I got my glass of water and watched the last of required private pilot course videos. David briefed me on the flight it would be more touch and goes I would come back do my pre-solo written and hopefully the following day I would get to go solo.

I did pre-flight by myself and David came back. I went through the pre-start checklist and started the engine. The routine was becoming comfortable. I got the usual taxi clearance except that I forgot to give a precise read back. My instructor warned me. Run-up went smoothly I did a short field take off taxi into position hold breaks bring her to full power release the breaks rotate at seventy hold it seventy till you got your obstacle cleared and lower the nose to a seventy five mile per hour climb. The second I got airborne a smile appeared on my face. Things were becoming a habit. On downwind for 16L David pulled the power the result was panicked turn to the runway adding flaps to reduce energy I landed just at the end of the runway I should have been calmer and started the turn later and kept a slightly closer distance to the airport. We did a variety of landings and I was getting consistent. After the flight was over I aced my written for solo. David told me I would solo the following day. I split for home excited and still somewhat tired.

I picked up a bacon double cheeseburger at Burger King. I ate that while drinking a coke in front of the TV. I called Claire and she came over. We hugged each other to celebrate she had to go to work and she quickly split. I started relaxing again. The rest of the day seemed to move fast. I had a hard time falling asleep that night.

I woke up early with very little sleep and I headed out at eight. I was kept awake the thrill of soloing. There was very little in regards to formalities or celebration pre-solo it was just I and 6DA along with David heading out towards Alliance for touch and goes. I pre-flighted the bird realizing how much water was in the tank leading to multiple samples. I kept drawing fuel till I was assured that no water was left in the fuel system. It was my butt on the line and I wanted to make sure that my butt was safe and secure. It had been flown earlier that day and David chewed out the person who flew her before. We did 2 touch and goes and then I dropped him off at the Terminal building at Alliance. He told the Tower I was soloing. I taxied out listening to Tower frequency with the butterflies running wild in my stomach. David told me I did not have to do a run-up. I taxied to the hold short line and asked for clearance to take off. I was promptly given it. I taxied out added power and as the airplane accelerated to sixty. At 60,I rotated she flew off around 70. I then let the nose down a hair as she accelerated to seventy five and a climb was started as a line of Pink Floyd's "Learning To Fly" drifted through me head: "There's no sensation to compare with this suspended animation a state of bliss." My brain responded to my heart get back on the flight airspeed 75 indicated 800 feet turn cross wind at nine still lined up the runway. I turned crosswind feeling at home in my natural element thinking: I'm flying an airplane by myself a dream finally realized. I had to listen to a different tower controller as a shift change occurred. The next 3 touch and goes were fun each one with a different flap setting. I noticed that she climbed better without an instructor. This was not a surprise I had read about it. Losing 150 pounds makes a big difference in a Cessna 150. After the 4th landing I taxied in picked David up and headed back ready to celebrate shooting a no flap landing into 16R.

I got my T-shirt everybody had signed it and put their greetings on it. I was congratulated as I walked into the classroom. I read all the remarks and smiled. I had soloed and boy was I proud. I changed shirts wearing it with pride of taking a major step to becoming a pilot.

I drove home and called Claire. Claire and I drove to the EPA on Fry had some coffee and ran into Cathy alone. She wanted a ride home and I drove her hoping for an opportunity there was none. Claire and I talked but the second dose of Fry had stung again. The following day I would snag a flight and head back to the café while I would miss Claire I was happy to be getting back out of town. I ate dinner with my folks watched some TV packed up the car and headed off to bed early.

I awoke at 7 and drove down to Delta Aeronautics. I could not believe it I was going solo. I decided to practice some steep turns followed by a couple of stalls and then call it day. 6DA stood there on the ramp at Meacham eager to fly and the clouds of morning quickly melted away. I pre-flighted her making sure she was airworthy she was unairworthy until proven otherwise. She was proven airworthy. I treat airplanes the reverse of the justice system for I found out the hard way the one thing you neglect to check is one thing you wish you had. By assuming an airplane is not worthy of flight until proven otherwise one dramatically reduces of the chance of a little thing biting you in the butt. I followed the checklist to the jot and tilde.

I taxied out solo for the first time at Meacham. The airplane accelerated down one six left and as I made my northwest departure I let the airplane climb as fast as it could. I hung my left turn at Hicks and headed out to the practice area keeping my eyes peeled for traf-fic. The steep turns went: smooth clear the area, power in all the way,bank and pitch while kicking the ball, put a screw of the cowl on the horizon and keep there till a full 360 degrees were made then opposite direction doing the same thing kicking ball keeping the legs and left hand on the same page. It was a workout and any slop was paid for my G's as an attempt was made to pick up lost altitude and everything suddenly weighs more then it did perfectly level. I did four steep turns. I then cleared the area again and started practicing stalls. My power off stall went smooth perfect approach type stall. Then aviation taught me humility with the power on stall. I did not walk her all they way and she broke hard right. "SPIN!" I hesitated for a moment as the airplane was corkscrewing hard to the right much more flatter then I had ever wanted to see my brain was thinking spin panic for a few seconds. I then got my wits after about three-quarters of a turn. I then responded: power back then pulled the power and nuetralized I did not want to overshoot as my cheeks flopped back as the 150 suddenly was staring at the ground still a good distance away but coming much faster then I wanted. I kicked opposite rudder stopping the rotation and I cautiously started pulling back on the stick slowly recovering from the dive. My heart was racing my palms were sweaty as I decided to head back for home after losing three hundred or so feet in a half a turn spin with my heart racing. I must have sounded a chipmunk when I made my call to the tower over Hicks. They told me to report Saginaw water tower for 16L. I lined up and saw it slide under the left main gear the brown hamburger on stilts with black lettering Saginaw.

The landing and taxi back were uneventful even though my heart was racing. David got a laugh when he heard spin from the power on stall. I got the obligatory lecture work the pedals up work the pedals down just like walking kick the ball and keep it centered fight the Pfactor as airspeed decays and wing stops producing left as drag skyrockets. He was glad that I recovered the airplane. Aviation has a way cutting the proud down a size or two or three and that incident was one heck of way of doing it. I paid for my flight and headed for 820 for my long drive to the café.