{"id":33758,"date":"2025-01-17T09:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T08:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epst.nl\/?p=33758"},"modified":"2026-05-15T20:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T18:56:14","slug":"the-first-solo-flight-through-the-eyes-of-yorick-and-justin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epst.nl\/en\/the-first-solo-flight-through-the-eyes-of-yorick-and-justin\/","title":{"rendered":"The first solo flight through the eyes of Yorick and Justin"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first solo flight is a moment that you will never forget as a pilot, it is an adventure in itself. That is why we always enjoy hearing stories about the first important milestone that our students experience in the plane. Recently, it happened for Yorick Huiskes<\/strong> and Justin Hammami:<\/strong> they were allowed to fly alone for the first time. How did they experience their adventure?<\/p>\n

Yorick Huiskes: \u201cThrottle on full power: the adrenaline is rushing through your body!\u201d<\/h2>\n

For Yorick, this day could have arrived soon enough: \u201cYou have been working towards this moment for a while and of course you also experience the solos of the people around you. At a certain point, you want nothing more than to fly alone yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, the moment arrived, when Yorick\u2019s instructor told him that it was time for the first solo. Halfway through his last lap, he received confirmation that he would be sitting alone the next lap. \u201cYou\u2019re ready in my opinion. Just enjoy the following experience, because it is going to be a special one\u201d, Yorick was told.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really have time to think about it, because the plane had to be put on the ground first,\u201d Yorick recalls. \u201cOnce on the ground, the instructor got out and wished me luck; that\u2019s when it really sinks in!\u201d<\/p>\n

Then the magical moment arrived. \u201cWith a healthy dose of tension, you do your checks and listen to what is being said on the radio. During my solo, there was no tower available, so I had to pay extra attention because we were working with blind transmissions. The moment you are lined up on the runway, put the throttle on full power and release your brakes, you feel the adrenaline rushing through your body!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the air, there was time to enjoy the moment. \u201cThere I felt a mixture of focus, joy and freedom. I enjoyed every minute. In between the checks and when the plane had stabilised, I had time to enjoy the surroundings, because they are beautiful here around Locarno!\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Yorick is enjoying the afterglow. \u201cYou hear this story from several people, but it remains a unique experience. No matter what, it is an experience that I will never forget. At the same time, this also feels like just the beginning, and that is actually what it is. There are still many solo flights planned and there is still a lot to learn!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"APS<\/p>\n

Justin Hammami: \u201cI looked to the right. Was the instructor really gone?\u201d<\/h2>\n

Justin also recently received approval from his instructor. \u201cOn this day, the instructor ensures that you build up some self-confidence. Together you fly some familiar \u2018circuits\u2019 before the solo, and then take to the air alone. I remember thinking: if this goes well, this will be the very last time that the instructor will be in the cockpit with me…\u201d<\/p>\n

After a final landing together, the moment arrived. The instructor got out and wished Justin good luck one more time. \u201cThen I was really on my own. I looked to the right one more time, just to be sure: was the instructor really gone? From that moment on, it was a flight like any other, only with much more adrenaline! Everything suddenly has to be done alone. That requires a lot of focus and certainly feels exciting in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Justin, the tension subsides the moment the wheels leave the asphalt. Time to enjoy the moment, but then you still have to get back. \u201cAs soon as you return, you are responsible for putting the plane safely back on the ground,\u201d says Justin. \u201cBut with all the flying hours under my belt, this went really well for me! I then drove off the runway towards the \u2018parking\u2019 and did a few final checks, before turning off the engine. That\u2019s when I really realized that I had just achieved my solo!\u201d<\/p>\n

And if that realization hasn\u2019t sunk in yet, your fellow students will make sure of it. \u201cShortly afterwards, the first fellow students will walk towards your plane to traditionally carry you out of the plane and then come at you with buckets of water! All in all, this makes for an experience and milestone that I will never forget in my entire flying career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"solo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first solo flight is a moment that you will never forget as a pilot, it is an adventure in itself. That is why we always enjoy hearing stories about the first important milestone that our students experience in the plane. Recently, it happened for Yorick Huiskes and Justin Hammami: they were allowed to fly alone for the first time. How did they experience their adventure? Yorick Huiskes: \u201cThrottle on full power: the adrenaline is rushing through your body!\u201d For Yorick, this day could have arrived soon enough: \u201cYou have been working towards this moment for a while and of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":33753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"First solo flight through the eyes of Yorick and Justin","_seopress_titles_desc":"The first solo flight is an unforgettable milestone for every pilot. Yorick Huiskes and Justin Hammami share their experience.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"solo flight","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[{"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_type":"custom","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_custom":"