It happened again; Farmingdale State College let me fly an $850,000 airplane, alone. My second solo flight was just as fun as my first one. The main point of the second solo flight is that the student does touch and goes instead of taxi backs. The purpose of this is because there is a greater chance of something going wrong during touch and goes than with taxi backs.
Unfortunately, I almost didn’t even get to fly. Everything was great during the preflight and run-up. I did the ground checks on the airplane, did the walk around checks, got the weather and weight and balance data, and made sure to tell maintenance that there was frost on the airplane so they could remove it. Once again, I was ready to fly by myself for the second time. I started the Warrior and did the necessary after start checklists and called to state ops that I was outbound. 3 seconds later I got to the end of the ramp area and called up ground control to request the touch and goes. I called again, and again. I called a fourth and fifth time. After 6 call ups and 8 or 9 minutes of waiting, I radioed back to state ops that I wasn’t getting a radio back from ground control. Just then, another Farmingdale airplane called out “State 88” (me) “use comm. 2, comm. 1 isn’t working.” So I frantically unplugged my headset from comm. 1 and into comm. 2. I repeated my request for ground controls to do touch and goes and finally I heard their response to taxi to the active runway. During the time with no radios, I was sweating and nervous that either I broke something or was encountering a situation I’ve never been in before. Luckily for me, an instructor form my school figured out my problem without being able to even hear me on the radio.
I finally was on my way to runway 1’s run-up area for a pre-takoff check of the plane. This part went smoothly and I taxied to the runway threshold. Because I was using comm. 2 and was sitting in the seat which uses comm. 1, I had to reach over and push that button while flying. After reaching over and calling the tower’s frequency, I got clearance to depart and make left traffic. As the plane rolled onto the runway, I checked the engine instruments, all in the green, and the gyro to make sure it lined up with the magnetic compass on the dashboard. It did, so I advance the throttle full open. The feeling I felt last time swooped over me as the airplane gained speed. I even remember glancing over to the right seat to prove to myself that no instructor was in the plane with me. I was completely alone and it felt amazing. I had already flown solo, last week, but the feeling was just as strong. Pride, nervousness, excitement, and pure joy all filled the cockpit as the plane’s wheels left the ground. I climbed out at Vy and radioed to the tower of my rotation. I went through my call outs
“200 feet. No more available runway”
“600 feet. Return to runway if emergency occurs”
“800 feet. Turning crosswind”
“1100 feet. At pattern altitude, lowering speed to patter speed limits, adding 10 degrees flaps”
Once in pattern altitude and at pattern’s speed, I called tower to tell them I was in the downwind, reaching over of course. I was instructed to follow the traffic in front of me and I was clear for a touch and go. I did as was told and had a smooth landing. As I rolled down the runway, I put flaps to zero and advanced the throttle full once again. Within 6 seconds of wheels touching down, they were off the runway. The second, third and fourth touch and goes were perfect, or at least as good as I’ve ever done them. However, on the fifth landing, I had some excitement. I was lined up with the runway on a 4 mile final, which is enough time to not have to rush things in order to put the airplane in landing configuration. I was cleared for a touch and go at a one mile final, a little closer than I would have liked. The wind was calm all morning, I felt no bumps, and I didn’t have to correct for a wind angle… until right then. A burst of wind shook me off the centerline at only 80 feet. I quickly jerked the yoke to the left to correct for this and accidently over banked the airplane and was almost perpendicular to the centerline. I didn’t know what to do for only a split second, and then it was clear. “Tower. State 88 going around” I won’t ever forget any of the many times my instructor told me that a go around is one of the best things you can do on a failed landing. There’s no reason to risk your life when you can simply gain altitude and try it again. So I added full power and took out some flaps in order to pitch for the best altitude gain speed of 63 knots I was at patter attitude again before reaching the end of the airport’s property.
After the go around, I had no problems with the last three touch and goes. In all, I did seven touch and goes with a full stop landing on the 8th approach. I taxied back to echo ramp, after getting clearance from ground control to do so, and shut the plane down. As I walked in, I got another set of claps from everyone in the briefing room. I got applause after my first solo, but why this one? I was being congratulated because for the first time by myself in the airplane, I encounter a problem, lost communications, didn’t freak out, and was able to continue my flight. Although all I did was change from comm. 1 to comm. 2, I didn’t loose my awareness and didn’t panic. My instructor told me I’m the first student who was cheered after their second solo.
