Air Law Exam Pre-First Solo

[Nikon744]

Is the Air Law exam a pre-requisite before first solo? It seems to be a 'folk lore' thing, and I did this exam before my own first solo in 1977! I can't find any reference in the ANO or LASORS.

[3 Point]

There is no legal requirement but many flying clubs/schools insist on it. Fair enough, it's their aeroplane and they can set the rules.

I personally think it's pointless to insist on someone learning by rote a whole bunch of stuff which he does not yet have the background to understand; save it for later and concentrate on how to fly the aeroplane safely and manage any serious system problems. I make them do air Law before solo cross country.

Happy landings

[Ryan5252]

Im not sure how Air Law played any relevant part in my first solo. Probably the only thing of relevance is that when holding short to enter the runway Fire 1 was holding off the runway directly opposite me. From my air law I knew I had the right of way but confirmed with ATC anyway that if I enter the runway he wasn't going to conflict. As far as the operation of the actual flight I can't see how air law plays any significant role in the circuit. It is my hope to become an instructor one day and I would think that before sending a student solo I would ensure that they have a basic understanding of PFLs, EFATO etc before handing the keys of my livelihood over.
Im sure more experienced folk can explain why Air law plays a role...

[BristolScout]

There's certainly no legal requirement to pass Air Law prior to first solo but it makes sense for the student to have a working knowledge of the more immediate aspects of the syllabus prior to his/her first flight as pilot in command. There's also an element of stick and carrot (sorry, building block) psychology involved as it's an inducement to the early student to make a start on the academic side of the licence requirement. It never ceases to amaze me how reluctant students of all abilities are to get down to the books.

[Nikon744]

Thanks for all answers - I did not think it was a legal requirement, but who knows what lurks in the ANO? It's my son who I am teaching, and am hoping to send him solo immediately after 16th birthday - but since he is also doing GCSEs, I did not want to distract him with other unnecessary learning right now!
Cheers!

[joelgarabedian]

My school insisted on Air Law and HPL prior to first solo. I think it was an attempt to pace the theory side of the PPL with the practical side - if you've taken one or more of the exams prior to your first solo, you're less likely to be ready with the practical but held up on the theory later on in the course :)

Joel.

[Jwscud]

Wasn't required at my club relatively recently (last year), but I did get a pretty serious interrogation on relevant rules of the air from my instructor before she sent me off.

[Lister Noble]

Sorry!
Doesn't airlaw give you the basics of right of way?
VFR rules ,atc services
OK not important:ugh::ugh::ugh:

[Ryan5252]

Doesn't airlaw give you the basics of right of way?
VFR rules ,atc services
Fair point, though I did mention right of way previously. I suppose parts of Air Law do play a part (albeit a minor one) in the first solo. I do however strongly believe that a student should be briefed on emergency procedures before going up. I can't say that this does not happen but at least it didn't for me...:ok:

[Winie Godjam]

On first solo the student is acting as PIC and should IMHO have an understanding of the implications this carries therefore a knowledge of air law is most beneficial otherwise, how do they know what they are doing is legal and what their responsibilities are? :bored:

[mad_jock]

Yes air law it is prefered that students do it before first solo but not because it imparts them with more knowledge for the actual event. Its just used as a carrot to get the buggers to get going on the exams just like making them do Nav and Met before solo Nav.

The instructor ( his dad for gawds sake) will have made sure that his knowledge of air law is enough to safely complete the solo exercise.

I have sent pilots solo without before and given the right situation I will do so again. It's not unsafe. The fact that the lads GCSE are coming up is more than satisfactory reason to do so. Unlike "I was busy at work" etc etc we get from other students.

[Ryan5252]

On first solo the student is acting as PIC and should IMHO have an understanding of the implications this carries therefore a knowledge of air law is most beneficial otherwise, how do they know what they are doing is legal and what their responsibilities are?

What percentage of first solo's go outside the circuit area where they have done countless circuits previously? I would think that because they are pretty much carbon copying the flight done many times before with an instructor on board there is very little chance of legality playing any role at all.

I think some basics in emergency procedures should absolutely be briefed before the solo. I was amazed at how much there was to take in when I done my PFL (for example) after my solo i.e. trouble checks, landing sites et al. I don't think having PIC power is going to bestow any student with wisdom in the event of the unthinkable...

[mad_jock]

I also think that unless you have actually signed on the line and sent a student up for there first solo, you will never know what assement criteria we use.

Each instructor is different and each airport also has its important things which you need to have covered. Hell even which controller is in the tower plays a part.

Sending someone solo is a calculated risk on the day at that particular time for that particular student. The CAA quite rightly realise this and leave it up to the person who's license you are using to decide.

