By Lance Wach

Remember the freedom you felt turning 16 and getting your driver's license? Now imagine that feeling times 10. That's how flying feels. Friday March 9, 2007, 1 soloed in an airplane for the first time. Was I nervous or scared? Honestly it was just like driving the combine or sprayer for the first time. Except I was more afraid running a combine or sprayer for the first time because it's Dad's equipment and they are worth a lot more.

I had completed one flying lesson that morning and had another at 1 p.m. Dick and I flew a couple traffic patterns; he asked me some questions about what I would do if this happened; and then had me land.

After I landed. Dick told me to taxi off the runway and he proceeded to unbuckle and hop out. He told me to shoot a couple landings and just have fun. He closed the door and I realized, "I'm going to solo."

I taxied down to the end of the runway, did the takeoff radio calls, pushed the throttle forward and took off. The first thing I realized is how much faster the plane wants to go into the air. Not having Dick in the plane, I think the plane thought no one was flying it.

The really awesome part was that Mom, Grandpa and Grandma were all sitting at the end of the runway and watched and videotaped me taking off and landing on my first solo.

Dick radioed me and said that I had to do three landings. At the time, I didn't know why, but after some research, I learned that before I could solo anytime I wanted, he had to write an endorsement in my logbook saying that I'm qualified to solo in a Cessna 150.

I landed for the third time, which wasn't the greatest landing I've done, and taxied back to the hangar. I shut down the engine, received a "good job" from Dick and Griff (owner of Red Willow Aviation). Dick then asked where the scissors were, and proceeded to cut off my shirt tail. I thought I might solo during this lesson, so I had a cut-off white shirt on. Before writing this, I didn't understand this unusual tradition. So, I searched on Wikipedia.com as to why this practice is done.

Quoted from Wikipedia.com "In Aviation lore, the traditional removal of a new pilot's shirt tail is a sign of the instructor's new confidence in his student. In the days of tandem trainers, the instructor would tug at the student's shirt tail whenever he was getting himself into trouble. After the first solo, the new pilot is competent in the air and does not need such as safety device."

After my first solo, the first thing I wanted to do was get into the air again. So one week later, I found myself back at Red Willow Aviation, sitting in a Cessna 150. My usual flying routine is to drive to McCook on Friday after school, fly for an hour and spend the night at my Grandparents and fly the next morning.

Friday night, I flew with Dick for about .6 hours and then he got out and I flew for another .6 hours solo. He said that I could come out Saturday morning and fly solo.

Saturday morning, I was at the airport by 8 a.m. and flying by 8:10. I logged over two hours that morning and wished I could have gone longer. While up there, I realized, I'm free. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. I am limited to a 25-mile radius of McCook, but I'm still free. No roads telling me to turn here. No cops or speed limit signs telling me how fast I can go. I can go as high as I want or as low as the ground allows.

Currently, I have over half of the required hours with an instructor and three hours solo. I hope to have my private pilots license before my senior year starts. This will depend entirely on how many times I make it to McCook, and how often I can get off work.

To anyone who wants a ride, you will have to wait until after I become a private pilot, because until then, I'm not allowed to carry passengers.