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How to progress after that first solo flight

Congratulations on your first solo flight. I remember my own solo some forty years back in time - it was as having emptied a large glass of champagne!

Still there are several highpoints waiting for you: The first looping, the first roll, the first touch and go, which isn't touch and stuck! 

Pardon me for the following "bon mots", even if you are not a rank beginner: 

As an R/C flying teacher I would recommend that you practice landings at each outing. Try to do the landing patterns from different directions, both right and left turn patterns. 

A usual bad habit among beginners is to only fly in right circles around themselves. Try instead to fly horizontal eights in front of you with the waist of the eight just at your front. This is a very useful manoeuvre to acquaint the ability to fly against yourself and to do the correct moves with the stick. If the model flies against yourself and banks in one direction, push the aileron stick in the same direction to remove the bank. Try not to fly the model far away or too high. You really have to see in what direction the model flies and how it answers on your control inputs.

Try to always have a trustworthy security pilot at your side to mentally support you and in the worst case, to take over the transmitter. 

Remember to throttle down the model to a speed that mentally puts you ahead of the model. If you go dizzy, cut the throttle! All beginners and also many seasoned pilots totally forget the throttle. The experienced pilot never uses more power than he needs to keep the plane flying in the actual manoeuvre. At horizontal flight, few models need more than half throttle, as most models are highly overpowered. So a good model pilot works the throttle stick all the time during the flight.

and what it means for model flying

I am sure that possibly everyone reading this anywhere in the world is likely to be aware that the UK is currently in the grip of a dreadful outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. As I write this, there are over 400 reported outbreaks of the disease spread throughout the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, with government-appointed officials struggling to kill and destroy sick and suspect sheep,  cattle and pigs. Even the army has been brought in to assist in the management of the slaughter programme and pressure is mounting for their greater involvement. Every day, more outbreaks are being identified, the forecast is for much worse yet to come, and much of the countryside is now 'out of bounds' to the general public.

In truth, some confusion does exist concerning access to the countryside. In order to avoid people spreading the disease from one area to another, the initial message being put out by the government was simple and unequivocal - 'Stay out of the Countryside'. This plea was taken on board to such a degree that tourism has all but dried up in many areas and the economic damage and hardship being caused has reached serious levels. Now the British government is desperately trying to put over a revised message to the effect that many parts of the countryside are still open and that the restrictions only apply to areas where the disease is already present or where animals may be at risk  - that still wipes out access to huge areas of the country, of course, but there's still plenty to see and do for those who want to get 'out and about'.

Insofar as our own hobby is concerned, it appears likely that a large number of clubs have had to suspend flying for the time being, although no statistics have been published to give a measure of it. The message from the British Model Flying Association to its members is to heed the government recommendation or at least to liaise with the local landlord/site owner for their advice and local knowledge. It is anticipated that many model flying events will be postponed or cancelled - all BMFA F Class silent flight league events are postponed up to and including 30th April, for example, although organizers of some events are seeking non-agricultural venues. All BMFA Free Flight events are also under review, and it is forecast that most scheduled for March and April will be postponed. 

Insofar as our hobby is concerned, the effect of the restrictions is, of course, a frustrating inconvenience but absolutely nothing compared to the heartache, misery and deep anxiety of all those who are caught up in this awful catastrophe in any serious way. We can only do our little bit by ensuring that we stick strictly to the rules and guidelines and do nothing whatsoever to make matters worse in any way or bring our hobby/sport into disrepute.