To all the professional pilots,

When was your first solo and what did you fly (C152 etc)? Were you nervous? Can you still remember it??
How long after that until you got your hands on some "heavy metal"?

Are you happy you've chosen flying as a career?

Any tips for someone thinking of flying as a prospective career?

Thanks

McJiz

:D

Ahhhhhh, I have to look when my first solo was. Cessna 11449 (CE150) 12/3/96.... I had 8.7 hours! What a day that was. Was so much nervous as I was anxtious! I was ready!!!! I wanted to go!

My first Jet job was for Comair (CL-65). Start date with them was 9/12/01... Day after 9/11!!! Crazy yea?

Would I go through all the trouble agian.... HELL NO!

As far as a career, you got to really love it! There is alot of dues that you got to pay! I have been working in aviation since I was 19 and its finnaly paying off! I am almost 26!

Hawker,

I don't mean to change the topic, but why do you say you wouldn't do it over? I'm just starting out, but I think I would love to be in your position by the time i'm 26. Is it just because of the low pay starting out?

Andy

NO NO NO, you miss understood me. If I did it all over agian, I would have the same love that I had when I first started, therefore the desire to do it agian is not there! I am in the same shoes you are in right now! You love it, its whats drives you! Yes, flying is great, work sucks!

My first flight was on a F33A (Bonanza) on the 16. Nov. 1993 (N8173C) at ATCA (Flight training center of Lufthansa German Airlines).My first solo was on dec. 10 1993.After a few full stop taxi backs with my "unusually quiet" flight instructor he just jumped out on the third taxi back and said "it's time". The fact that I had solod that day was grasped about a day later....

My first Solo was in 1984 or 5 and it was in a P66/C Thats a Partenavia P66 Charlie. Was I nervous? Well, no not really, I was too busy. How long before heavy metal?... erm about 13 years - I am poor you see.

Am I happy I chose flying for a career?

Of course, there is nothing else.

Any tips for potential pilots. Either it is all you want to do or it is merely an option.

If the former, then DO IT. Go for it! Focus.

If the latter, don`t bother, its not worth it.

First flight in a B737 was sep. 95.
First flight in a MD11 was Dec. 2000.
I consider myself to be extremely lucky to be in the bussiness.
Obviously it has its ups and downs but there aren't many jobs I could imagine bringing me more joy.
As for tips: It all depends on where you live.In countries where there might be a fast track sponsorship program you should give it a try.
However allways keep some kind of "backup plan".It is easily possible to get stuck in the aviation career, or even be completely banned from the field (loss of license due to medical reasons) at some stage in life.So while flying is fun,don't take your eyes off of long term planing. Afterall,one of the most important words in aviation is...................


REDUNDANCY

I will be doing my first year a year or so. Im really looking forward to it! :D

Keep the posts coming!! Great stuff

It's good to hear from you professionals and from the wannabe pilots too.

Seems to be quite a diverse selection of people on here which is always good!

As well as first solos, what other memorable flights have any of you had?

As wannabes, what attracts you to becoming a professional pilot?

Cheers n beers!

McJiz

First soloed 2 summers ago, in a piper cherokee at KDET. It was uneventful ,except I had to go around the second time because of a dog running on the runway! (I had never heard of that happening, LOL). Anyways, looking back, it was great times. Now I am almost finished my Instrument rating!

In case no one has yet, allow me to welcome you to the jungle. It's a great place to talk aviation in all it's forms. Hope you enjoy!

I'm still trying to find my first logbook to give a first solo date, but I think it was in 1978. All I remember about it was that it was unexpected. Hawker could probably tell you that the element of suprise was intentional. My instructor saw some ultra-lights on the ramp and asked me to land and taxi over to them. No problem. We got to them and he said that he wanted to check them out.

I assumed that I was invited to the party also, but as he got out, he told me to keep the engine running and to, BTW, do three touch and go's without him while he looked at the ultra-lights. All I could think was "sh**. Lets not screw this thing up".

The most memorable thought on takeoff was how light that 152 was. I got off the ground much sooner than expected and climbed much better. Well, the flights around the pattern went great and I almost didn't pick up my instructor. The plane flew so much better without him!

The next few years would fill a new topic, mostly about how a new pilot thinks he's flying for the Thunderbirds. Not advisable.

As far as heavy metal, 1990 got my FE cert on the 727. Didn't get hired because of my experience at the time, but learned a lot that helped me later.

Happy to be flying? Sure! Hey, it's a profession like anything else, only without the work. Ok, there have been some days....

Tips for a flying career? That's SF3aviatrix's department. :D

Soloed in Fixed wing

A/C 68910 Cessna 152 @ KPHF in Virginia

Soloed in Rotary Wing

A/C 49L Bell 206 Jet Ranger (TH-67) @ KOZR in Alabama.

First glider solo July 1886 Twin Astir in Fuentemilanos, Segovia ( Spain ). First powered solo, Cessna 172 at Mineral Wells Muni, Texas 1990. I will never forget my first powered solo. As a matter of fact I do keep shots my instructor made while he was on the ground hoping I´d make a good landing.

Congratulations to all of you people that have managed to make a profession out of aviation. Unfortunately in my country and at the time ( early 90s ) making a living out of flying airplanes, regardless of which, was not only an issue of proficiency but also of family ties and extreme luck. Despite the frustration I would defenitely go through all the trouble again if I had to.

First glider solo June 1969 Ka-7

It's 83 years later then yours !!!!! :lol:

HA HA HA. Sorry man, I obviously meant 1986. I´m not that old. :lol:

My first solo was in Lakeland Linder Regional (KLAL) on a PA-28-161 10th JAN 1997, I was a slow learner so I had some 17 hours, it went unevenfully, except for the shaky legs and the profusion of sweat on the yoke, that I had to wipe a coupe of times.

The most vivid memory I had was my first take-off, and how the small craft was at the mercy of even the smallest gust of wind; we had not even climbed through 50 feet that I wondered what I had gotten myself into...some eight years later, today I have never re-experience this feeling, and never looked back, I wouldn't know how to work a regular job.

First heavier airplane I flew was the insatiable MU-2, a crazy aircraft wish for some odd reason does not require a type rating, a mistake if you ask me, it was dubbed the widowmaker for a good reason, too many private pilots with multi privileges tought they could handle the "beast".

First soloed Aug. 7th 1999. Beautiful hot and sunny day to solo, brother had the video camera but he ran out of batteries after 23 seconds of tape <_< Had 2 perfect landings, the last one was a bit bouncy but I made it on the ground safely. I'll always remember that day because my instructor gracefully broke his window handle and that thing would be making a flapping noise constantly during the solo. He was like "Oops..." :lol:

Quitted aviation for almost 4yrs due to college, came back about 1.5yrs ago.

Looks like you had the Wright brothers beat by 29 years!