My First Solo

By Ava Shelly

My name is Ava Rian Shelly. Flying is my passion. I became hooked during my discovery flight a few years ago. I hope to attend the US Naval Academy and upon graduation become a Naval Aviator, fly the F-35C Lightning II, and land on aircraft carriers while serving my country’s Navy combat team. One of my coolest experiences I’ve had was flying over the palace of Versailles and around Paris, France. It was absolutely breathtaking, especially soaring over the beautiful French countryside and old castles.  I started power flight training when I was ten years old. I found out there are many different disciplines of flying, gliders, jets, helicopters, etc. I was so intrigued! While I was pre-flighting an aircraft for a lesson, I met an amazing female pilot who spoke to me about her aviation career and the endless opportunities. Because of her efforts, I received a scholarship from our local soaring club to start gliding lessons. I was eligible to start my glider training on my 13th birthday. My parents drove me to the club and signed us up for a family membership so I could start my training. I was scheduled for lessons at least twice a month for the first six months. During the summer I was given homework to study for the pre-solo test and start learning all the hand signals and other FAA required knowledge in order to prepare  to solo on my 14th birthday.

I am blessed to have the amazing support of the people at the Treasure Coast Soaring Club helping and guiding me along the way. Not only does the Treasure Coast have the best weather in Vero Beach, Florida, but the best instructors and tow pilots. My primary instructor is Tommy Augustsson, a Swedish born pilot with over 50 years of aviation experience and a current auxiliary helicopter pilot for the US Coast Guard. Tommy has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and an envious love for soaring. Erdam Bural is a Turkish national and soaring champion from his country. He brings a whole different approach to soaring and has been instrumental in my development. Randy Opat is a well-rounded and accomplished pilot with many years of flying with many types of flight experiences I can only hope to achieve in my career. Bob Youngblood is the President of our club and the primary tow pilot. Bob has had a wonderful career in aviation and has flown all over the world in just about every type of aircraft you can think of.  Bob has a no-nonsense approach to gliding since he is the most vulnerable in the tow plane whilst under tow. His robust verbal authority turns out to be endearing and compassionate, once proven you can handle the responsibilities of a glider pilot. 

As my birthday approached, my instructors increased the difficulty in my training. The tows were getting tougher and more erratic, my instructors helped less and made the workload more difficult with each flight. Hour long briefs and debriefs were the norm. Emergency procedures were painstakingly reviewed until I could recite them in my sleep. The ground crew would tie knots in the tow rope or the weak-link and attempt to hide them in their hands hoping I would gloss over their presentation before attaching the rope to my sailplane. My back seat instructors would push the spoilers full after I stowed them to confirm I double checked them before takeoff. The tow pilot would perform S-turns and climb at a higher-than-normal rate of speed in an attempt to break my concentration and confuse me. Of course, all of this was done deliberately in order to sharpen my focus on three things; aviate, navigate, and communicate. 

It was a few weeks before my solo during Christmas break and my family had plans to be out of town. There was a sixteen-day gap between flights. I anticipated regressing in my flight training during this long break and hoped I could keep from getting rusty. Thankfully I have been reminded over and over to ‘trust my training’ and this was really the simple secret. I knew a lot was at stake.  I read my glider books, studied the knowledge and passed my pre-solo test the week before my solo was planned. My instructors signed off on IACRA so I could print the temporary airman certification. I packed my photo ID in my flight bag so I had all the legally required documents with me. The day finally arrived, January 21, 2022, my 14th birthday. I constantly checked the weather to make sure it wasn’t too windy, foggy or dewy. The tow pilot and tow plane were cleared for operations. The glider was a go and I was mentally and physically prepared for this amazing experience.

The morning of my solo I felt confident, ready to prove to myself to my family and instructors that I am capable of being ‘Pilot in Command’ of an aircraft. My instructors endorsed my logbook as required and signed off on the necessary paperwork. My first two scheduled flights that morning were with Tommy, a mandatory pre-solo flight review before allowing me to take the controls alone. The first flight was a pattern tow, about 1,300' AGL just to the IP (Initial Point) and then a clearing turn before entering the downwind. A textbook landing while my family was just off to the side of the grass runway watching from a distance. A quick turnaround of the sailplane on the runway to align with the runway and the pre-flight routine for my second flight was underway.  Belts, check. Altimeter, check. Canopy secure, check. Controls, check. Tow rope attached, check. A thumbs up to the ground crew to signal I was ready. My wing was lifted off the ground, a radio call from the tow plane and a wiggle of my tail sent us darting down the runway. The second flight was a simulated rope break just over 200', with a sharp turn and faster than normal descent, we landed safely just before the threshold. Upon my second landing the sail plane was turned around again and without much elaboration, Tommy stepped out of the glider, secured his belts and handed me the radio and locked the canopy. The ground crew presented the tow rope as I went over the pre-flight checklist. Giving the thumbs up to signal I was ready to go, the wing runner lifted my wing and tow plane punched the gas down the grass field. For the first time, I was alone inside of an aircraft and trusted to make the right decisions that day. Not having the instructor is impossible to simulate and I popped up almost immediately on tow. With forward stick pressure I stayed low so the tow plane could gather speed in ground effect before a deliberate climb. A steady and gentle ascent cleared 200' with ease, our first turn towards the east at 500' AGL and I felt good. We stayed above the airfield so in case of an emergency, I could land quickly and easily. I focused hard on the tow plane as we continued to climb, he rocked his wings signaling me to release at about 1,300' AGL, a decisive turn to the right to clear my aircraft from his and I was free.

No longer was I attached to another aircraft, I was for the first time in my life, solo. The word never had much meaning before then and I guess I never really thought about it at length. Today it has an impactful, almost spiritual meaning about relentless pursuit of your goals and getting outside of your comfort zone. I made a clearing turn, checking the large canopy for traffic and slowly entering the pattern. “Schweizer 2-33 entering downwind, New Hibiscus”, cracked over the radio as I made my flight to the next waypoint on my trip. Nine hundred feet and right where I needed to be, I started my base turn and had a clear view of the runway from the left side of my plane. ΩMy final turn was just like I had practiced. I could make the necessary adjustments I needed without losing altitude or airspeed. I crossed the ditch and locked my eyes onto the barrels. At the advice of my instructors, I landed short. I used just enough spoilers to gradually descend until I was only a few feet off the ground. A gentle touch on the wheel, a little bit of spoilers and front stick pressure brought the glider to a full stop. I did it! My first solo as pilot in command and I’m a real pilot. 

Lucky enough for me it all worked out. I was able to solo on my birthday. I had never been happier! I really can’t thank my instructors and tow pilot enough! Thank you  to everyone who has helped me for guiding me along my flying journey. I have so many aviation goals that will keep me busy over the next few years, but this was a milestone. For now, I am going to enjoy the freedom my hard work has earned me and continue soaring and conquering my goals one by one.