, than finding a reason that you could sneak it in and go. So that's my message to all you current future solo students out there. It's such a small window of time. Be patient. Follow the rules and learn as much as you can because it's going to be a short period of time. Yeah, absolutely.
Okay with that: As always, we will ask you to fly safe, Be safe and stay behind the prop. Thanks for listening to behind the prop. Bravo Tango Papa, we are clear the active Runway and would like to taxi to park Bravo Tango Papa taxi to parking great show. Have a nice day. Taxi to park. Thanks you to Bravo Tango Papa . Thanks for listening to Behind The Prop please follow us on social media @BehindTheProp, or visit our website at www. Behind the prop.com until next week. Fly safe everyone.