First Solo!

As promised these updates are getting a bit more frequent as interesting things are happening a little more often!

For the last week, I have been on a fly-away at Whakatane, an uncontrolled airfield on the Bay of Plenty, about 2.5 hours' drive away from Hamilton. The week didn't start too well when our 6.45am report time on Monday morning became a 14.00 departure from the airfield thanks to yet another spell of fog. However, we got going with four of us flying over with instructors and the remaining four driving the hire bus over to meet us there. I was lucky enough to be one of the aviators and fitted my Climbing and Descending 2 lesson into the flight. My primary instructor, Ben, let me do a lot of the flying over there while he handled navigation and liason with Christchurch control, who cover most of the country that isn't within aerodromes' own control zones.

We arrived and were able to fit in another lesson before the others arrived in the bus then it was time to check in to the motel, grab a pizza and get an early night for a 6.45am start the next day. In the event, we only got going around 8am on the Tuesday but thankfully the weather was good so we were able to get plenty of flying done. I got through all my circuits lessons and was ready to go solo by the end of Wednesday. However, as people were at different stages, there was a delay while we all got to roughly the same place. This meant a day of no flying for me on Thursday which was rather frustrating but I finally got my check with the B Cat instructor and was allowed to do my first solo (or at least the first one in NZ in a Katana). Weather was fantastic though a last minute wind change meant I had to do the circuit in the opposite direction to that of the check flight. I ended up a little high on final approach, having turned a bit early on to the base leg but was able to get it down with idle power and full flap, well within the length of the runway.

Not very glamorous car park at the airport, but look at that sky.

On the apron prior to the solo, posing in Aviators.

We were fortunate to be visited several times a day by an Air New Zealand regional flight. The crew were very friendly and happy for us to have a look around inside during the turn around. Not a very big aircraft but pretty powerful - with no autopilot and no ILS at most of its destinations, they really get to fly it properly too.

Beechcraft 1900, operated by Eagle Air. I think this one came from Auckland.

One of my colleagues on short final to runway 27

A bit cloudy on the first day looking out to Whale Island (looks more like a turtle from the air)

But much clearer the day after

So now that my first solo is checked off, I can start practising all the General Handling and more circuits back here at Hamilton in the busier controlled airspace. Should be on for that tomorrow if the rain holds off!