With the CAA taking up to 7 weeks to issue a licence, (No such problem in the US or other EASA States) then there is a need for someone newly qualified to stay current so the issue has recently come up. Some bright spark from Gatwick declared that as the licence had been applied for, Bloggs was no longer a student and could not be authorised to fly solo however; there is no regulation to support such a claim. Until the licence is issued and signed by the holder they are not a licenced pilot and can be deemed a student. Similarly, a person who does not have a licence valid for a specific flight could also be deemed a student. The regulation does include a provision for an instructor to authorise student solo flight so it is ultimately at the discretion of and under the supervision of the instructor.