How long to solo?

[lnuss]

At 26 years old in June 1969, I soloed at 9.3 hours in an Aeronca Chief, near Manhattan, IL (from a farmer's private strip). I didn't do half bad the first two times around, but on the third one I had green stains on the wingtip from an excursion through the corn. Right at the approach end of the 1900 foot runway were the ubiquitous power lines, and I was a hair high and fast. During the flare (held too long), I decided I needed to go around, but I was already behind the power curve, and would have touched down a second later (hindsight, of course) had I not added the full 65 ponies in that cowling, which just dragged me sideways (rudder anyone) through the corn.

The next (and only other) time I swerved like that was in Dec 1976, in Albuquerque, when a guy I was trying to check out in a Stearman banged the tail on the ground after a wheel landing, and one spring came off the tailwheel steering -- full opposite rudder and brake weren't enough to fight the spring and to stop the ground loop. Fortunately, there were just scrape marks on the wingtip. A side note: two GADO feds (I knew them both) watched this happen, since they were investigating a minor accident at the time.

[jjhoneck]

I soloed with 6.2 hours of instruction in a Cherokee 140 in 1994.

I never got him to admit it, but I think my crusty old CFI mixed me up with another student that day... lol. When he signed my logbook, post-solo, his eyebrows went up, he looked at me, and let out a long whistle...

[Dana]

I soloed after 8 hours in 1976, when I was 16. The thing I remember most was laughing and slapping the empty seat next to me, and the tower telling my my traffic was a no-radio biplane departing from the cross runway, I was more interested in seeing it than flying the C-150 I was in.

[pilotgirlbuf]

Haha well good job all of the above. It took me 32 hours until my first solo. yeah it took me awhile but it was the best and most freeing hour of my life!!! Then when my instructor loosed the leash I traveled to what we call the "North Practice Area", just a very empty spot, to go practice maneuvers in. Man was that so peaceful I love every minute up there by myself, no stress

[Bill Greenwood]

I am glad to hear you have stuck with it and soloed .Some folks do it quicker than others, but it is kind of like college, some get through in 4 years and others like me take time to savor the experience like a fine wine. In the end there is no footnote on my diploma and I have a degree just like all those who had less fun than I did.

I know that winter weather can be a huge problem in Buffalo, plus the inevitable delays in dealing with a tower airport with airline and jet traffic.

When you get your certificate, a great trip is to the airshow in the summer at Geneseo, probably late July just before Oshkosh.

Good luck, and keep flying, about now the weather may be turning in your favor.

[Bob Dingley]

It took me 7.8 to solo a J-3 on skis. I took half hour lessons. I was in high school in Maine then and could only afford a couple of lessons each month. First flight in sept, and first solo in feb. The skis were installed late dec after I had logged 6 hrs on wheels.


The least time that I have heard of was ZERO hours of dual and one hour of ground school. This is the story as I know it.


In 1944, the Army was interested in another means to put troops in the enemy rear. Parachutes and gliders had their limitations. John Thorp (P2V Neptune, T-18, PA 28 stabilator, etc) was a Lockheed engineer and was tasked to create the Lockheed model 33 "Little Dipper."


http://www.aero-web.org/specs/lockheed/lck-33.htm


In a demonstration for Army brass, a volunteer soldier was selected. Primary qualifications was that he had no aviation experience whatever. After a short briefing, he succesfuly took off, circled the parade field and landed. First Solo! The specs for the L-33 Little Dipper show a plane that would be very popular today. Thorp got the rights to the design released to him after the war.


Bob

[MEdwards]

Looked back in my logbook. I soloed after 14.4 hours on my lunch "hour" at Santa Monica Airport in April 1971. As an aerospace engineer, I was wearing a white dress shirt and tie (different world, different times), so the instructor declined to cut my shirttail off. I've always regretted that, though it's not high on my list of regrets.

[DennisB]

Starting your flying lessons if you can I'd suggest a quiet airport with long runways like near me Stewart Airport Newburgh NY. With a 11,800 ft. runway it should take some of the pressure off of you in your beginning lessons.

[jedi]

I have to admire Will and Orv. Will soloed in no time and after 12 seconds became an instructor and soloed Orv with next to no time. It took the two of them a year to build the time some of you took to solo. But then you probably didn't break anything along the way.

[Bill Greenwood]

I just read of Bob Hoover's experience, he soloed after 10 hours, and had problems with airsickness when first doing acro.