My First Solo Cross-Country Flight as a Student Pilot | Ep. 15

Описание: Hop into the cockpit with me as we take Goldfinch—my newly purchased 1968 Piper Cherokee 180D (tail number N6626J)—out for an unforgettable flight! This yellow-and-white beauty, nicknamed by my wife for her vibrant paint scheme that shines like the little bird, is finally feeling like home base after all the pickup drama.

I departed from 7F3 (Caddo Mills Municipal Airport, my home field just outside Dallas) and headed north to KDUA (Durant Regional – Eaker Field in Oklahoma), then turned right back home. The whole trip was planned the old-school way: a fully handwritten nav log, pilotage, dead reckoning, VOR checks, and all the classic student-pilot cross-country skills. No fancy glass cockpit here—just me, Goldfinch's trusty steam-gauge panel, wind corrections, fuel burns, and that satisfying feeling of nailing the checkpoints.

This flight is a huge milestone on my journey from zero hours to airline pilot—building cross-country time, sharpening my skills, and proving that even after a rocky plane pickup, the dream keeps flying. Huge thanks to Cody Carver (my new CFI) for helping turn nerves into smooth flying.

If you're a student pilot grinding toward your private ticket, dreaming of ownership, or just love vintage Cherokees, this one's for you. Real talk, real miles, real progress.

Like, comment your own first cross-country stories, and subscribe for more Goldfinch adventures—next up: pushing toward solo XC and beyond! ✈️

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