Get Flying Solo How Far Are We Down The Path Towards

How to Prepare for Your First Solo Flight Relax. Rest Before Your First Solo Flight. Rehearse. Ask Questions. Check the Weather and Be Patient. Brief Yourself. Take a Picture. Be Confident On Your First Solo Flight.

A solo flight is a big deal for aspiring pilots. This is the first moment you fly an aircraft by yourself with no CFI in the passenger seat telling you what to do next. You are the sole occupant of the aircraft, following your flight plan and in charge of the take-offs and landings.

Solo refers to time when the pilot is the sole occupant in the aircraft. Whenever you have a live passenger on board, you are not the sole occupant of the airplane.

In practice, competence is mostly a judgment call of the Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) responsible for the student. Typically, it takes from 10 to 30 hours of flight time before a pilot has the instinctive feel of an aircraft to be safe flying solo in other than perfect (no wind) weather.

Yes! A common situation in which two private pilots can log pilot in command time (assuming each pilot is rated to fly the airplane) is when one pilot is flying under the hood for instrument proficiency or currency, and the second pilot is performing the role of the safety pilot.

The term “solo flight” as used in this subpart means that flight time during which a student pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft or that flight time during which the student performs the duties of a pilot in command of a gas balloon or an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember.

During their first solo flight, the student will fly a few loops in the pattern and gain confidence in his or her own flight abilities – without an instructor coaching them. It's a time when making mistakes is a good thing – student pilots often learn the most when by themselves and making mistakes on their own.