View Poll Results: After how many hours of training did you go for you first ever solo?
10-12 hours
197
33.91%
13-15 hours
107
18.42%
16-18 hours
62
10.67%
19-21 hours
47
8.09%
22+ hours
53
9.12%
Less than 10
115
19.79%
Voters: 581. This poll is closed
After how many hours did you go for your first solo?
Join Date: Jun 2002
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13hours
-lucky for some!
With regard to the air law exam, you should do it b4 going solo, but I understand that your flying school/CFI can use discretion if they are happy with ur capabilities and have taken u for that all important circuit b4 they hand the controls over. No looking back when you have done it...............G00D LUCK TO ANYONE ABOUT TO GO SOLO!!!!!
-lucky for some!With regard to the air law exam, you should do it b4 going solo, but I understand that your flying school/CFI can use discretion if they are happy with ur capabilities and have taken u for that all important circuit b4 they hand the controls over. No looking back when you have done it...............G00D LUCK TO ANYONE ABOUT TO GO SOLO!!!!!
The Original Whirly
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cessnababe,
A very good point, and as a 40+-hours-to-first-solo pilot, one I make frequently. And I have a CPL(H) and nearly 500 hours f/w and rotary total time and....why bother, I have nothing to prove.
Yet the hours-to-first solo thread comes up regularly on this forum. And despite claiming not to, those who soloed early feel very good about it; those who didn't are embarrassed. I felt that way for a long time too.
Why do people feel so strongly that it matters? As many people have pointed out, there are all sorts of reasons for soloing early or late. And even if there aren't... Are pilots just an exceptionally competitive bunch, or what? Especially on a Private Flying forum, where everyone claims to fly for fun.
Maybe someone would like to explain this obsession to me please.
A very good point, and as a 40+-hours-to-first-solo pilot, one I make frequently. And I have a CPL(H) and nearly 500 hours f/w and rotary total time and....why bother, I have nothing to prove.
Yet the hours-to-first solo thread comes up regularly on this forum. And despite claiming not to, those who soloed early feel very good about it; those who didn't are embarrassed. I felt that way for a long time too.
Why do people feel so strongly that it matters? As many people have pointed out, there are all sorts of reasons for soloing early or late. And even if there aren't... Are pilots just an exceptionally competitive bunch, or what? Especially on a Private Flying forum, where everyone claims to fly for fun.
Maybe someone would like to explain this obsession to me please.
Join Date: Apr 2001
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I did it in 13 hours, spread over about 9 months.
I'm quite surprised to see that so many people did it in under 10 hours.
I think that time to first solo does indicate flying ability to an extent, but only if all things are equal: weather, a/c type, instructors, frequency of flying etc etc.... and of course all things are very rarely equal. However it's only natural to want to be good at something and of course you'd be proud if you soloed in 4 hours or whatever when the average is probably 15 or something.
Esperto, congratulations on doing your first solo on a harvard. What a novelty!
Where'd you do that and how much was the hourly rate? I was surprised to hear that you could learn on that ab initio as it's quite advanced. By the way I've never heard one of them referred to as an snj before: only Harvards and AT6 Texans.
I'm quite surprised to see that so many people did it in under 10 hours.
I think that time to first solo does indicate flying ability to an extent, but only if all things are equal: weather, a/c type, instructors, frequency of flying etc etc.... and of course all things are very rarely equal. However it's only natural to want to be good at something and of course you'd be proud if you soloed in 4 hours or whatever when the average is probably 15 or something.
Esperto, congratulations on doing your first solo on a harvard. What a novelty!
Where'd you do that and how much was the hourly rate? I was surprised to hear that you could learn on that ab initio as it's quite advanced. By the way I've never heard one of them referred to as an snj before: only Harvards and AT6 Texans.
