Soloed My 170 Saturday

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Onewinglo
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Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 1:04 am

Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by Onewinglo »

Guys I finally soloed my new 170 this past weekend. I’m a low time pilot and N1714D is my first tail dragger. After about 3 flights with my instructor and a couple with an experienced TW pilot, I took the plunge. I made 3 touch and goes and one full stop landing. I was struggling to maintain alignment on final because by the time I soloed I had a 50 degree crosswind at 7, gusting to 14. Not the prettiest landings but successful. It’s a good feeling to be able to practice on my own going forward.
JP
C170A N1714D
My First Airplane!
bagarre
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by bagarre »

Congratulations!
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Congratulations
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jatkins
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by jatkins »

Well Done !
CF-HER
52 170B 20292
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by cessna170bdriver »

Way to go JP! Log all the landings you want but remember that only the full stop ones count for currency in taildraggers. :wink: Keep practicing and a 7G14 crosswind will be a piece of cake (just don't let it go to your head; taildraggers seem to notice when you've stopped paying attention 8O ).
Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
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DaveF
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by DaveF »

Congratulations! I remember my 170 solo as fondly as my student pilot solo.

I had about 1500 hours before I learned tailwheel, so I had lots of complacency to un-learn. For the first two years I had my 170, as I'd turn base to final I'd say out loud to myself, "Pay attention! You're about to land a tailwheel airplane!"
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W.J.Langholz
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by W.J.Langholz »

Good Job JP :)
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Loyalty above all else except honor.
1942 Stearman 450
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blueldr
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by blueldr »

When I went through pilot training in '43, all the training had been in tailwheel airplanes with control sticks. My first control WHEEL was in a B-25. On my first ride, the instructor taxied off the parking apron onto the long straight taxi strip leading to the take off end of the parallel runway. "OK, you've got it." he said. The airplane must have known that taxiway and it went straight down to the end without any help from me. As we reached the end, I NATURALLY turned the control wheel to the right to steer it onto rhe runup pad. The stupid North American B-25 kept going straight ahead! Fortunately the instructor was alert to the stupidity of the STUDENT pilot and got us turned before we went off the pavement onto the grass. I thought for sure he would make me wear my Cub Scout uniform on my next ride.
BL
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Kyle Wolfe
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by Kyle Wolfe »

Congrats on a major LIFE accomplishment, JP!
Kyle
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57 BMW Isetta
Best original 170B - Dearborn, MI 2005
imncntrl
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by imncntrl »

Congrats!!!
Jared N5786C
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c170b53
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by c170b53 »

Great job!
Jim McIntosh..
1953 C170B S/N 25656
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hilltop170
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by hilltop170 »

Congratulations JP! Keep up the good work and let us know how things are going from time to time. Wish you could have made the Christmas party but there is always next year.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
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Heflin
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by Heflin »

blueldr wrote:When I went through pilot training in '43, all the training had been in tailwheel airplanes with control sticks. My first control WHEEL was in a B-25. On my first ride, the instructor taxied off the parking apron onto the long straight taxi strip leading to the take off end of the parallel runway. "OK, you've got it." he said. The airplane must have known that taxiway and it went straight down to the end without any help from me. As we reached the end, I NATURALLY turned the control wheel to the right to steer it onto rhe runup pad. The stupid North American B-25 kept going straight ahead! Fortunately the instructor was alert to the stupidity of the STUDENT pilot and got us turned before we went off the pavement onto the grass. I thought for sure he would make me wear my Cub Scout uniform on my next ride.
That's a great story!

JP, congrats on the solo! There's just something about a taildragger and these days it seems taildragger pilots are a small percentage of pilots out there. I flew in to an airport about 50 miles from home a couple weeks ago and there was a Citation on the ground. The pilot walked up to me and we got to talking about how fast his Citation was. I was in awe, but then he told me he'd ever flown a taildragger.
ISAIAH 40:31
n3833v
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by n3833v »

Congradulations JP. Now you will begin to realize how great it is to fly a tail dragger. Just keep alert and you will be fine with crosswinds.

John
John Hess
Past President 2018-2021
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N3833V Flying for Fun
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Onewinglo
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Re: Soloed My 170 Saturday

Post by Onewinglo »

Thanks Guys.
Tomorrow will be the first day I show up at the airport alone and practice unassisted. I'm looking forward to it!
Richard, I was not ready for cross country flight for the Christmas Party this year but I do plan to attend the convention in Gulf Shores next summer.
JP
C170A N1714D
My First Airplane!
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