Since Mike keeps asking me stuff, I thought I'd start a thread here, being more of the place for it, I thought.

I have been grounded because of weather for the past week. Am going on my first solo X-C ASAP. Maybe Thursday, any tips?

Sure.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. :) Prepare some more. It still won't be enough. Did you do the prep more than a week ago? Do it again. I got cancelled once, had to wait 2 days, and then those little notes I'd jotted didn't make sense.

Do you have a clipboard? VFR planning chart?

[link|http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/Freebies/VFRFlightPlanner/index.html|XC Planning chart]. That's similar to the one that my instructors used, if you don't have one, it'll do nicely. (print all three and see what you like).

*Draw* each destination airport in the space available - *and* put an arrow on it which should be your direction of approach, so you can glance at it, and visualize it. So you don't get confused, especially with crossing runways, which one you're going for.

Get another watch. I got one for $9.95, set it to zulu time, and velcro'ed it to the clipboard for timing waypoints. (using the wrist watch will not be that good). When you pull onto the runway, be sure to write the takeoff time. Altenatively, use the stopwatch from a waypoint to know where you are, and should be.

Don't overload yourself with Navaid stuff. Don't try to be *too* fancy with crossing VORs and such, if you're going to be busy. On my first, I had a waypoint crossing a VOR radial - because there was *nothing* else around for 20 miles, and so I had plenty of time. (Tracking in on one, crossed the other).

Don't worry about flying "extra". If I had it to do again, I'd fly a "known course" to a familiar landmark to confirm wind drift calculations, rather than trying to do it on my first waypoint. If you're leaving out of a controlled field, you might want to "start" your waypoints outside of that airspace, get to it, and then "start", depending on how you'l be vectored.

Do worry if you're off course. If you're going over a airstrip, and your course projection has you over the north end, and you're within sight, to the south, you're off course. either fly to your projected course, or increase the correction.

Check the DG regularly. If the DG really gets off, you can set it by a VOR station if you're having trouble with the compass. (Flying to/from a VOR will give you the directions).

Make sure and use the checklist. If you're not prepared for doing things differently, might want to practice them - I don't know what you're used to, but I was used to pattern work, my first X-country I went into a towered field, who told me to report on a 2 mile left base. Erk. :) I almost forgot the carb heat and mixture, trying to get set up the same way. Think about how to handle things like modified patterns, if you're not used to them, about when you'll cut power, for left/right bases and for straight-ins.

Don't Panic. :)

Remember the 4 C's if you have a problem. :)

Climb, Confess, Communicate, Comply.... Even if you THINK you might have a problem, don't be too shy about calling someone up and saying so. If you get lost, have the nearest approach control freq's handy, they'll paint you, and vector you. Practice thinking what to say. "Approach, this is 123 Alpha Bravo, I'm a student, and I'm disoriented, could I please get a position and a vector to [airport]?" I think will work.

Remember, the emergency you're prepared for isn't the one that will likely get ya. :)

How far are you going, what kind of plane, what kind of airspace?

Good luck. :)

Addison

I glanced at the VFR Planning Charts, will look more at them tonight.

What are you using now? Anything? If you're not using *anything*, use them.

And be sure to mark checkpoints when you pass them, I don't know if you're doing that now, but you should be able to predict when you'll get to the next one. (this also has the benefit of, if you get off course, allowing you to quickly acertain what *area* you could possibly be in to get relocated.

Of course, with a GPS in the plane, that's cheating... Were I the instructor, I'd pop the fuse on that out. :)

I know, I know, "don't count on the GPS".

Well, its don't get used to it. :) It *do* make things simple. Too simple, in some ways. You've got to show experience with the VORs, etc., as well as knowing how to fly if you lose the GPS, or electrics.


My first one will barely qualify for an X-C. Round robin C62-I76-C62 (Kendallville, Indiana to Peru, Indiana and back)

Sounds fine. My first solo was a simple flight like that, 110 round trip, but I did go to a towered field. (With nobody else even around, I think I woke the controller up. :))

5W5 to ISO.

Good luck, and have fun - if you can't fly for a bit before that, don't hesitate to do some pattern work before you depart. Nothing says you can't do 2-3 landings to your satisfaction. Often I do that when I'm flying now, do one full pattern, come back in, then actually depart. Easier to make sure I'm doing the patterns, etc, when I see the familar landmarks, 401, the tree nursery, etc. etc.

Addison