Hey, lighten up, Francis! it is the instructor's decision to launch a solo.
I have had 3 students who would never make it.
The first was a lawyer whose company was in charge of a bankruptcy case, and their company ended up owning an R22. Said lawyer decided he wanted to learn to fly, so he came out for lesson after lesson. He never did his homework (far too busy being a lawyer) so his progress was dismal. I informed him continually of his progress, but he wanted to keep going.
After about 70 hours he finally reached the stage where I WAS CONFIDENT OF HIS ABILITY TO SOLO. This will always be the criteria for sending a student off by himself. If he was dangerous, he would not be let loose. All you nay-sayers missed that point - the instructor has to assess him as being safe, and that is why the student referred to is still trying at 50 hours.
The lawyer completed his solo, and with a big smile said, "Thank you, I will quit now and sell the helicopter. I knew I would never be a pilot, but I just wanted to have a go."
The second no-hoper was actually a 26,000 hour 747 captain who owned his own H500 turbine helicopter, had a PPLH with 700 hrs, and wanted to upgrade to CPLH. After about 20 hrs of wrestling the machine through the skies, we went on a nav trip and he was tragic. Great at being a captain and making decisions, but he couldn't fly an unstable helicopter, read a map, make a radio call and divert around weather. In the debrief, he also admitted he was tragic, gave up on helicopter flying, went back to 747s and ended up in a spectacular incident with egg all over his face.
The third student had been at Another Flying School, had 15 hrs up and told me he was ready for solo, according to them. he put $25k in the account up front, but he was TRULY tragic, and had to be taken back to square one and start again. After a month we spent 2 weeks straight in theory lessons, and I told him I was giving back the rest of his money. I couldn't morally take it off him as he would never be able to pass an exam or to be a commercial pilot. He thanked me for my honesty, took the remaining $15,000 and went back to The Other School, and in 2 weeks had miraculously passed all theory subjects with 85% marks, and 2 weeks after that he held a CPLH. Money works wonders over there, it wasn't because he suddenly discovered brain cells that had been lying in wait for an opportunity to display themselves.
He flew into KSA in a JetRanger, filled it with fuel, put 4 beefy pax and their golf clubs and overnight gear and headed off to the hills for a 3000' landing. I was astounded that he was allowed to hire a 206, and more astounded that he got off the ground with this overloaded machine, and most astounded that he actually got back again.
The Other School is still in operation.
But back to the thread, if the student is dangerous, he don't go solo. If the instructor launches him solo, then he is unlikely to be dangerous for that sequence.
