Even so, as I was taxiing toward the runway hold line, getting ready to call the tower and say "ready for takeoff" - I couldn't help thinking "well, the plane is ready, but I'm not so sure about the pilot!"

But I made the call, and was cleared for takeoff. I tried not to think about the empty seat beside me as I got on the centerline and gave it full power. The nose wheel came up, then the whole plane, and I was flying, heading out for a half hour of circuits. That small "eep" moment was the most nervous point of my solo, for me. Even my first solo landing was fine, with a combination of too much happening at once to worry, and plenty of time to see that I was on track for a good landing.

Circuits aren't nearly as boring as they sound, either. You're always busy in the circuit - taking off, turning, doing checks, doing radio calls, turning some more, landing, and taking off again before you run out of runway. Touch-n-go, touch-n-go, over and over, with no time to get bored.

I didn't go out cold, of course. I understand that for the first little while, you never do, but instead fly a couple of circuits with the instructor, then drop him off and go back out alone.

There's still a lot to learn - my instructor told me I was maybe a third of the way through the course. I have to practise all the stuff I've already learned, and learn even more. More landings, because those are the most varied part. Short field and soft field, crosswinds, tailwinds, controlled and uncontrolled... so many different ways to land. Farmer's fields are probably not going to be used, as they are generally reserved for emergencies. In emergencies, anything big enough and flat enough is a good landing strip. All our simulated emergencies have been in gliding distance of the paved runway of the school's home airport. After getting permission from the tower of course... wouldn't want to cut anybody off if it weren't a real emergency, after all.

I'm looking forward to doing the cross-country flights, which I'm told start at about the three-quarter point of the training. Chilliwack is very popular, I have heard over and over, as a destination. (Why would you go to Chilliwack? for pie, of course!)