Birgit’s flying diary: My first solo “I just checked my instruments, focused on my controls…”
So, my instructor decided to fly away to the next little airfield, just to have a bit of peace and quiet for hover practising and flying circuits. I remember how he kept on telling me how different the controls feel, if a person leaves the aircraft and the weight and balance changes. I didn’t really understand what he was trying to prepare me for.
So, after 30 hours of training, it was the 3rd of May, after having done 3 circuits, he told me to land on the runway. I felt ok with taking off and landing at that point, but I didn’t know that he would leave me to do it on my own. So, he just told me to do the same thing, what we just had done and he would have a radio with him, so I could talk to him – and after reminding me, how different it will feel on the controls, he just stepped out of the cockpit.
I was too nervous to say something. So, I just checked my instruments, focused on my controls and started slowly raising the collective. What a surprise, the helicopter really jumped up, compared to the normal feeling of a takeoff! He was right, it felt very different.