Ah, if only it was always so black and white............
Various schools (and instructors within) have differing views on solo starting early into training. Just like some schools will specify a minimum of say 20hrs dual training before 1st solo regardless of a students ability. 1st solo is not a race, better to be a little later and a bit safer/more proficient to my mind. 1st solo shows they have the mechanical skills to handle the aircraft for one circuit and a couple of take offs and landings. There is still a huge amount of a ppl course left after that exercise before the course ends.
IMO it is all about risk management and the rules don't guarantee to help there, as all students are different.
I see no reason why a student should be starting an aircraft unsupervised prior to their 1st solo. Not least because in the civvie world the first solo is normally sprung on the student during a circuits lesson so that they don't get an opportunity to worry about it beforehand. In a ppl course there is plenty of time to get the starting and stopping sorted without being in a rush. IMO it is better to get them able to hover to a reasonable standard so that if things go wrong (like this incident) they stand a better chance of doing less damage.
I'd read the items quoted, and my thoughts still stand. The student in this AAIB report was clearly instructed to start the aircraft to a certain point. His authority to start being based upon amongst other things his following of an FI's instructions. If we're going to view this in black and white terms, what happens when the student deviates from those instructions? Is the student still authorised past that deviation
Just because it's legal doesn't make it right/sensible. In this case we've got a red faced FI, a pi$$ed off owner/operator, a student with lower confidence than when the sortie started, and a large bill
As I said earlier there should be a distinction between flights that are supervised solo sorties and those that are dual training lessons. Not saying my thoughts are gospel, but for the training I taught I had no incidents or damage and my students all passed first time. So in my mind, my application of the rules worked for me.
It's up to each FI to stand by their choice, because they'll have to justify it if the worst happens
