ppl first solo

[DougieMac]

I am currently doing my ppl and am due to go solo on my next lesson, im 18 years old and have had 14 hours of instruction, could anyone on here tell me how many lessons it took them to go solo as im not sure whether 14 hours is quick or slow? thanks.

[mike172]

I went solo after 12:15. I think 14 hours is fairly normal to be honest.

[Whirlygig]

I've heard of anything from 2 hours to 50-odd. There is no right or wrong "number of hours" at which to solo - it is not a competition. Does it matter that you've soloed before or after other people?

If someone says they soloed in 20 hours, does it make you feel better? Or of they say they did it in 5, would that make you feel inferior?

It doesn't matter.

Cheers

Whirls

[DougieMac]

calm it, just enquiring.

[Whirlygig]

Ok, if you're just enquiring, I can tell you that a good friend of mine soloed in 3 hours. I soloed in 40 (helicopter). So .... are you quick? Or are you slow? No. You're doing it at YOUR pace with your instructor's guidance.

...and if you do a search on Private Flying, you will find that this topic comes up every year.

Cheers

Whirls

[princepilot]

whirls why you getting agitated?

Hes only asking, that doesnt automatically make him in a competition?!?!

I bet it does come up every year but not from the same person. he isnt to know.

Calm Down!:bored:

[744FO]

11 Hours - I'm 19 - did it 3 weeks ago.

[Put1992]

I dont think anyones getting agitated..

[bri1980]

I was at about 12 hours when I went solo.

However, the most important thing is that you are ready. You will be making the transition from student to Captain and it's a thrilling step to take.

Think of everything that you want to ask the instructor, and ask it before you go. Cover all the 'what ifs' you can think of. If you encounter an unusual situation in the air, remain calm and think about it.

On my second solo at 300' the door popped open at the top and was flapping in the breeze-so if you are flying a PA28 (or whatever else for that matter) give the closure of the door a thorough testing once the instructor gets out. :eek:

Most of all, enjoy it and have a camera to hand for a nice pose in front of the plane when you have finished: you only get one first solo!

Enjoy

Bri

[Whirlygig]

I'm not getting agitated; just trying to point out that comparisons between different people, in different circumstances are meaningless.

If, for example, someone solos in 12 hours - is that 12 hours at 2 hours a day over six days? Or 1 hour a month over a year? The age of the student, the aircraft they are flying, the type of airfield (i.e. A/G Radio or Tower Control), the attitudes of the school and the attitude of the instructor.

Some schools will require certain exams to have been passed before solo; others not. Some schools will require training in ALL emergencies, PFLs, engine-offs, before solo.

The number of hours at which you solo is irrelevant - it's a number, that's all. It tells you nothing if you compare it to other people's.

The important thing is, that you're ready for it and have enough capacity to enjoy yourself and savour the moment without panicking at, for example, a strange instruction from ATC, or a light coming on or, in my case, a bird strike.

Cheers

Whirls

[gio64]

There isn’t a number of hours prescribed for a 1st solo, I just remember you that the conditions are:
1. The students is ready and feels himself good
2. The instructor feels himself good too!
3. The weather is OK
4. the plane is OK
Between a solo at 10 hours and another at 20, there are only 10 hours of flight. For a pilot career what can represent 10 hours of flight? On the contrary an accident at the 1st solo could mark or stop forever a student pilot training.

Be confident!

[pinspotter]

18 hours for me although i was ready after 12 or so but weather never seemed right for first solo so i got some early nav and instrument flights in. Just wanted to fly you see! 50 hours in before skills test so it all came together at about the right time. First solo is a massive buzz but first solo land away nav trips were bigger ones for me. Just enjoy it all as it comes!

[DougieMac]

thanks, just wanted an idea of the people in the same position, thanks.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Whirly,

How the hell can someone solo in 2 hours? That is ridiculous. There is no way that someone can have the skill to fly safely in the circuit from 0 hours flying experience to a competent student flying circuits.

Who were they Superman? :rolleyes:

[NoTimeToWaste]

I first solo'ed today, it was a fantastic feeling! I found myself talking my way round the circuit, the most nerve racking bit was the takeoff. From my experience, once you get into the air, your training will take over and your flying skills will really come to light. I hope you enjoy your solo, I've been told I wont ever forget it, I'm sure it will be the same for you!

I also passed Air Law today with 90%, it turned out to be a very good day!

[rasobey]

You guys and girls are making me very excited! I've not even begun my lessons yet, but am getting around to booking a one hour trial to see if I will enjoy it. With my enthusiasm for aviation, I'm sure I will.

[Whirlygig]

Whirly,

How the hell can someone solo in 2 hours? That is ridiculous. There is no way that someone can have the skill to fly safely in the circuit from 0 hours flying experience to a competent student flying circuits.

Who were they Superman?

Well, I think he is! :O

That was in the military with a fixed wing solo already done!

There's always a story behind the number of hours!

Cheers

Whirls

[Nibbler]

For the first solo experience the quickest way of all is to go on a week holiday / training course at a gliding club.

I went solo in a glider at 16 after 1 week of training and 12 winch launch's. er that's about 1 hour and 12 min of instruction. No ground school or exams to do either.

Yes a glider IS a 'real' aircraft - you crash just as hard!

