First Cross Country Solo

A view from a Piper Archer III (PA-28-181) during my first cross-country solo today, while flying from Panensky Tynec to Ceska Lipa.

After flying very well (despite being very tired today) on my cross-country test, including making some excellent approaches and landings, I was excited to fly solo cross-country for the first time. After planning out the route my instructor gave me, I jumped in the Piper and methodically ran though the pre-flight checks, taxied to the holding point for the active runway at Sazena, and executed the run-up. After a normal takeoff from Sazena, being very close to Panensky Tynec (and having been there many times before), I did not pay attention to the map and pretty quickly got lost (I'm not allowed to use the GPS on visual navigation flights).

I found my position after a few minutes of looking, coming very close to entering the airspace for Prague's Ruzyne airport (which would have been bad, particularly with my mode S transponder on). After making a circuit around Panensky Tynec, I lined up for a crosswind landing on runway 27. It was a terrible landing, and the lesson there was: get more practice on landing on paved runways in a crosswind; make sure you're lined up properly or execute a go-around. I'm glad my instructor wasn't there...

The rest of the trip was uneventful, did not get lost again, however I chose not to land at Mnichovo Hradiste because there was parachute activity, and I didn't want to circle around waiting until they came down (also I didn't see them and I didn't want to hit a parachutist while circling around the airport!). The pilot of the parachute plane spoke perfect English with a very good American accent, just a slight hint of Czech. I always find it nice when people here my radio communication in English and they speak English too.

Anyway, was a good day, and now I feel like I'm just learning to fly again... I guess the learning never ends.

Also, please note that there is no smoking on this aircraft! :-)