First solo (ppl fixed wing)

[BRAKES OFF]

Hi guys/girls

I understand its different for each individual but what would be the average hours before going solo, you'r thoughts are much appreciated.

Again i stress the average hours

Thanks

[Gertrude the Wombat]

If you're lucky the search feature will find you the previous 3,917,285 threads in which this question has been asked and answered.

[J.A.F.O.]

3,917,285 threads

Damn, I missed one.

[HappyJack260]

First solo will probably come quicker if you are (a) flying every day, doing your PPL in a solid block, and (b) younger. Being older, distracted by other cares (work, family, etc) and going once a week or less frequently, will make it take longer.

For example, I did my PPL at Lydd, aged 17, on a Royal Navy Flying Scholarship, and was one of the last on the course to solo, at 8 hrs 40. If you didn't make it by 9 hrs, they could boot you off the course.

I've not met anyone in Australia who soloed in anything like that sort of time - most are probably 12-25 hrs. But that probably reflects the fact that most of the students here are older, and doing it part time between other committments.

[o7i]

First solo will probably come quicker if you are.....(b) younger.To a limit...My first solo was after about 30 hours, but that was mainly due to waiting for my 16th birthday (well thats my excuse and i'm sticking to it)

[Whirlygig]

Anything from 3 to 70.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Whirls

[FleetFlyer]

I reckon average is about 16 hours these days.

[newfoundglory]

It probably depends what type of course you are doing... ie how many hours a day/week you fly. If you are doing a few hours a day, solo will probably come quicker I would think. And age probably has something to do with it as well.

[mark25787]

I did the RAF Flying Scholarship at age 17 and first solo'd in 6 hours 40 mins. Some took over 10 hours. It's horses for courses...there is no right or wrong time...just a safe and unsafe time!!

[Cessna 172S Skyhawk]

Seems like a fair question, why is it that every Tom, Dick and Harry in here has to start by giving the original poster a bashing, he/she is only asking question, if it annoys you dont put a post up.

I think the root of most of these "how long till solo" questions are -

Is there anything you can do to help going solo early (for most its about having the money and would love to accomplish it quicker and get to that milestone for less money)

Secondly, to follow up on the 3-70 hours, and from other posts, you started flying cause you love it and its something you dearly want to do. You will probably be flying the rest of your life, so unless you are on an intensive course to get your ATPL, just enjoy learning and becoming compotent at flying.

I know I used to think the same, get my first solo less than 10 hours and do it all in 45, but now I am quite happy to plug along and I will get my licence when I get my licence.

Saying that I am purely flying recreational.

[Lister Noble]

I think it was around 19 hrs to solo,I was OK on everything except the landing,which is quite important;)
I then completed the PPL in 53 hrs total,then aged 63:)

[coldair]

I was lucky enough to have an ex RAF instructor with 1'000s of hours and had 100% confidence in him.

I never gave any thought about my first solo, I just loved being in the air so it was a suprise whe he jumped out and sent me off, less than eight hours :)

Your instructor's experiance and your age will all be factors to consider.

With a 200 hour instructor and a 50 year old student I suspect it will take longer than a 20,000 hour instructor and a 20 year old student.

But then again, how long is a peice of string !!

Just enjoy your flying, that's the main thing !

[KieranBal]

Don't get hung up on it! I did mine in about 13 hours, which I think is about average? I'm now at 35 hours and have done a majority of the course.

KieranBal

[ChasG]

I must admit that the thought of going solo fills me with excitement and terror in equal measure. I just hope to God that my instructor doesnt tell me when I am going solo. But once done it must be absolutely brilliant.

[tom6326]

I went solo at 30 hours took the skills test with 48 hours on my belt... - CAA medical department are rather annoying did you know!

If your getting annoyed by lack of progress move onto nav? We did all the duel instructing then I did 10 solid solo hours followed by a 6 month break while I caught up on the written exams - ooops!

Tom

[starrzo]

Seems like a fair question, why is it that every Tom, Dick and Harry in here has to start by giving the original poster a bashing, he/she is only asking question, if it annoys you dont put a post up.

It's funny that. I wonder are they genuine @r$e holes in real life, or is it something that comes out in them when they're hiding behind their computer screens. Probably both. Anyway, back to the point...

I understand its different for each individual but what would be the average hours before going solo, you'r thoughts are much appreciated.

Just my two cents...

I have 12.5 hours; instructor told me on the lesson before the last that he would've liked me to have done a solo circuit, but the weather turned pretty quickly and all chances of that went out the window. The weather was good enough on my last lesson, but there was a fly-in at the airport and also some low flying demonstrations for the visitors - that made it another definite no!

So, I'm biting my nails to see if he hops out on this weeks lesson. :O

:ok:

[RTN11]

There are loads of variables. Your age, how often you train and the type of base you train from will have the biggest effect on the hours in your logbook before solo.

A young student training full time at a small GA airfield could easily solo in 8-10 hours. An older student training only twice a month at a big airfield where he has to fit in with ryanair and easyjet will probably take over 20.

Also, watch RAF figures, they usually don't count any taxi time so for us civvies you can add at least 10 mins to each flight.