[Nikon744]

Thanks, Jock, you and I are on the same wavelength. When my son goes solo I want him to know more about what's keeping him up and what to do if things go pear-shaped, rather than some irrelevancies about the Chicago Convention and signals squares - all that can come later!

[mad_jock]

They proberly don't realise the most stressful thing about sending the lad solo is dealing with mother on the ground. ;)

I was put in a head lock by one mother of a 16 year old birthday boy for taking the pee while he was on the takeoff roll. All I said was "bollocks he was meant to take the other plane that one only has 10mins of fuel left in it." His dad got a thick ear for laughing as well.

I am sure your cheeks will hurt from smiling on the day. :ok:

[Hawkerhunt]

My daughter was in a similar position re. GCSEs, and we didn't want to burden her with ground exams as we came to the critical first solo.

She was learning in my aircraft, under instruction by the resident flying school. They were insisting Air Law prior to first solo. Our resident CAFU examiner considered it a stupid club rule, and not reqd. under the ANO, and he sent her solo under his authority, after deciding she was competent in what she needed to know.

Lister
Sorry!
Doesn't airlaw give you the basics of right of way?
VFR rules ,atc services
OK not important

yes. But does any acquired knowledge not function without a pass result? Do you get some sort of "Activation code" to unlock that knowledge when you pass the paperwork?

[Lister Noble]

Hawker,rather droll:rolleyes:

Might give someone an idea that you at least studied the subject.
Why bother getting the GCSE's?
Lister

[mad_jock]

From the air law learning objectives what would you say is vital to know from a safety point of view Lister (or any other PPL) for sending someone solo?

Ps this isn't meant to be in anyway aggressive or argumentative post I am just interested from a PPL point of view what they think is important to know for going solo. Please remember its been 8 years and many thousands of hours since I was a PPL. Personally I reckon I use less of my air law as an IFR commercial pilot than I did as a VFR pilot but I would be interested to see what you think is important.

[BEagle]

I used to require students to pass HPL (an easy intro to the exam system), then Air Law and RT theory before first solo. Because a lot of the content of Air Law and RT theory syllabi are similar.

However, if a student hadn't passed the exams before first solo and was ready to go solo, I would certainly send him/her solo.....

But no more flying until those 3 exams had been passed. Tended to concentrate the mind, that did.

Met, Nav and FP&P before solo nav, then RT practical before Q X-C. Then nothing more to worry about except Aircraft (General) - which was a good revision of knowledge before the Skill Test.

[gpn01]

There may be no need to demonstrate that you know Air Law but that doesn't absolve you from breaking it.

I'd expect any sensible instructor is going to want to feel that the student is sufficiently aware of any appropriate legal requirements that they're at risk of breaching...just like they'd want to see some evidence that the student is capable of flying a circuit and dealing with any potential emergencies.

[redbar1]

Very interesting to read this. You state that you send someone solo before he/she has proven sufficient knowledge of Air Law and other essentials. This makes my curiosity awake:

How do you make the student/solo pilot comply with the ITU requirements regarding the operation of an aeronautical radio station?

Do you require any medical certificate prior to solo?

Cheers,
Redbar1

[Ryan5252]

Please remember its been 8 years and many thousands of hours since I was a PPL.
I assume that's not supposed to come accross as condescending in anyway. Apologies if PPL holders or students were not allowed to express views or question instructors, but I would like to express mine just for heck of it....

Personally I reckon I use less of my air law as an IFR commercial pilot than I did as a VFR pilot but I would be interested to see what you think is important.

I think you have missed the point somewhat. The original question was if Air Law is legally required before first solo and I believe the answer has been established as 'No'. As to wheather or not you use more of it when flying as an 'IFR Commerical Pilot', I would perhaps surmise that the reason being, is as a Commerical pilot (you likely work for an airline) and as such you merely operate the aircrafts computer systems to navigate from A to B and return a profit for your employer. Therefore an amount of Air Law would be redundant in your capacity. As a VFR Pilot however, you are more likely to bust airspace or weather minima, you may from time to time accidentally fly outside the remit of your licence or rating, you may also forget to notify the relevant authorities when passing an FIR boundary or you may even neglect to carry all the required documents on every flight you conduct.

The above is certainly not what "I think is important" but are my humble PPL views none the less.

All the best,
Ryan

[mad_jock]

not at all, it was meant to mean that I have been using day to day a different sub set of air law which although does have some xovers into VFR flying is actually a far simplier set of rules than are required for flying VFR in class G. As you point out in your post I have a different mission I know the IFR commercial rules and use them everyday. I had to remind myself of the PPL's airlaw before renewed my Instructors rating.

