First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

[cvavon]

Today my 53 year old girl friend soloed in n26658 on her way to her private license .The CFI II she has been flying with made the comment the rest of us need to brush up on our landing skills she looked good!!! Chuck

[N95334]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

Congratulations !! Another T-Craft AV8R .
So nice to see they are still cutting off the shirt tails on first solos. Wonder how that all started?

[dedrekon]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

From Wikipedia:

In American aviation lore, the traditional removal of a new pilot's shirt tail is a sign of the instructor's new confidence in his student after successful completion of the 1st solo flight. In the days of tandem trainers, the student sat in the front seat, with the instructor behind. As there were often no radios in these early days of aviation, the instructor would tug on the student pilot's shirttail to get his attention, and then yell in his ear. A successful first solo flight is an indication that the student can fly without the instructor ("instructor-less" flight). Hence, there is no longer a need for the shirt tail, and it is cut off by the (often) proud instructor, and sometimes displayed as a trophy.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

Sure beat being picked up bodily and thrown into the Mahoning River in November.... YES, I have cut off many shirt tails and used to have them surronding the old flight office.... probably around 200 of them.
I do recall the day I accidentially snipped a bra strap in the process; oooops
I have only had less than 10 female solos and only one "snip" ... We still grin about it today.

[DanBrown]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

Congratulations to you both My BL/BC is just 3 numbers before yours -- maybe came off the line in the same day in July 70 years ago.

[cvavon]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

Hi Dan

My airplane was built on the 22nd of July 1940 it was flown by William A Crawford for 45 min. that day if your ser#is 1995 it also first flew that day also that is quite remarkable that there still flying mine flew this morning for almost 2hr with girl frend and instructor stall's and fall's and turns have a grate day

Chuck

[Dot_AK]

Re: First solo in 1940 BL/BC tcraft

Chuck,

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Forrest,

I warned my CFI not to snip my bra, and he turned bright red, refused to cut my shirt at all, and begged the first female flight instructor he could find to make her do it instead. Good times!