First Solo Cross Country Flight

My flight training  finally reached the point where I had to complete a solo flight to another airport at least 50 nautical miles away. And like every other milestone in my training, my instructor knew I was more than ready. But that didn’t stop me from procrastinating! First the airplane I preferred was taken, then the weather wasn’t good, then my horoscope said to lay low that day, then I just plain chickened out. THEN…well, then I ran out of excuses.

The plane was booked, weather good, logbook endorsed, the only thing missing was me. It was time to step up and put my training to the test. I set out from Missoula on a beautiful Sunday morning for a round-robin flight to Kalispell (KGPI). This route is a fantastic first cross country that takes you through Flathead Valley next to the majest Mission Mountain range, and along the edge of Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake this side of the Mississippi.

The beautiful scenery helped settle  my solo-flight jitters, and these dramatic landmarks also made for some fabulous hard-to-miss checkpoints. I was also able to take some great video of the flight. Please enjoy!

Solo Cross Country Route