Hi 3 Point
I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.
So, after 30 years of no flying are you really going to train a pilot with no solo?
Probably not, but that would be the decision of the Authority (CAA) - not the flying instructor or examiner. The pilot may have a lifetime licence but would require a medical and rating to fly as PIC (solo). After 30 years I'm sure the CAA would require 're-training' in order to 'regain' his/her licence. That 're-training' may indeed include a requirement for solo flights. But that's a different scenario to the one proposed on this Thread.
The example above is extreme. Generally, once a qualified pilot, always a qualified pilot in relation to the licences and ratings already obtained - student pilot re-trains (including solo as required), qualified pilot 'regains' (including all necessary dual instruction and flight tests required - 'solo' days are over in the student pilot sense).
All the best for Christmas and the New Year.
FOK
