Back when I was a student pilot in Navy Flight School, I was flying solo along the beach, conducting precision aerobatics practice. As I finished a barrel roll and set up for a loop, I heard a student-and-instructor aircraft check in to the area, and the exchange went like this:
Instructor:
“Solo aircraft 123, was that you that just did the barrel roll and loop?”
Me (half-expecting an observed critique from the instructor):
“Solo 123. Affirmative.”
Instructor:
“Solo 123, I have a FAM-1 [new student] here that wants to be just like you when he grows up!”
Me:
“Roger that.”
… as I pulled a victorious aileron roll!
Greg Cole
