First solo cross-country debrief

190100Z, KRNT
Destination: KBVS via KPAE
Sky condition FEW at 4500, ceiling greater than 12,000. A beautiful day.
Cruising altitude: 2500 there, 3500 back.
Winds aloft calm and variable. Easiest WCA's ever.

I left work in time to meet my instructor Nyle as he was finishing up with his previous student's lesson. He reviewed my flight plan and endorsed me to fly. I had pre-flighted 639SP while he was finishing up with his student: 6 quarts of oil, gas tanks full to the brim, sumps as clear, blue, and avgas-smelly as ever, the drops from the sumps briefly appearing to bleach my thumbs where they touched via rapid drying.

It's a warm day, let's go for a hot start. It took a little extra cranking, but sure enough the engine started before I had a chance to try flooding the engine with the fuel pump. It's the Seattle area in the summertime, so everyone who's anyone who can fly an airplane based out of Renton is out there that day. The runup box has a single occupant when I reach it, leaving more than enough room for my own runup.

Traffic is the busiest I've seen at KRNT: after the runup, I'm third in line to take off from runway 34. Looks like I've got some time, might as well enter in the Paine VOR, the Skagit NDB and Seattle Approach. Then it's time to wait. And wait. I'm holding short at runway 34, and I probably waited for five minutes while other planes landed and performed touch and goes. No problem, it all counts on the Hobbs meter. The better to speed me towards my requisite 5 hours of solo cross-country time.

Finally it's my turn: Cessna 639SP, no delay, clear to take off Runway 34, make East Channel departure. My fingers have been poised over the landing light, strobes and mode-C transponder. Without delay, I snap them all on as I release the breaks and enter the runway. As I climb past pattern altitude past the East Channel I-90 bridge I note the time. I keep out of Seatac's keyhole-shaped bravo layer and turn towards the north end of Lake Washington. Don't need stinking headings for that. Not in calm but variable winds aloft and surface observations.

I request VFR flight following to Skagit while over Lake Washington. I dutifully enter my transponder code. Seattle approach soon hands me off to Seattle Center. I'm at 2500 feet and sauntering towards Paine Field's airspace at 110 KTAS. Getting closer. Closer. Closer. Where's my clearance? Closer. Paine's ceiling is 3100 feet. Closer. Time to turn right. 9SP, do I have clearance to enter Paine's airspace? No answer. Oh well. I circumnavigate the delta and note the time half way around. I was going to use the center of Paine Field as a waypoint, but this works too. Plus I get to log extra solo cross-country time. And it gives me time to think. What's my next heading going to be? Yeah, at this point I can just follow the GPS to Skagit, but I'd like to try to stick as close to my flight plan as possible. My first nav radio already tuned to Paine's VOR, I set the indicator for my KPAE - Port Susan heading (no wind, so my course matches my heading!). It takes a long time to get to my radial, but at last I'm there (and yes, the VOR properly reads FROM. Smart Alec).

**Edit: A friend of mine pointed out to me that if I'm on flight following with a squawk code, I should be clear to enter the airspace. I didn't know this at the time since on previous flights I'd received positive clearance to enter other airspaces.

Runway 10/28 is closed at Skagit, leaving runway 4/22. Surface observations suggest runway 22, and area traffic confirms this is the case. I overfly the runway, give friendly updates on my position to other planes and land. I take a few pictures on the ground to share later via Google+, text Nyle and call my Mom. Traffic has cleared out, so nothing slows my crosswind departure to the south from runway 22. I contact Whidbey Approach for flight following back to Renton.

Around Port Susan I'm handed back to Seattle Center. At 3500 feet I can just overfly Paine's airspace. I accidentally tune the wrong Seatac frequency. It's a little embarrassing, but I correct my radio and I'm back in business. When Seattle Approach hands me over to Renton they tell me to keep my squawk code but approve a frequency change to Renton's tower. Okay, whatever. I'd assume they'd have me squawk 1200, but I guess their way works too. Renton tower tells me to squawk VFR as I make my Factoria arrival. Told ya.

**Edit: Like the above correction, this may have been to signal I was clear to enter Renton's delta airspace. My foot is in my mouth a little bit right now, but you can believe me that with my knowledge at the time it made no sense.

I do a few Victory Laps in the Renton pattern. I hit the tail end of the air traffic as I enter the pattern and extend my first downwind for an inbound Piper Warrior on a long final for a straight-in. It's a fairly normal touch-and-go from there: flaps 10, 85 KIAS, 500 FPM descent, turn base way before 800' AGL because of the extended downwind, flaps 20, 75 KIAS, turn final, flaps 30, establish glide path, 65 KIAS, power idle when crossing the threshold, flare, hold it, hold it, hold it, gentle landing, flaps up, full throttle, add rudder, 55 KIAS, rotate, climb at Vy, 100', 200', 300', 40----BIRDS! BIRDS OVER THE RUNWAY! BIG FLOCK OF THEM!

So I turned left. I doubt the birds established 2-way communication with KRNT, but I wasn't going to be self-righteous about how that space over the runway was mine. I was going to turn left. I had little faith that the birds would obey right-of-way rules and break right and there was more space on that side. It's all about see-and-avoid. I'm now at 38.7 hours in my log book and I can't wait to finish. There's no finer hobby, if you can afford it (thanks, software industry!).