Solo 2

This is an uncharacteristically personal post. I’ve been on a bit of a tear in recent years, digging into not only my own personal history, but also that of my family. I recently came by a set of photos that were taken 26 years ago today.

On that day, my father achieved something fairly special. He soloed in a Cessna 172N at Paraparaumu Airport. The photos documented this achievement. Here are a couple.

Now, you might consider a first solo at a fairly advanced age to be achievement in itself (and I am told Dad wasn’t sure it would happen) but there is something even more special about this event.

Here’s a photo of Dad exactly 40 years prior to the above photos…

Harvard NZ1009 has been retained by the RNZAF, as a spare for their Heritage Flight. Here’s a photo of Dad standing in front of it in 2009, when it was specially marked for the occasion by some RNZAF personnel involved in the visit — 51 years, to the day, after the above photo.