And yes I know the orginal question and know the answer otherwise I would be due a date in court for the 4-5 students I have sent solo without it.

My question was more regarding what PPL's think is important to know to be able to safely fly solo. The Instructors on the thread seem to be of the opinion that it's no problem to send someone solo. But the PPL's think its unsafe and poor practise.

[Woodenwonder]

Have things changed in the past few years since I used to instruct? Then, if a training organisation wanted to train PPLs it had to be to an approved syllabus.

I used the current AOPA syllabus. This ordered the sequence of flying lessons, and also the requirement to take Air Law, and when it the subject came in, Human Factors, before solo.

Don't we use a syllabus any more - or doesn't it require these subjects to be taken before first solo?

[DFC]

The sylabus is as per JAR-FCL. No requirement for any exam passes until the end of the training.

One small point often misunderstood;

The CAA quite rightly realise this and leave it up to the person who's license you are using to decide.When flying solo the student is not using the instructor's licence or "flying on the instructor's licence". The instructor's role in solo flight (in licensing terms) is limited to the correct authorisation of the flight and the supervision of the flight as completed by the student.

During the flight the student is using their own qualification to fly the aircraft. In many countries this is a student licence, in the UK the holder of an appropriate medical is exempt from the requirement to hold a student licence.

Therefore is the flight is correctly authorised, the fact that the student breaks 20 laws during the flight has nothing to do with the instructor.

The student is legally liable for theirt actions and as often said, not knowing the law is no defence.

[Takahe]

This is interesting to me, as a student - I had my first solo a couple of months ago. It sounds like British rules are a bit different to NZ's.

New Zealand's aviation law is very, very specific about the requirements for first solo. I don't have the CAR in front of me but having just gone solo, as far as I recall the requirements were:

For first solo (in the circuit where, as other posters have said, we're very familiar with procedures at our training aerodrome):
- class 2 medical certificate
- pass the FRTO exam
- be certified as competent in English by Cat B or C instructor
- trained in EFATO, go-arounds, trouble checks, stall recognition and recovery.

I'm glad I got the emergency procedures training: I had a go-round on my first solo when another aircraft entered the runway when I was on short final.

Then for first solo cross-country:
- pass all the other exams (Air Law, Met, Nav, Human Factors, Aircraft Tech)

And then for the PPL flight test:
- be certified as competent in English by the CAA
- pass a "fit and proper person test" (goodness knows what that entails)

To UK FIs - does this sound reasonable?

Speaking for myself: I can't imagine doing a solo cross-country without knowing how to navigate, how to talk to ATC, how to deal with other aircraft and what airspace requirements were, how to recognise and avoid dangerous weather, and how my brain and my aircraft work. And if I have that knowledge, why not prove it by passing the exams?

(Takahe: a Kiwi bird who can't fly very well but keeps trying).

[DFC]

I can't imagine doing a solo cross-country without knowing how to navigate, how to talk to ATC, how to deal with other aircraft and what airspace requirements were, how to recognise and avoid dangerous weather, and how my brain and my aircraft work. And if I have that knowledge, why not prove it by passing the exams?



Problem is that obtaining a pass in an exam only shows that you managed to select the correct answer in the required number of questions.

For example if one simply selcted the "a" option on every multiple choice question one would receive some percentage of a mark - let's say 20%. Does that indicate that a person who receives 20% knows 20% of the air law sylabus? No. The same applies to people who get 70,80 or even 100%.

In order base a person's knowledge of Air Law on a single exam then that would have to be very detailed and would unlikely be satisfied by a multiple choice format.

A person who obtains a PPL has their knowledge of air law checked on a regular basis during the normal course of training and again on the flight test. Or at least that is how it is supposed to work!!

In terms of first solo, one could be a Lawyer specialising in Aviation Law but still not know the local procedures for the aerodrome at which one is flying.

Being safe to fly solo is not just about knowledge of most parts of the Air law sylabus that happen to appear on a multiple choice question paper.

Therefore there are two opposites in this debate;

The schools / instructors who insist that certain exams are passed prior to certain stages of the course because they think that in the event of something happening they have some evidence that they did their job and the student had the required knowledge; and

The students who think that they are using someone else's licence while flying and that they can ignore the legal situation whereby they are responsible for the safe and legal conduct of the flight as briefed and authorised when flying solo including the safe and legal conduct of the flight when it is necessary to deviate from the briefed / authorised plan e.g. diversion.

Both are wrong!!

[BristolScout]

Slightly pedantic, I know, but this is supposed to be an instructors' forum. It would make it easier for us to keep up with all the relevant threads if students and other non-instructors raised their queries in the private flying forum. And, yes, I am a miserable git!