Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
I'm insinuating nothing, just curious. I'm not up on the norms of pre solo experience in the present time. My recollection of solo times when I learned to fly back the '70's is more like the 10 to 15 hours otherwise mentioned. As I waited to be old enough to go solo, I flew extra dual, waiting for my birthday to pass, I think I was at 13 hours to solo. Perhaps this student too achieved more hours while waiting for a birthday.
Yes, the condition of the airplane came to mi mind too. An investigation will know exactly what to look for in that. PA-28's are well understood...
Certainly, sadly, many very experienced pilots have accidents with great similarity to this one. Honestly (and very non sarcastically) I wonder how we old, early solo'ers, survived with how little we knew, before we were set loose. I remember clearly, decades later, my first solo in a helicopter, spending the first 15 minutes wondering if I had what it took - and that was with 7000 hours of fixed wing time already. I think I knew how little I actually knew about the helicopter. But, my instructor decided I was ready, and I had no surprises, so I guess he was right.
Yes, this is terribly sad, and can only add to every instructor's sense of importance to train in basic handling skills, and recognition of approach to loss of control...
Reflects my personal experience too: plenty of dual time waiting for my 17th birthday. I would have to dig out a very ancient log book, but would guess that there were 40 or so hours logged prior to solo, much it spent on cross countries and elements usually conducted post solo consolidation.
Subsequently as a QFI, a working average of 10-12 hours to solo would be a reasonable figure, some took longer, some took less, all of the variables mentioned: weather conditions, traffic density and so forth had to be taken into account, as well as mitigation for the fairly complex ATC / traffic situation at our airfield.
Once we had covered everything, and the student felt ready, that was the actual time to solo, not whatever figure in the log book.
Having sent more than my fair share of students solo, my heart goes out to her family (and instructor) all of whom must be devasted by this tragedy.
A terribly sad day.
Blue skies young lady.