To see pictures from this flight, check out the Media page.
Unfortunately, I almost didn’t even get to fly. Everything was great during the preflight and run-up. I did the ground checks on the airplane, did the walk around checks, got the weather and weight and balance data, and made sure to tell maintenance that there was frost on the airplane so they could remove it. Once again, I was ready to fly by myself for the second time. I started the Warrior and did the necessary after start checklists and called to state ops that I was outbound. 3 seconds later I got to the end of the ramp area and called up ground control to request the touch and goes. I called again, and again. I called a fourth and fifth time. After 6 call ups and 8 or 9 minutes of waiting, I radioed back to state ops that I wasn’t getting a radio back from ground control. Just then, another Farmingdale airplane called out “State 88” (me) “use comm. 2, comm. 1 isn’t working.” So I frantically unplugged my headset from comm. 1 and into comm. 2. I repeated my request for ground controls to do touch and goes and finally I heard their response to taxi to the active runway. During the time with no radios, I was sweating and nervous that either I broke something or was encountering a situation I’ve never been in before. Luckily for me, an instructor form my school figured out my problem without being able to even hear me on the radio.
I finally was on my way to runway 1’s run-up area for a pre-takoff check of the plane. This part went smoothly and I taxied to the runway threshold. Because I was using comm. 2 and was sitting in the seat which uses comm. 1, I had to reach over and push that button while flying. After reaching over and calling the tower’s frequency, I got clearance to depart and make left traffic. As the plane rolled onto the runway, I checked the engine instruments, all in the green, and the gyro to make sure it lined up with the magnetic compass on the dashboard. It did, so I advance the throttle full open. The feeling I felt last time swooped over me as the airplane gained speed. I even remember glancing over to the right seat to prove to myself that no instructor was in the plane with me. I was completely alone and it felt amazing. I had already flown solo, last week, but the feeling was just as strong. Pride, nervousness, excitement, and pure joy all filled the cockpit as the plane’s wheels left the ground. I climbed out at Vy and radioed to the tower of my rotation. I went through my call outs
“200 feet. No more available runway”
“600 feet. Return to runway if emergency occurs”
“800 feet. Turning crosswind”
“1100 feet. At pattern altitude, lowering speed to patter speed limits, adding 10 degrees flaps”
Once in pattern altitude and at pattern’s speed, I called tower to tell them I was in the downwind, reaching over of course. I was instructed to follow the traffic in front of me and I was clear for a touch and go. I did as was told and had a smooth landing. As I rolled down the runway, I put flaps to zero and advanced the throttle full once again. Within 6 seconds of wheels touching down, they were off the runway. The second, third and fourth touch and goes were perfect, or at least as good as I’ve ever done them. However, on the fifth landing, I had some excitement. I was lined up with the runway on a 4 mile final, which is enough time to not have to rush things in order to put the airplane in landing configuration. I was cleared for a touch and go at a one mile final, a little closer than I would have liked. The wind was calm all morning, I felt no bumps, and I didn’t have to correct for a wind angle… until right then. A burst of wind shook me off the centerline at only 80 feet. I quickly jerked the yoke to the left to correct for this and accidently over banked the airplane and was almost perpendicular to the centerline. I didn’t know what to do for only a split second, and then it was clear. “Tower. State 88 going around” I won’t ever forget any of the many times my instructor told me that a go around is one of the best things you can do on a failed landing. There’s no reason to risk your life when you can simply gain altitude and try it again. So I added full power and took out some flaps in order to pitch for the best altitude gain speed of 63 knots I was at patter attitude again before reaching the end of the airport’s property.
After the go around, I had no problems with the last three touch and goes. In all, I did seven touch and goes with a full stop landing on the 8th approach. I taxied back to echo ramp, after getting clearance from ground control to do so, and shut the plane down. As I walked in, I got another set of claps from everyone in the briefing room. I got applause after my first solo, but why this one? I was being congratulated because for the first time by myself in the airplane, I encounter a problem, lost communications, didn’t freak out, and was able to continue my flight. Although all I did was change from comm. 1 to comm. 2, I didn’t loose my awareness and didn’t panic. My instructor told me I’m the first student who was cheered after their second solo.
To see pictures from this flight, check out the Media page.
