What Did I Do Tuesday? Hmmm... Let Me See

I had the pleasure of a two hour helicopter flight!!!

My friend Dave and I accompanied Doug in his Enstrom 480B on a flight out of Longmont airport, up and into the foothills.

It seats five. Dave took front passenger seat and I sat in between he and Doug, next row back.

Just out of Longmont airport... Long's Peak on a gorgeous day.

Dave got to take control for a while... bringing back memories for him I'm sure!

We flew low over the site of Monday's plane crash. The wreckage now removed. The pilot had called a "mayday" before crashing. Cody and I had seen the smoke as we approached Longmont from Greeley the afternoon before.

This is the area around the plane crash site.

A little joy-riding over Horsetooth Reservoir.

(This is actually a video... but do ya think I can make it work???)

Ice fishing at Red Feather Lakes

(Coming in to land... another video that I can't get to play!)

... But trust me, it's REALLY quite and experience, landing at an airport and completely by-passing the runway!!!

Thanks Doug and Dave for great company and an incredibly memorable afternoon jaunt. :-)

Going Solo

The time had come... like I knew it would.

I radio'd a "touch and go" as we approached the runway. Mark immediately radio'd in a correction... It was going to be full stop landing.

This meant only one thing... He was going to get out!

It was time for me to fly solo. (Despite the anxiety!)

I taxi'd back to the end of the runway and took off without him. The plane was lighter and colder, but other than that, not so different with just me in it.

First landing - pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Up I went again.

This time while flying the landing pattern there was little misunderstanding/miscommunication between two other aircraft. I watched, horrified, as they both called final approach to landing. A crash would certainly mess me up.... where would I land?

The second aircraft realized the dilemma and circled back around to land after the first one. I extended my landing pattern and followed in third place. It was a bumpier landing for me... What can I say? My mind was in overdrive!

It was also the landing that Mark and Marijke caught on film.

All in all I did three take-offs and landings to make up my first solo.

It was a beautiful day and went very smoothly. My anxiety took a vacation while I was in the air and I was surprised how clear everything became.

Back on the ground it was time to debrief...

Endorse the solo section of my logbook....

And get my shirt-tail clipped in "first solo" tradition!

Why the shirt tail?

Traditionally, the instructor sat behind the student in the plane. During lessons, with no (or poor) headsets, the instructor communicated to the student and taught them, by tugging on the back of their shirt. Once the student solo'd, the back of the shirt was cut out... no longer needed for or available to, the instructor.

Mark dated and signed it then handed it to Lori with these instructions...

She did a spectacular job of decorating it before it was hung on the wall at Air West.

I feel very special! :-)