Today, I got back from a weekend away. After landing at home for about an hour, Calum asked me if I would go up in one of his flight lessons to take video of his take offs and landings for a physics project. This was my first time flying with Calum and his instructor. I watched as Calum meticulously did the pre-flight check list. I had a smooth and beautiful ride. I am so thankful for the beauty of where we live, as I looked out over to the ocean, the lush farm lands and hillsides.
I got out of the plane and Abe and Calum continued to fly while I sat in the middle of the field, next to the runway. The weather was so beautiful and Calum was so happy to be flying again after so many weather cancellations. After 1 1/2 hours, I notice that Abe and Calum were fueling up for gas. Then, taxied and parked next to the flight club. This seemed strange but, I assumed that they had finished, and started walking over. Abe secretly gestures to me to stop. I sat down again and pretended to look away at the other planes. After a while, Abe came over to me and said that Calum was going to solo. To keep the pressure off of him and keep him focused, I stayed seated (glowing inside). Calum would be doing a series of take offs, landings and maneuvers on his own. Abe, his instructor, would have communication with him on the ground if he should need it.
I sat, trying to be casual as he taxied around to go for his first take off. I smiled and gave him a wave and thumbs up. I called Matt and Eoin and told them to go outside and send a little prayer/thought to Calum because he was going on his first solo flight. After learning that Calum would be in the air for a while (an hour), I called Matt back and told him to come down. I loved hearing Calum over the radio, his voice so deep and sure. After the solo, he said that when he learned that he was going to fly, he was excited and a bit nervous until he got up and then it all felt very natural to him. He said that is was so beautiful with the sunset. Matt and Eoin made it to see him. He made his last landing as it just turned dark and it was the best landing of all of them.
His instructor was very proud of him and knew that he was ready. When we got back in to the club, his instructor cut the back of his shirt off with scissors. This is a tradition from back when pilots didn't have radios to one another. The instructor would pull on their student's shirt to tell them what they needed to do. By cutting off the shirt, it signifies that the student doesn't need the instructor advising them, anymore. The shirt is hung up in the flight club with "First Solo Flight, 9/26/10, Calum Cecil-Wherity, 16 years solo, N7420G, Abe Hazbun".
Calum will now be able to fly on his own during the day, at the Watsonville Airport.
His next goal is to do a second solo with a flight plan to fly to an airport 25 nautical miles away, land and come back.
It's been such a great night. I doubt if Calum will be sleeping tonight.
Thank you friends and family for helping support Calum in this next phase of lessons!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
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Thanks everyone for supporting Calum for his next series of lessons!
With love and appreciation
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