In this video, I take you through my first solo flight in a tailwheel airplane! Not only was this my first tailwheel solo, but it was also my first time flying solo in over 9 years! It’s been a long journey to get here, and while I’ll share more about my flying story in another video, let’s just say this solo has been a long time coming!

The flight took place at Millville Airport on a busy day with crosswinds strong enough to make us reconsider whether the solo should even happen—you’ll hear that discussion at the start of the video. Ultimately, I decided to go for it!

Right after liftoff, I spotted another aircraft crossing the runway’s end at pattern altitude, and I wasn’t entirely sure of their intentions. You’ll see me glancing between my iPad and the window to keep an eye on them, which led to a pretty messy traffic pattern on my part. I managed to adjust on downwind and get back into a good position, though!

One thing I noticed immediately was how much lighter the airplane felt without a passenger. During my roundout, the wind had a bit more of an effect on me than I was expecting, but I think I handled it well overall.

This solo flight felt a bit chaotic, and after more than seven years away from solo flying, I was definitely rusty. But finally reaching this milestone was an incredible feeling. Here’s to the next adventure!

Watch this video on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/KK1EI-JAyJU