One of the most common training misconceptions is the first solo usually takes place when the student pilot has logged approximately six hours of dual instruction.
That may have been accurate back when most training was done in NORDO J-3 Cubs operating off turf runways. Today the airplanes and airspace are more complex, have more regulations, and the student pilot has to show proficiency in more maneuvers—ergo, the hours required to solo have increased.
The requirements for solo are found under FAR 61.87 (Solo requirements for student pilots). Both the student and CFI administering training should be familiar with these tasks.
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The student pilot must “demonstrate satisfactory proficiency and safety as judged by an authorized instructor on the maneuvers and procedures required in 61.87 in the make and model of aircraft or similar make and model of aircraft to be flown” in order to be granted solo privileges.
The CFI who provides the solo endorsement is attesting that the student pilot can perform all 15 tasks listed in the regulation.
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But sometimes things are forgotten or perhaps not taught.
It’s distressing to hear a student pilot on first solo telling the control tower that he can’t perform S-turns in the pattern because he never learned them, despite the fact ground reference maneuvers are part of the 15 tasks.
CFIs, guard yourself against the student pilot who is “shopping for a signature.” These students are close to a solo but jump from instructor to instructor because the endorsement isn’t coming fast enough. Sometimes they target a low-experience CFI they can persuade to endorse them after just flying a few laps in the pattern with no ground work or maneuvers.
Use Syllabus for Success
Both the CFI and student need to have a copy of an FAA-approved syllabus. It keeps training on task, on track, and shows the performance metrics required per the Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
Most importantly, it makes sure the student’s education is complete and shows their progress. The latter is important as so many student pilots quit because they don’t know if they’re
progressing.
When learning takes place without a syllabus, it’s commonly known as the folklore method of instruction. The CFI usually teaches as they were taught. It works for some, not for others, and sometimes results in items being missed, especially when rules and requirements change and the CFI isn’t aware.
For example, before April 1, 2016, the medical certificate was also the student pilot certificate. In addition to endorsing the student’s logbook, the CFI endorsed the medical certificate for initial solo and also for each cross-country flight.
Today, the medical and student pilot certificates are two separate entities. The student pilot certificate is applied for online using FAA form 8710. A CFI must assist the process. A few weeks later the learner receives a plastic student pilot certificate in the mail with a warning on the back that reads: “Carriage of passengers prohibited.”
Unfortunately, there are some CFIs who missed the regulation change regarding the student pilot certificate. This can result in a learner who, lacking a student pilot certificate, logged tens of hours of illegal solo flight. This isn’t often discovered until the student attempts to file an 8710 form application for certification for their private pilot check ride and the savvy DPE catches it.
2 Students, 1 Aircraft, No PIC
Another common misconception is that two student pilots who hold solo privileges can fly together in the same airplane without a CFI on board. This one pops up with alarming frequency in discussions at flight schools, on the ramp, and occasionally in accident
reports generated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
FAR 61.89 (General limitations) states: “A student pilot may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying a passenger.”
Translation: One person is the PIC, and the other a passenger. There’s no getting around it, and if the FAA gets wind of it, certificate action is likely.
The FAA notes that a “student pilot certificate is an FAA airman certificate. A student conducting a solo flight is exercising the privileges of the certificate and is responsible for operating the
aircraft in a safe manner and complying with applicable regulations.”
Get caught breaking this rule and expect consequences—the least of which will likely be termination from the flight school.
Also realize that being the owner of the aircraft doesn’t grant special privileges to the student pilot. Passengers still aren’t allowed, and neither is making flights contrary to a limitation placed on the solo endorsement, such as “no flight more than 25 miles from (insert home airport identified here).”
If the CFI learns the student/owner is doing this, expect solo privileges to be revoked and not reinstated. While it may not keep them on the ground, it will protect the CFI’s ticket.
Solo Endorsement Details
The solo endorsement under Part 61 is nontransferable from school to school or from CFI to CFI. When the learner changes instructors, they often have to repeat the pre-solo training.
Learners should ask the new-to-them instructor to allow a flight that covers all maneuvers listed in FAR 61.87. It will likely be close to two hours (or more), and you can expect at least an hour on the ground to assess your knowledge, but it will provide a solid demonstration of skills.
Utilize the ACS for private pilots as the performance metric. Expect to take an open-book knowledge test before solo, and document where you obtained the information from and cite it, such as “Checklist for the Cessna 172, emergency procedures.” The solo endorsement is good for 90 days, after which another endorsement can be given if the student has not passed their check ride. You don’t need to repeat the training.
There are some CFIs who will limit the number of times they give a solo endorsement to a particular learner, because the idea is to pass the check ride, not to be a perpetual student. Both the student and instructor should keep track of the endorsement expiration date. Common limitations on the student solo endorsement include “must obtain weather briefing,” and it should spell out weather minimums. Some instructors will include “must notify CFI before departure on solo flight.” A text message will do. This is particularly important when the training is done under Part 61 and the learner is riding on the CFI’s ticket.
CFIs should discuss these limitations with the student to make sure they understand them. Limitations aren’t written in stone. They will change as your experience increases. The purpose of solo flight is for the student pilot to gain more proficiency as PIC, so make every flight count.
This column first appeared in the August Issue 973 of the FLYING print edition.