Flying has something magical. Even more so, when you get to do it all by yourself, for the very first time in your life. You have been working towards this moment for months, and now it is finally here. Stretched out in front is the runway, with a beautiful horizon behind it. Next to you? Nobody, it is all up to you now. The control tower gives you the go-ahead. Are you ready?
The first time solo is an unforgettable moment for every pilot. It is a milestone in itself, but also a prelude to your future experiences in the cockpit. EPST’ers Casper and Robin (Aero Locarno) and Jesse (Global Aviation) talk about their first solo, which they were granted recently. How did they experience this marking moment?
Casper van Kempen: “the moment take to the air alone, that is the best feeling”
“Before my first real solo flight, we did a short flight to go over the last things”, says Casper. Then the real work starts. “The instructor steps onto the ground. I do all my checks, and focus on the things that need to be done. The moment you take to the air, that is the best feeling: you are alone in the sky and completely in control. Of course, you quickly get back to the things that need to be done, but you continue to enjoy it.”
Once he landed, his fellow students were ready to welcome him. “After the solo, I was lifted out of the plane, and placed on the fence to get a few cold buckets of water poured over me. Only then are you allowed to touch the ground. Then you have a quick chat with the instructor to evaluate, but you mainly receive congratulations.”
Casper looks back on this experience with great pleasure, which in his eyes is the start of many beautiful moments. “It is probably one of the best flights I will ever make. The feeling that you are finally completely in control is bizarre, actually. Now I can’t wait to make many more flights, here at AELO, to see even more beautiful places.”
Robin Lauwers: “the most adrenaline was released after the touch-and-go”
Robin had been looking forward to his first solo from the start of his studies. “I had my first flying lesson in Locarno in October 2024, and last week, the moment finally arrived. After months of hard work, studying and gaining flying experience, everything came together for the first solo.”
On the day itself, Robin first checked the weather forecasts extensively. “That was when I felt confident, I was ready. After the briefing with my instructor, I flew two more circuits to build up some confidence. When he told me halfway through that last circuit that I could taxi back to the holding bay after landing, I knew for sure: I’m going solo!”
Once there, the instructor gets out. “Just before getting out, he said to me: “you know what to do, enjoy the flight.” At that moment, the adrenaline is pumping through your body. You know that you are really on your own now.” After the final checks, Robin taxis to the runway for that sacred moment, ready to take to the air alone. “I didn’t really enjoy my first solo take-off, my mind was fully occupied at that moment. The real realization only came when I was downwind for the first time and didn’t see anyone sitting next to me. The most adrenaline was released after my first touch-and-go: the feeling that you land the plane completely independently is truly fantastic.”
After the second touch-and-go, Robin makes a full stop and is allowed to go to the parking area. There, his classmates are eagerly waiting to congratulate him. “As is tradition, I was lifted out of the plane and buckets of water were thrown over me. It was a great experience that I will always remember. I am really looking forward to the next steps, to continue expanding my boundaries.”
Jesse van Vliet: “that shows the kind of bond you build with each other here”
On the day of his first solo, Jesse’s patience is put to the test. Initially, his flight is cancelled due to strong winds. Then, at the end of the afternoon, he suddenly receives a phone call. “The wind had died down,” he says. “I was merely told to be ready to be picked up within 10 minutes.”
Suddenly, he has to shift into high gear. “At the airport, I boarded the plane almost immediately, with a new instructor.” The check flight didn’t turn out to be a smooth ride for Jesse. He made a few small mistakes, perhaps because of the haste? “I received instructions from the tower that I had never received before, after which my landing did not go well. At that moment, you doubt whether you are trusted with the first solo.”
After the third landing, the instructor gave Jesse the green light after all. “He gave me the final instructions and got out. When he told me that I was going solo, I felt quite a bit of tension.”
And there Jesse sits, nervously waiting for clearance from the tower. To control his tension, he takes a few deep breaths. “On that moment I suddenly felt this incredible focus, that lasted until the landing. The first solo went as I had hoped. The procedures went well, as did the landing. That is why I would like to tell anyone who reads this, that everything does not have to be perfect before you are allowed to fly solo, as long as what you do is safe. Trust yourself, even though you will always have moments where things do not go so well.”
After this successful solo, Jesse is surprised by a nice surprise: when he walks out of the school building, his friends are standing outside to congratulate him. “My friends did not know that I would still be going solo that day. When they heard the news, they cycled to the airport within 10 minutes, to celebrate this moment with me. That shows what kind of bond you build with each other here.”
In Greece, they also do something with water after the first solo, by the way. “As a tradition, we are thrown into the sea here after the solo. Afterwards, we sat in the garden with a group, drank prosecco and ate together. It was a great day!”