So 12 to 20 hours is probably pretty average, but ultimately it takes as long as it takes. Often, a student will be pretty much ready for solo but the weather on the day isn't up to it, so I say lets take a break from the circuit today and cover steep turns. It's another pre-solo hour, but really makes no difference to the total course time.

[ChasG]

RTN11 - I have done 13 hours and just about to start slow flight and stalling. Your point about frequency of flying I think is key to making progress particularly for the older person. I have had big gaps because of the weather and illness and really only started to improve in the last 6 lessons having one a week. Looking back I can see that I should have started off by having a lesson a day for at least 2 weeks otherwise its relearn the previous lesson each time. If I solo by 25 lessons I will be happy.

[Conventional Gear]

Lots of factors - I remember very well my instructor and I having a chat regarding first solo. He sort of inferred he might be worried about someone taking 30+ hours. At the time I had about that. So naturally enough I posed the question 'should I give this up'. To which he looked shocked and said, 'no not you, you would have gone months ago if the weather had been OK'.

So I would take from that the first solo timing has a lot of luck involved. If you have done 3 good 'uns, the vis and wind are favourable, chances are you'll be up and off to do the first solo. If that doesn't happen, it may be a lot of hours later if you generally choose to just fly every lesson you have booked, rather than wait for perfect days.

Weigh it up against minimal hours, low cost vs experience of different weather conditions and challenges. I easily doubled the total time to my PPL by preferring to just fly whatever the weather if possible. I was having a great time and doing it because it was fun.

When I did go solo I had already become a bit sick of the circuit and done plenty of dual nav. The actual solo was almost a total non-event, though of course I remember every second of it.

Glad to say these days I see doing a few circuits as no big deal. At the time I hated them because of the self imposed pressure to get that first 'solo' done.

[berno_wald]

I am currently at 10.5 hrs in my lessons for PPL-A. My last lesson was Monday, when I did 5 circuits before doing a little more airwork (mostly curves), and flying to a nearby field to fuel up, then fly back. Circuits are going fine, the problem is still the landings. But on Monday, we had 60-90° crosswind for the landings, so for someone new like me, it was rather difficult. My instructor said, after the last go around, something along the lines that I was doing rather well, considering the conditions, and he wouldn't have sent me up solo under those conditions. In the debriefing after the lesson, he is still fairly sure, that I could make it to solo by 15 hrs, but that is yet to be seen. Weather, and having to return back to "regular" work, will make it difficult to have as many lessons in a short period of time that I just did (4 lessons in 7 days). So the gap between lessons could quite cause a "delay" in making solo by 15 hrs. He said not to worry about it. 15 hrs is a goal, but not chissled in stone.

[riverrock83]

My log book says 15 hours but that involves 3 different planes (Cherokee, Bolkow, SA Bulldog) and I've done a few other things such as intro to aeros :) I also had a number of trial lessons before really starting training.
I've also had the opportunity to sit beside lots of others who were hour building or just keeping current, and to sit in the back of the Cherokee during other people's lessons.
I had the landings pretty consistent in the Bolkow until it became unavailable but its taken me a while to re-learn in a Bulldog - very different aircraft!
I'm not watching the hours - I'm just enjoying being up. I don't think its a competition! Last time I was up, the wind was further off the runway than we thought and although I could get to the runway consistantly, my instructor (rightly) thought that putting it on the (middle of the) runway was beyond me and so a waste of time.
I think you should aim high (pun intended) but remember to be patient and not push to be somewhere that you aren't. I'm really enjoying it - but if my first solo doesn't come till another 10 lessons - it will still be worth it :).

[riverrock83]

Just did my First Solo this evening in the Bulldog at Prestwick :). So thats 16Hrs - not that anyone is really counting.

If anyone is around Glasgow just watch out for a big grin...

BTW - a Bolkow Junior There is a pic of both planes here (http://www.airplane-pictures.net/image11353.html) (not including me!).

[I Love Flying]

Congratulations Riverrock! :D
Big grin still present today I bet!

[ross_M]

Here's something that struck me:

The average first-solo (say, 15 hours) on a plane seems about the same (or maybe even shorter? ) than the average "first solo" while learning to drive a car.

To me that was non-intuitive; an aircraft seems more complex and also more outside most people's typical range of experiences. Also, you can't just "pull over", the controls are in 3D rather than 2D etc.

Maybe one compensating factor is that you don't have to worry about as many third parties flying around you as in driving.

Oh, also, when I got my "rating" at the university sailing club's 30 foot yacht it took me a bit more than 15 hours too.

[Fuji Abound]

Just over six hours, still remember it like yesterday.

[Mr Cessna]

10 hours, good old 152 had my back! :ok:

[thing]

Fifth flight, 4hrs 35 but then I've got plenty of gliding time. Total non event, just something to get out of the way.

Edit: The best part of my PPL journey so far has been the QXC. Everything went perfectly including a course rethink while airborne (didn't get the CMATZ clearance I thought I would get) and poor vis on the way back. Got a good buzz out of that one and I shan't forget it. Gave me confidence that I could find my way around.