And that 1st solo feeling is just as good, at 40 I can still remember every detail, and possibly it's even better - remember you can't chicken out and go round again := - it's right 1st time or not at all :sad:

[WildDart]

It took me 18 hours, i know they say that young people should get it done quicker but i was training at one of the smallest runways in the UK and done a other exercises when the weather wasnt good enough to go solo. Doesnt really bother me that couple friends may have done it earlier doesnt make them a better pilot :)

[redsnail]

8 hours. :ok:

[finalapproach]

Did it after 14:45 hrs of instruction - it was 11 years ago, but if I remember correctly I had declined a previous invitation from my instructor to do first solo probably about 2 or 3 hours (of flying time) earlier. What sort of a whimp am/was I??!!

[Whirlygig]

What sort of a whimp am/was I??!!
A sensible one, that's what! If you didn't feel confident or comfortable, then you made the right decision. And that makes you a pilot-in-command, not a wimp!

Cheers

Whirls

[Perdix]

Went solo on PA-28 at Fairoaks yesterday at 12 hours, unexpectedly but comfortably (well, I was comfortable - I assume my instructor was too :rolleyes:). Like another correspondent here, I vividly remember my T21 Slingsby Kadett solo at Kenley in 1985, when I was seventeen, though I can't recall the number of training hours (minutes!). Both wonderful experiences, just a great melange of excitement, responsibilty and liberation; the purity and open-cockpit sensuality of the glider solo contrasted pleasingly with the more complex and 'busy' powered thang, though I think the R/T gives the latter a more inclusive edge, even if it is only routine calls! Also, as I banked over-steeply from base to final over Kenley all those years ago I couldn't resist the urge to yell: 'Banzaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!' down at my long-suffering instructor (a Jaguar pilot as a day job) before bowling at an alarming rate of descent into the sward. He retired soon after :bored:. I avoided that this time. I didn't think ATC would be impressed. :)
Capt* W. E. Johns's (the 'Biggles' author) first solo was remarkable in that he stalled on take-off and wrecked his mount. He then later went on to crash three aircraft in three days. And he became a top instructor :\. Even M. von Richthofen was a distinctly un-natural novice and took a while to get going. So, I agree that the number of hours to 1st solo is irrelevant and potentially misleading. My instructor yesterday said; 'Well done! But remember you'll probably be crap next time - most people are'. :{

*(He wasn't ever a Captain either, but a Flying Officer - he claimed children would recognise 'Captain' more easily than F.O. So I'm going to put 'AVM' on my logbook, in that case. Seems fair enough. No, even better, I'm changing my name to....The Black Falcon. Er, yeah: The Black Falcon, of ****ehawk Squadron. Sounds much better...:D

[Mach Jump]

Dougie
The solo flights in your training are milestones in youir progress through the course and all the dual training is there just to enable you to complete the solo flights safely.

It's a bit naughty of your instructor to tell you that you will be going solo next time as will raise your expectations and your level of nervousnes, but if you go solo next time, or the time after doesnt matter, as your instructor will pick the perfect time for it, both in terms of your ability, and the conditions.

This will be the first of many solo flights as you continue the course, each marking a new level of skill and confidence in your progress. Then, one day, someone will give you a pink slip and you will be a pilot!

I remember those times very well although they were a long time ago and even now, after all these years , my FOs sometimes catch me looking out of the side window and watching the ground fall away as we take off. Magic isn't it?

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Now I have over 20,000 hours and taught hundreds of people to fly, I realised long ago that it matters not a jot how many hours it takes to go solo, but if it reassures you any, then 14 is perfectly normal for someone not on a full time course.

Good luck! (you won't need it but its nice to have)

MJ;)

[17thhour]

no matter what, i will always find these "first solo" threads infuriating.

[Mach Jump]

17th

Why is that?

MJ

[17thhour]

17th

Why is that?

MJ


for all the reasons whirlygig put forward about people measuring their ability by it...

[mcgoo]

Then why read them??

[Lister Noble]

On my second solo at 300' the door popped open at the top and was flapping in the breeze-so if you are flying a PA28 (or whatever else for that matter) give the closure of the door a thorough testing once the instructor gets out.

This happened to me on second or third solo,I thought the airflow would hold it closed but of course the negative air pressure above wing would hold it open.

I continued flying in blissful ignorance,but the CFI said I should have landed back at the airfield ASAP.

Anyway the top latch on the PA28 is horrible and should be checked for complete closure before any flight.
Lister:)

[PlasticPilot]

Solo after 22 hours, at busy Geneva airport. With airline traffic, one must be rather cautious. I don't even want to imagine...

Some instructors send solo students in much harder conditions: The day I scared a solo student pilot (http://www.plasticpilot.net/blog/2007/08/07/the-day-i-scared-a-solo-student-pilot/)

[danielk]

I did my first solo two days ago and i had 17.6 hours of flying time. We were doing touch and go's when my instructor said"This is getting boring now you know how to do this, make a full stop landning and let me out of the plane." I felt really nervous when i requsted taxiinstructions and during taxiing. Then i had to wait quite a while at the holding point due to trafic. I think i checked the fuel selector, mixture and so on 10 times just to occupie myself while waiting.:)
When i finally got airborne it was just amazing and also a bit scary to know that if i f*ck up now i'm on my own.:)

[Inniehoek]

I went solo on 6 and a half hours and enjoyed it !!! Will never forget the sensation...looking at thr right hand seat ...empty !!! I actually put my hand on the right hand seat to make sure it was empty.... then realised that I was in charge... Wish I had a video of my first landing ...what a beautiful landing it was !!!! You will nerver ever have another First Solo flight in your life .....enjoy it !!!!!

[Inniehoek]

Well said Whirls !!! I agree