Riley Clark: One of COPA's Youngest Members Reflects on His First Solo Flight

I expected to be disappointed, because at the time I had no interest in planes. Suddenly a small propeller plane whooshed over our heads and touched down on the small grass strip. This is exactly where I knew that I wanted to become a pilot.
July 9, 2022, The beginning of a new lifestyle. It was a warm summer morning where I woke up to be invited to the 80th Annual Amelia Earhart fly-in at the Harbour Grace airstrip. I expected to be disappointed, because at the time I had no interest in planes. We arrived at the airstrip and began the walk down to take a look at the lineup of aircrafts, so long it spanned down the grass runway. The same runway that soon enough, I would be flying on, and the same planes that eventually I would be flying solo.
Suddenly a small propeller plane whooshed over our heads and touched down on the small grass strip. This is exactly where I knew that I wanted to become a pilot. That day was a warm day, a memorable one, and one warm month later I ended up in Gander Flight Training's classroom beginning the Summer Wings program. This is where I would learn the basics of flight, everything I needed to progress within my training and tips and tricks to speed up the process to my dream that I knew would come true one day, attempting solo flight. Over the next year and a half, I had intense testing and flying. I would study the worst nightmares of flying and learn how to recover from these unusual maneuvers in the air. Spins, stalls, spirals and rolls were all fears I had to overcome and learn to power through during my training to prepare for the imaginary scenario that something would go wrong.
My instructor, Tejas, encouraged me to complete the training in a trustful way, making learning much easier and quicker while also maintaining my safety as well as the aircrafts’. Eventually the summer was clueing up and during the end of August, I was scheduled for 5 days straight of lessons to knock out the 15 hours needed for solo flight. By this time I was feeling confident in my skills, the aircraft, and my knowledge of the airport. The next months flew by until I finished my last test about emergency procedures.
I officially obtained my student pilot license on November 7th, 2023 meaning that the next day, my fourteenth birthday, I could complete my dream and fly solo. I was cleared for my solo flight but the problem was, I couldn’t. Weather turned the skies gray in Gander taking the possibility away from me to be the youngest in Gander Flight Training’s books. The next days were painful, having to wait for the call that the skies were clear. I was on standby for a solo flight. The seven days I waited felt like 7 months, constantly waiting for a call until on the 15th of November, my instructor, Tejas called.

I rushed to Gander from school and prepared myself for what I was going to endure and the change it would be from a regular instructed flight. I arrived at the flight school greeting Tejas and climbing into the aircraft for the final time of that year with him. We did 3 circuits before we came to a full stop, taxied to the flight school and I finally got the handshake as he stepped out of the aircraft.
Tejas said “Remain calm, and fly the plane.” He shut the door as I would contact the ground control for the first time as a solo flight. “Gander ground, g’day, foxtrot papa x-ray alpha with information hotel is a solo flight, color code red at the flight training, requesting taxi to the active.” Ground then responded with “Foxtrot papa x-ray alpha taxi to runway 03 via Charlie, Alpha and Foxtrot. Contact the tower, holding short.”
I followed the instructions and took in the reality of what I was doing during the long taxi to the runway. I then contacted the tower telling them I was ready for take off. I was cleared for take off and as soon as I entered the chilly November air I took in the view, finally feeling the accomplishment take over. I didn’t let this affect my flying though. I continued to fly the plane as Tejas said and eventually I was sequenced into my final approach.
The end of the 10 minute solo flight was upcoming. I was only a mile from touchdown, and the runway became bigger as I guided my Cessna down for a textbook landing. The flight was over and I had to taxi back to the school. Air traffic control congratulated me as I came up to the school. I finished the rest of the checklist to shut down the aircraft and opened the door to be embraced in a warm hug by my mom. I then went on for photos, and had to kneel for the tradition of the ice bucket. The chilling garbage can of ice water! I prepared myself smiling as the ice water hit my neck, instantly shocking me. At this point I was too proud to care, because I completed my first solo flight.