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Myanmar (Burma) Multigallery | China and Tibet Multigallery | Cambodia Multigallery | Foods of South-East Asia Multigallery | India and Nepal Multigallery | Philippines Multigallery | Viet Nam Multigallery | Lao People's Democratic Republic | The True Traveler Knows Not His Destination | My First Solo | Gotham | Central Park NYC in the snow

My First Solo

July 3, 2004 - Orange County Airport - Information Foxtrot - Five Four Five Niner Kilo
Jean exits the aircraft and cuts me loose.
Jean exits the aircraft and cuts me loose.		 Secondary runups. Good thing I brought the checklist.
Secondary runups. Good thing I brought the checklist.		 All systems go.
All systems go.		 Set to depart.
Set to depart.
Taxi into positon.
Taxi into positon.		 I can do this.
I can do this.		 Entering the runway.
Entering the runway.		 Line her up.
Line her up.
We have liftoff.
We have liftoff.		 Damn, get that nose up. Mountains at 11:00
Damn, get that nose up. Mountains at 11:00		 Climbing at 76 knots.
Climbing at 76 knots.		 Bringing her home. Turning Final
Bringing her home. Turning Final
Moment of truth coming up.
Moment of truth coming up.		 Flaps at 30 degrees.
Flaps at 30 degrees.		 Crosswind at 8 knots.
Crosswind at 8 knots.		 Get the nose down.
Get the nose down.
My first landing without an instructor.
My first landing without an instructor.		 Ready to flare.
Ready to flare.		 67 knots.
67 knots.		 On the numbers.
On the numbers.
Taxiing back.
Taxiing back.		 Now I can breath easy.
Now I can breath easy.		 That was fun, can I do it again?
That was fun, can I do it again?		 YES!!!
YES!!!
Success!!!! Thank you Joris and Jean.
Success!!!! Thank you Joris and Jean.

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kd 19-Mar-2010 20:58
Nice, ira. I got my solo in 1977. Long time ago. I know exactly how you feel.
Peter Gibson 07-May-2008 10:57
Where is the section of cut out shirt?
Flying Dutchman 11-Apr-2007 16:25
Hello fellow pilot!
I was wandering through some other galleries of you and found these solo-pictures.
Keep up all the nice pictures and interesting subjects!

Happy landings,
Christiaan
chempilot 10-Jul-2006 23:48
a belated congrats! i had so much fun doing my first solo i did four T&G's (an extra one to celebrate). any shot of you getting your tailfeathers cut?
Eric Kuhn 10-Apr-2006 07:08
This must have been a blast!
Kokomo Photography 01-Feb-2005 04:15
Thanks Arco.
AcroChik 01-Feb-2005 02:45
Contratulations on your solo!

I hope by now you've completed your PPL.

As a fellow NYer I know there's no better way to see our glorious burg than from the air.

One day I hope to see your pictures of flying the Hudson River Corridor, one of the great GA flights in North America ~ I'm certain they'll be marvelous.

I've cruised all your galleries. You've caught the place with a vigor and intensity of which I hope you're proud.

Your "personal" storyboards are absolutely fascinating. Marvelously thought out and executed.

What can be a better mark of documentary success than the debate provoked by your images of war protest?

I'll return to the galleries from time to time to see what new fruit has ripend in your brain.

Wonderful work.

Thank you.

Keep the blue side up!

AcroChik
CFII, MEI, CJ2, Raytheon 390 FO, etc., TT 3200+

Rodney 03-Nov-2004 17:50
VERY cool. I've not the guts to try that. :)
Charlie 06-Sep-2004 04:08
Wow! Amazing pictures. I am doing my solo tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Rob 11-Aug-2004 12:47
What's the difference between sex and flying?
answer: You can't wait to do it alone!

Happy landings!
Leonard Martinez 08-Aug-2004 04:08
Ira, please be careful in that thing.
Florence 19-Jul-2004 21:25
Ira, Congratulations.

The pictures are so much fun! Love Florence
Virginia 14-Jul-2004 01:52
Brought back wonderful memories of my first solo almost 30 years ago. Nothing like it! Congratulations!
Steve Martin 09-Jul-2004 21:39
Conrats on your solo! Good luck with the rest of your training as you work towards that PP license.
Happy landings!
-sm
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