Not as scary as for his mother filming;)
One important point you make there about getting the aircraft down. You notice in the film at the last moment it lifts slightly before he gets it on the runway. Look at his instructor (about 85-90kg) and that(s a big difference in a small aircraft.
The opposite is the same. He took me and my ex UK neighbour up in the 172 and got the landing totally wrong. I was quite relaxed because we had the instructor in there. In fact we were having a good laugh. But it was quite scary. Heavier plane, 4 people, and a side wind. It could have been quite nasty. But it hasn’t put him off, well only for a wekk or so 
My neighbour nearly crapped in his pants, but then again, he once got it completely wrong in a flying lesson and pushed the controls to pull up. He gave up after that.
Yeah, as I watched Stuart’s son’s plane coming in for a landing, I felt myself in that plane with the same scary feelings I had on my first landing. Mine was probably easier because it was a tail wheel aircraft that was light weight fabric covered plane that landed at 60 mph but Stuart’s son looked like he was coming in much faster. In the central valley of California, the temperatures got hot in the summer so the radiation convection off the runway would actually cause a light plane to rise instead allowing it to fall in a normal descent. One had to slip the plane to get it down sometimes.
Sounds to me like you should write one. Seriously - all those stories. Perhaps you should start a group and then we can all have a look at these airplanes ( I like to SEE things - I especially love things like Stuart’s video because one almost feels included.) G.
I flew once on a B-52 as a passenger and vowed never to do that again. First, there was no where to sit except on the honeybucket, the cute name we gave the potty. Second, the flight turned out to be a long 8 hour training flight and no one thought to order a lunch for me. Third, they practiced low level bomber approaches flying 1000 ft off the ground through valleys where the turbulence was severe causing me to bounced around because I was the only one without a seat belt. I wanted to see what it was like from the bomber’s point of view while refueling that that just took 30 minutes and the rest was boring. I should have brought a book.
I used to love the day when they had the exhibition of the experimental aircraft at the Merced Airport. There were some very strange looking planes. The one that fascinated me most was a reduced version of the P-51 but there were planes that looked like flying bathtubs.
I know I am. What amazing stories. Perhaps your son Stuart will have some amazing flight stories to tell. I read a book recently called La Folie and this guy had a small plane that he took with him when he moved to France. It is rather funny and I had a great time reading His exploits. G.
I think my son would be fascinated with the stories you have to tell.
Passion, yes and no. When I was young and foolish I used to do things like skydive and fly aerobatics in Waco biplanes but now that I discovered how good life can be I prefer not to risk it again. I was in the Air Force Aero Club at an airport near our base. There were 7 Waco biplanes there, former crop dusters. The owners called themselves the South Merced Air Force. I learned to fly in an Aerononca (sp), then a Cessna 150, then a Cessna 172 and then an Air Force trainer AT-6 which was no longer used for training in the Air Force. Now I don’t even like to fly commercially, preferring trains and driving. BTW, I flew a lot on KC-135 tankers refueling bombers and fighters on transoceanic flights and was in several near collosions during these flights. No, these days it’s much better on the ground tending my gardens.
Hi James Sounds very much to me as if you should be back in the air. I know a passion when I see one. Hope you do it soon. G.
Hi James, I’m sure you could. But as you say there is definitely a requirement to fly on a regular basis. However, all you have to do, I think, is to fly for half an hour with the local instructor?
Cheers
stu
Stuart, I haven’t flown since leaving the Air Force. At first I was in college and didn’t have the spare money and then when I entered the working world, I didn’t have the time. I haven’t checked but I think there is a requirement to either fly periodically or lose the PPL. However, I bet I could get in a Cessna now and fly without a problem
Hi Fiona
He is one of the youngest to go solo so don’t worry. But there are more and more under the age of 18.
I just hope he keeps it up.
x
Stu
Hi James
Are you a qualified pilot now? PPL?
Also, I notice you do some woodwork, have you thought about joining the group?
Welcome to SFN, hope you enjoy all the banter.
Stu
Well done. That’s quite a feat for a 16 year old. I was 19 before I did my first solo.
I wasn’t actually there Gina, it was my wife filming. When he was taxiing out the instructor said to her, this is where you really cut the cord. I’m surprised she wasn’t shaking more. I was working on the house and when they called me up from my workshop, they already had the camera plugged into the telly, so I guessed what had happened. I had a lump in my throat. Big soft Hector.
x
Stu
Bet that made you stick your chest out. Brilliant. Brave competent young man eh G.
Nice story Jan, I’ll tell that to Antony.
Cheers
Stu
Bonjour Stuart,
Cutting the shirt tail is mainly custom with flight instructors in the USA. It is said that in the old days of the tandem seated trainers and no intercom the instructor would pull the students shirt tail to get his attention. A successful first solo was proof that this was no longer necessary so the instructor would cut it off and often mark the tail with the name of the student pilot, the date, and his signature. So, better make sure you never wear your best suite when flying your first solo…
Cheers!
Jan
Hi Jan
No, they didn’t cut his shirt tail, never heard of that one. Wish I’d known though.
He’s now passed his brevet de base and hos PPL theory, so well on the way now.
I don’t think he’ll make pilot for the bigger airlines or companies but we’ll see how things go.
Cheers
Stuart
Congrats with the first solo flight. By the way, did the instructor cut your sons shirt tail? 
Or isn’t that tradition in France?