On this day, in 1987, I performed my first solo flight from Buttonville Airport (YKZ).
That was 24 years ago! Wow … and yet, it is so vivid in my mind still.
It was perfect weather, and I remember my flight instructor Richard, after I did a couple of circuits, he got out of the plane, and reached in to get the mic. He said to the controller “Taxi for first solo”. I felt like everyone in the airport was looking at me. LOL
They cleared me to taxi, and I remember waiting for what seemed like a very long time. Had it been anything but a first solo I am certain they would have cleared me to take off several times before they did. It was like they wanted nobody around … I remember my legs nervously shaking as I was strongly holding the brakes. A plane touched down, and I was cleared to take off.
All of my training up to that point was on a Cessna 150. For the first time we were in a 152. They are very similar, but the 152 has a little more power and they have different flap configurations.
They tell you during your training that on your first solo the plane will leave the ground a lot sooner, since you are for the first time flying about 200 pounds lighter. That, coupled with the increased horsepower of the 152, and it was amazing how soon the plane left the ground. Once I was in the air I was not nervous at all, and I just followed my training. It was a textbook circuit. I was then instructed to taxi back to the tie-down since they only let you do one solo circuit your first time.
It was quite an achievement for me.
A lifelong dream realized.
