3:15; 6:00!
What nonsense. No instructor with even the most brilliant student can cover all the necessary air exercises in that short time. After the upper air exercises, it then takes at least two hours of uninterrupted circuit training to achieve the requisite "three unassisted circuits and landings" required for a first solo!
Any Flying Instructor sending a student solo in less than 10 hours should be seriosly examined by the CFI. (That's Chief Flying Instructor for the cousins.)
NR
Air Cadets on scholarships usually have a good deal of prior time on gliders including powered gliders. Normally they will have soloed in glider at the very least. Quite a few will be gliding instructors, some with solo cross country time. The scholarships are very highly structured and audited by RAF CFS. The pass rate for solo within 12 hours is well over 90 percent and the average is around 10 hrs 30 mins to solo. 8 -9 hours is common place, 7 hours is rare. I expect said Hitchcock, probably had additional flying time elsewhere under his belt. Being an ace has nothing to do with it - there is a lengthy competency checklist to tick off and exams to pass just as you would expect.
PS
Mad Jock....10/10 as always
