As Angela got into her airplane, she took one last look at her family and friends, and
thought, gosh, they have been waiting for this day as much as I have. The sinking feeling
she had in her stomach was still there. In fact it was a bit worse, but she had to dismiss it
from her mind. She had been waiting for this day too long. This was really all that she
thought about for the last few years. She had put too much time into this without having
to worry about a teeny bitty stomach ache.
Taxiing from the tie down and just before entering the ramp, and with a last minute
wave at her entourage, with a slight trembling of her hands she picked up the
microphone, and was surprised at the slight tremor in her voice. “Lancaster Ground
control, this is Cessna 1452, on the ramp, ready to taxi to the active.
Reaching the takeoff area at the end of the runway, Angela paused before she asked the
controller for take-off instructions. She still didn’t fully comprehend that she was alone
in an airplane, any airplane, for the first time in her life. She kept looking at the right seat
not fully believing that her dad was not there. Why am I nervous, my God, I’ve been
practicing for this moment from the time I was knee high to a .......It was not as she
thought it would be. She thought that she would be elated, joyous, just about the next
step to heaven, floating on clouds and just about everything to make her the happiest girl
in the world. Maybe it was because so many people were counting on her, some waiting
along with her for this day to happen. She was determined to get over this uneasy feeling.
She was a pro, and she knew it and she shall show everyone who was watching her how
good a pilot she was.
“Lancaster Tower, Cessna1452. number 3 in line, ready for take-off, Request 2 touch and
go landings, then a full stop.” “Roger Cessna1452, standby.” It was a particularly unusual
busy day at the airport. Airplanes were practicing landings in the pattern. Airplanes were
everywhere. Two planes were behind Angela’s waiting for take-off. It was a busy period
for the controllers in the control tower. Angela was used to this. She was not always
alone in the sky with her dad, and part of her training was to practice flying in periods of
heavy air traffic.
While waiting for take-off Angela thought back of the times when she was pitching for
the Lancaster Tigers; the hours spent with her dad learning to fly, and all the dreams
she had when she was younger. And now the moment had arrived, she was all alone. No
one to talk to except the Air Traffic controllers. Suddenly, the sinking feeling in the pit
of her stomach disappeared, and when the controller told her to taxi into position and
hold, there was no shaking of her hand, nor a tremor in her voice when she picked up the
microphone and replied, “Tower, Cessna 1452, roger.” She was okay, she was fine, she
was back again to the confident Angela. She was going to have a good time.
When the airplane just ahead of Angela had cleared the end of the runway in its take-off,
the controller issued: “Cessna1452, cleared for take-off, call on downwind each time,”
and since he already knew that this was Angela’s solo flight, added, “and good luck.”
“Roger Dodger, Thank you, rolling,” replied Angela in her usual confident voice. She
was back to her old self again. Meanwhile, on the ground, Angela’s dad had a radio by
the hangar, listening to the towers local control frequency. He grinned at Angela’s
unauthorized remark, and thought that he would kid her about it when she landed.
There were several aircraft in the pattern, and Angela had her work cut out. Following
this one and that one. It was not as easy as being up there with no traffic. But she took
this in stride as this was where her training would pay off.
“Tower, this is Cessna1452, on downwind for a touch and go. I have this Tripacer just
ahead of me.” “Cessna1452, roger, you’re number 3 to land so follow that Tripacer. You
may have to stretch it out a bit. The Tripacer is following the 150 about to turn final.”
“Roger, 1452, have them in sight.
Angela had to extend her downwind leg so as to maintain a safe distance between her
aircraft and the Tripacer she was following. This she did without any prompting from the
tower. “Cessna1452 turning final about a mile out.” “Cessna1452, this is Lancaster
tower, you’re number 2 to land, your traffic is over the boundary now.” “Roger”, was the
swift and confident reply. “Cessna 1452 you’re cleared to land, wind 320 degrees at 5
knots.”
As Angela’s plane touched down on the runway, she briefly glanced in the direction of
the hangars to where her family and friends were watching, and waived to them as the
plane was once again airborne. Climbing to 1,500 feet, she leveled the airplane, and
started her left turn into cross base leg. She was doing fine so far she thought. No
problem at all. One more touch and go landings and then home.
Angela was following an Apache aircraft, and was number 2 for her touch and go
landing. As the Apache touched down on the runway, it suddenly veered first to the left
and then to the right, and wound up on its side in the center of the runway. It apparently
blew a tire on its impact with the ground. The tower had already alerted the emergency
equipment and they would be racing to the scene of the incident. Angela could not
possibly land on this runway. “Cessna1452, Lancaster Tower, continue circling the
airport, we have an accident, and we will advise as soon as possible.” Roger,
Cessna1452.”
My God, thought Angela, I hope the people in the plane were not injured. Circling the
airport, she couldn’t help but think, of all the years waiting for this moment, why now?
Why couldn’t she experience just a normal day with no incidents on her solo flight, why?
Would she eventually complete her flight test, or will there be more incidents to come?
