First solo competition

[alfa]

Did anyone know that there was a competition for first solo !!!!!

Saw advert in Melb Yellow pages Interair solo record of three hours !

I'd like to see that, meeting the CASA syllabus

[Super Cecil]

96.7 hours, but there were extenuating circumstances (no skill, no coordination and bad run of weather).:}

[the wizard of auz]

5.7 hrs fixed wing and 10.somint hrs rotary. no records there, but happy I have managed to knock all my endo's and ratings in the minimum required time, coz I'm a busted ass pilot and I aint got no bucks.......................now if I was an AG pilot, I could afford some flowery shirts and have heaps of bucks to spare like Cec. :E

[oldrotorhead]

I think "competition" and "competitiveness" amongst students as to who goes or went solo first, etc, is a dangerous thing and should be discouraged by smart CFIs. This can be done by placing a realistic minimum of say 20 hours (for helicopters at least) before sending someone solo. Yes, I know there are many who are capable of solo well before that, but it makes sense to take a student well past the minimums and, in the case of helicopters, take him or her further in to the syllabus and make them safer.
Insurance companies will love you for it for starters!
In 37 years of flying of which for 32 I have been an Instructor, I have yet to see a significant number of students who necessarily benefited in the long run from going solo early, or in fact turned out to be any a better pilot for having done so - quite the contrary in fact, in some cases. Lets face it, "first solo" in a helicopter at least, is a risky event at the best of times and we should do all we can to make it as safe as possible..

[poteroo]

There is a similar thread current on the Flight Instructors thread, and there are several good posts as to the reasons for apparently 'rip-off' times-to-solo in fixed wings.

Of interest to readers of pprune might be my experiences with tailwheel endorsements.

(1) Worst 'time' to solo t/w - 15 hrs and gave up.....there was no way this person could keep straight!!

(2) Best time to solo t/w - 1hr, he was a 5000 hr station pilot with lots of PVT mustering

Now I've seen several people really battle with the directional control and the crosswind operation of taildraggers - but once they got there -they were as good, if not better, than those who breezed it in under 3-4 hrs

But, and this was well discussed on the other thread, it appears to be a question of how many landings it takes, rather than the hours yardstick. If you learn in a busy environment, with circuit restrictions,and frequent crosswind limits, then it's bound to take longer than if the radio can be turned down,and there's nobody else using the same 250 acre paddock.

happy days,

[Onthegear]

I jumped off the shed roof with a big outdoor umbrella..........2 secs !!! beat that !

[Speeds high]

Rotorhead, you sound like the politicians that run our schools.

[Rocket Rob]

Rotorhead


You sound like you have a brain in your head, this type of competition is for the wankers! you know my dic* is bigger than your's syndrome.

Who cares how long it took as long as you do not go dropping on my roof with the quest for a silly record.

Besides most people are learning for enjoyment and am quite sure that they would feel much better taking up friends and family knowing that the training is good and complete.

Some people are having a hard time going solo after many hours and I do feel for them but the fact that they keep on trying has more merit in my book than some idiot mouthing off that he/she is a low time soloist.

Well now I will sit back and watch the dribble artists attack.

[Aynayda Pizaqvick]

This record would surely have to go to the RAF EE Lightning engineer who accidently managed to get airborne whilst carrying out a ground run. If I recall correctly he even managed to land it - not without a lot of assistance via radio of course! Time to first solo... 0 hours!

[currawong]

3 hours to solo.... what a hotshot

Used to be 3 hours (TT) would make you an instructor (RFC)

But seriously, an upper limit should be considered. That is, if someone really lacks the ability they should be told earlier rather than later.

Sure some will take longer than others. Just as some should not be there at all.

Learning curve is one thing in the training environment.

Beyond that there are things that pilots have to cope with that are not in any training program.

Think fast or maybe you don't make it back.

[Super Cecil]

I agree Currawong, but some of these training organisations just keep draining the dollars, also if a student is having trouble with one instructor why not use another one for a different approach?

Iv'e seen an organisation with 3 instructors using only one so that one could get all the hours to the detriment of the students.

[notmyC150v2]

Looks like I am in serious trouble.

It took me 18 months and three driving schools (never thought you could get expelled from a driving school, but there you go) just to drive a manual car.

I won't tell you which flight school I am going through cause they will probably get friction burns on the palms of their hands from rubbing them together.

I'm guessing it's gonna take 3 hours before they let me touch the turny, lifty, fally stick thing at the front...

"Hey babe, we can afford another mortgage can't we"?