What next?

I'm scheduled to Solo this weekend (yipeee!) and am thinking about whats next. Plan was to train at a FBO then join a club. Question is when to transition? I know theres going to be more lessons before I take the FAA license test. FBO advantage is familiar aircraft, airfield, soaring conditions, instructor. Only disadvantage is price. When would be the best time to transition? When would be the

Hi,

My experience is that clubs offer camaraderie and other advantages, but getting time with an instructor is tougher so it gennerally takes longer to make progress. That is not true for all clubs.

I joined a club after my first solo. Fortunately, the commercial instructor was able to fly with me in the club ships. I saved money on the glider rental by joining the club, but still had the opportunity to schedule my flying with the paid instructor.

Paul Remde

You might want to take a hard look at how long it will take to finish up if you switch over to the club. It may not be a cost savings if you can finish much quicker with the FBO. Remember a club is a group working towards a common goal, not just a cheap way for you to learn to fly. Without knowing the particulars, I would lean towards getting the ticket before the transition.

At 17:42 05 November 2003, Isoar wrote:

Exactly! The first time I went solo, he just said 'okay you can go on your own now' I thought I miss heard him for a min! And when I fully realised it was such a fantastic surprise. An amazing feeling .... and on a never note. my first solo I did my best landing ever, and never since have I been able to make such a perfect landing (the next 2 solo flights I made very sloppy landings! Eek!)

Yeah, it kinda suprised me. My last flying session was cut short by clouds moving in. Instructor told me had the weather stayed Ok, we would have done the 200' AGL simulated rope break then it was time to solo (Hey, I thought the low level simulated rope break was supposed to be a surprise. The 500' AGL simulated break earlier in the day sure was.)

I still get to wonder and wait all week watching the weather predictions....

You can never again have a first solo so savor it.

Barb

I'll agree in spades. I'd gotten all the launch failures, spin checks etc signed off. The instructor had me do a flight on our ASK-21 with altimeter and ASI covered and the yaw string stuck to the canopy. I got through that without much comment and I was thinking as we went back on the winch queue that he was probably going to do that again because the covers were still on. Suddenly, when we got to the head of the queue, he told me to do this one by myself, took the covers off the panel and did up his straps.

Its certainly a flight you'll never forget, right up there with your first single seat flight, 5th solo for me, and first cross country. This was a year later - Gransden Lodge to Rattlesden in a Junior under blue conditions and *very* slow.

I was thinking that in some way you can experience it again by becoming instructor and sending your student(s) solo, this is one of the reasons for which I just did it in september. To recent to already have some student solo, but had a licensed pilot have his first solo winch launch. Not the same thing, but we both liked it, for me also it was a first something: my first signoff.

Omigosh, I forgot about that experience. I think it's scarier sending someone else up on their first solo than doing your own.

Barb

I was simply told not to get out of the glider and sent solo on the next tow. A bit of a surprise, but they do know when you're ready.

Frank

It was not scary when I did my own, so I hope it won't be scary when I would sending my first student solo, neither for me nor for him. It is the instructor's job to do so that it is not scary for the student. Well this is a wish, we will see what the reality will be.