Pilot Life: Solo Flight Away from the Nest!

After not being able to do this portion of flight training last Friday, I was supposed to do this flight yesterday. But as my luck would have it, the weather and the winds weren't cooperating to the point that they exceeded my limitations as a student pilot. As a result, my instructor rescheduled my third solo flight to today, which in the end made for a busy day for me. Wednesdays are usually my busiest days of the week due to a night class but the fact I got to fly on a day where I normally don't made up for it and made this long day a little more enjoyable. Plus this was a good way to add an exclamation mark to my birthday that I celebrated just three days ago and kick off some November flying.

Diamond DA-20-C1 Katana (N974CT), "Wolf 06," the aircraft I took up on my third solo flight!

After I got dispatched out, I conducted my pre-flight inspections. Once that was complete, I hopped in the airplane got started up. Ready to go, I called the ground controller for my taxi clearance. This time, I was cleared to taxi all the way up until the runway to do run-ups because there was a lull in air traffic. Once I completed my run-ups, I called the tower for my takeoff clearance. I received my takeoff clearance and I rolled down the runway. Once airborne, I turned to the west to go to the practice area near Fairfield, which I haven't visited since my fourth flight (which occurred at the tail-end of September!). I would've gone to one of the practice areas that was directly south of Provo (because it's closer!), but there were some low clouds and my limitations as a student pilot mandated that I could not fly over them. Rather than put up with reduced maneuvering room, I decided to go out to the more open spaces.

While en route to the practice area, I contacted the approach controller up in Salt Lake City (referred to as "Salt Lake Approach") so I could get radar services and have an extra set of eyes on me. This has been standard practice since the beginning of my flight training, especially on local flights. The benefit of these services is that the approach controllers can see everything and many things I can't. While on radar with the approach controller, I can receive various advisories, including ones regarding other aircraft in the area and stay clear and maintain visual separation from them. And believe it or not, I got called up by the approach controller several times informing me of traffic in the area. To me, this is one way to define how tight-knit the aviation community is because these folks keeping an eye on the skies have our backs. And I was glad to have the approach controller and the radar services available to me on this flight!

Once I arrived in the practice area, I set myself up to do some maneuvers and basically fly around; it was just me, my thoughts, and the airplane. After reacquainting myself with this particular practice area, at my own discretion set myself up and put the airplane into slow flight, executing some gentle banking turns. Because I was by myself, I elected not to practice any power-on or power-off stalls; as a student pilot, I'd rather do these maneuvers with a safety pilot or instructor in the cockpit with me.

While flying around, I was continuing to get a feel for the airplane I was in because I've never flown in this particular airframe before. While doing so, I noticed that radio calls and advisories from Salt Lake Approach fell silent. I heard the approach controller call my aircraft call-sign briefly and then it all turned to static; I could not make out what he was trying to say. I knew I needed to re-establish radio contact and I suspected that I flew into an area where radio reception might be lousy and there might not be adequate radar coverage. This thought felt a little disconcerting, especially for an inexperienced student pilot such as myself. I then heard an unexpected voice over the radio calling my aircraft call-sign, another UVU aircraft. They relayed to me and confirmed what I suspected; I did fly into an area with not-so-great radar coverage and radio reception was lousy. Another reason why the aviation community is so tight-knit: fellow pilots have your back as well! And I'm glad that there was some company traffic nearby to assist me and the approach controller to maintain adequate communication!

I had the company traffic relay to Salt Lake Approach of my intentions and I continued to re-establish radar and radio contact. I was about 2,500 feet above the ground at the time. There were two mountainous terrain features in the practice area I was in that might have had something to do with this little communications faux pas during this flight so I decided to climb another 1,000 feet and I was able to hear the approach controller through my headsets again. I then continued to fly around and monitored the approach frequency for any traffic or advisories.

Before heading back to the Provo, I decided to do some ground reference maneuvers. I called up Salt Lake Approach to inform them of my intentions and then I made my descent. Once at a safe minimum altitude, I determined the wind direction and then set myself up first for turns around a point. In this practice area, away from Provo and away from many man-made features, it was initially difficult finding a ground reference that I could use, but I eventually found one and executed the maneuver. After a decent execution, I next sought out a straight stretch of road so I could do some S-turns. After finding one, I set myself and the airplane up and executed two decent half-circles crossing the road.

Satisfied with the ground reference maneuvers, I set my sights back to the nest in Provo. I climbed back up to pattern altitude and contacted Salt Lake Approach again, letting them know I was headed back to the Provo Airport. As I began flying over Utah Lake, I was called by the approach controller again, advising me of incoming traffic head-on at my 12 o' clock; it was another Diamond DA-20 Katana from UVU, having just departed Provo. It was about 1,000 above my current altitude. I advised Salt Lake Approach that I had the traffic in sight and I was instructed to maintain current altitude for separation. Once the traffic passed above me, I continued my approach into Provo. At this point, I requested a radio frequency change over the Provo tower, which was approved. 

I then contacted the tower and made a standard pattern approach. There was another Katana in the pattern ahead of me and I was number two in line for landing. After the traffic ahead of me landed, I made my final approach. Just moments before touchdown, I felt the aircraft drifting off center line of the runway, so I aborted my landing attempt, throttled the engine power to full and executed a go-around. I suspected there was a light crosswind, but I didn't waste time to think about. I set myself up again for a second landing attempt; I was alone in the pattern so it was another standard approach. Second landing attempt was successful.

The view of the tarmac just after vacating the runway and before I began taxiing back to the UVU ramp. 

Once I rolled out to a low speed, I taxied off the runway and brought the airplane back to the UVU ramp. After parking and conducting the standard shut-down procedures, I called it another flight, not to mention a successful third (and long!) solo flight. To date, this is the longest flight I've logged in my logbook. But I'm pretty sure some cross-country flights that are just around the corner are going to surpass the hours of today's flight!