I WENT
SOLO IT WAS WONDERFUL By Giordyn Garrick
It was a landing like many others, but without the nerves that I used to feel. It was smooth and effortless and as the tinny old Blanik trundled to a halt the instructor leaned forward and said, “Pretty much perfect, how about a solo now?”
so I head towards the Chain hills, hoping to bleed off some height. Over the hills I encounter a small amount of lift. Regretfully, I turn away. From the ground you can’t tell how high a glider is and I know my instructor will be watching my every move. If he sees me playing around he will lose even more hair than he already has, and there’s not much of it left as it is. I turn my face up to the sun and smile, relaxing for a moment and enjoying the sun then I launch into my pre-landing checks, Alone in the glider I run through my pre-take off checks. As careful to cover everything early. Straps … Secure. I wait for the I reach the second C and close the canopy I realize I am truly instructor to confirm “Straps are secure in the rear,” but there is alone. There would be no instructor in the back seat to take over if only silence. My nerves return for a moment, I gulp and move on. I muck this up. My heart rate quickens and my head begins to buzz Flaps … undercarriage is down. I am now low enough to join circuit, with adrenalin. I have to force my mind to refocus on the checks. so I do so and make my radio call. Next, brakes, then the last check, eventualities, the one I never I concentrate on my aiming point and the correct height for like to think about. Casting my mind back to the lesson where my completing the base and final legs of my circuit using as little instructor is pointing out emergency landout spots, I look around brakes as is possible. I find I am doing fifty knots and trim forward me. There are four conceivable options around the airfield if the to get to fifty-five, about the right speed to make a smooth landing. towrope broke. I run through them all. I am slightly too high so I crack the air brakes open about a quarter The tow plane is ready. My instructor has the rope. He grabs before making a ninety degree turn onto finals, the metal ring on the end of the rope and holds trimming forward again as I have to apply more it up, indicating that he is ready. I give him the forward pressure to the column to keep the thumbs up, indicating that I too am ready and Straps … Secure. I wait for the speed at fifty-five knots. he hooks me on. instructor to confirm “Straps Closing in on the ground, I get a sick He runs to the end of the wing and picks feeling of dread, I am too low. I will never it up so that my world is set straight again. My are secure in the rear,” but make it over the road! I quickly put away the nerves spike as the tow plane moves forward there is only silence. airbrakes and instantly realise I have over to pick up the slack in the rope, causing the reacted, I am now much too high, my retrieval glider to jolt forward again. Pressing the team are going to have to run. Pulling out full button on the tip of the control column with my brakes, I bring the glider down, getting closer and closer, fightthumb, I speak clearly into the microphone, trying not to sound too ing the urge to pull out of the descent. I wait a few precious extra nervous, “Oscar Mike Alpha, Mike Victor, all out, all out.” My call is seconds before releasing the pressure on the column and allowanswered and my nerves reach an all-time high as the tow plane ing the glider to flare slightly before floating gently onto the ground, rolls forward, struggling to overcome the inertia on the glider. just as I had done less than ten minutes earlier. We speed up and I push the control column a fraction to the I roll down the runway and slowly come to a halt, letting the left left, then to the right to steady the wings and then use a small wing float to the ground after all forwards motion ceased. I open amount of right rudder to keep the glider rolling in line with the tow the canopy and a wave of fresh air washes over me. I have done plane. I leave the ground and at last the plane in front of me hauls it, my first solo and not a single mishap! I relax into my seat, letting itself off the runway too. Flying in formation I tow to three thousand the huge feelings of triumph and joy radiate through my body. feet. I take a quick look around me to ensure the immediate area Extricating myself from the glider I am deluged with buckets of is clear of gliders before stretching forward to pull the yellow t-bar water as my friends race out to help me celebrate in the traditional and release the towrope. manner. It was a perfectly acceptable ordinary circuit, but no other I let out a laugh, suddenly aware that I am completely on my circuit has ever left me with such an adrenaline buzz. own. I glance at the altimeter; I am way too high to enter circuit,
30
August 2010