Join Date: Dec 2001
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3:28 or 46 flights for my first solo on a glider,
0:22 or 6 flights for my first motorglider solo,
0:42 or 8 flights for the single engine aircraft solo.
so this makes 4:32 alltogether
unable to find this in the polling list
0:22 or 6 flights for my first motorglider solo,
0:42 or 8 flights for the single engine aircraft solo.
so this makes 4:32 alltogether
unable to find this in the polling list
Join Date: Aug 2002
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1st Solo
I remember it well...my instructor and I are still good friends, he flies EasyJet now, but he was a real joker. Had a lovely day at Eglinton airport in Londonderry, did a few circuits with him in a 152, then when we landed he had me stop at an intersection beside the GA apron....to my horror he called the twr asking for 1st solo, then jumped out, slammed the door and ran off!!! Talk about fear! 
All was well though...
All was well though...
Join Date: Dec 2000
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16.5 hours to 1st solo, I felt I was ready at about 13.
As an instructor I havent had many (if any)students solo in much less than 10-11 hours. Of course it does depend on how often you fly and many other factors like weather, number of instructors you fly with, how busy the airfield is.. its easier to solo at a quiet grass airstrip than it is at somewhere very very busy
I really dont see it as a race, or a competition in any way. I'd rather the student was safe and very competent at dealing with any potential problem that might arise.
If it was purely an exercise in getting the aircraft off the ground, round the circuit and back onto the ground again then it could be done very very quickly indeed.. but it wouldnt be sensible, safe or beneficial to anyone!
Cessnababe... its a shame you had the displeasure of flying with an arrogant 400 hour 24yr old instructor!!
Gives the rest of us 24 yr old 500 hour instructors a bad name!!!
As an instructor I havent had many (if any)students solo in much less than 10-11 hours. Of course it does depend on how often you fly and many other factors like weather, number of instructors you fly with, how busy the airfield is.. its easier to solo at a quiet grass airstrip than it is at somewhere very very busy
I really dont see it as a race, or a competition in any way. I'd rather the student was safe and very competent at dealing with any potential problem that might arise.
If it was purely an exercise in getting the aircraft off the ground, round the circuit and back onto the ground again then it could be done very very quickly indeed.. but it wouldnt be sensible, safe or beneficial to anyone!
Cessnababe... its a shame you had the displeasure of flying with an arrogant 400 hour 24yr old instructor!!
Gives the rest of us 24 yr old 500 hour instructors a bad name!!!
Last edited by Loony_Pilot; 30th Sep 2002 at 17:26.
Join Date: Aug 2000
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late teens I think.
Slow learner. But weirdly a few tens later I got hooked on aeros and never looked back. Or Up. Or Over. Or... :-)
Biggest revelation was the usual how to land thing: Try not to land! You land!
Slow learner. But weirdly a few tens later I got hooked on aeros and never looked back. Or Up. Or Over. Or... :-)
Biggest revelation was the usual how to land thing: Try not to land! You land!
!!!!!!!!!
Join Date: Jan 2001
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4hrs 5 min, but i would not say that an early solo makes you a better pilot, just quick to grasp the very basics
That's about right. Some would say that the 'very basics' are not nearly enough to cut somebody lose in a busy traffic pattern.
That's about right. Some would say that the 'very basics' are not nearly enough to cut somebody lose in a busy traffic pattern.
Join Date: Oct 2002
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20.1 hours - it was flying school policy that you had to pass Air Law before you could solo in-case you had to divert to a different airfield etc etc. I did my PPL in under four weeks so my solo was in the middle of the second week. PPL finished in 47.2 hours
Join Date: Mar 2001
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29 hours for me figure about half was transit time to another airfield for circuits and orbiting to get back in.
Over a period of 9 months.
Navigation dual, Solo hour building, XCQ in a month, amazing hour quick you can progress when you get consistent weather.
Over a period of 9 months.
Navigation dual, Solo hour building, XCQ in a month, amazing hour quick you can progress when you get consistent weather.
Join Date: Oct 2000
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It does seem as if the hours to first solo theme is a competitive pilot obsession. Perhaps there are a couple of useful extra questions which should be linked, i.e. how old were you when you learnt to fly? Over what period of time and how many total hours to get the licence?
As an instructor for more than ten years, I have noticed that in general the older you are the longer it takes to solo and the longer the period of learning the longer to solo. It seems fairly consistent that those who learn in a concentrated period whether in the USA where the weather is consistent, or whether on a flying scholarship or integrated course, will solo in 10-15 hours. However the most extreme example I came across was a student of 55ish who soloed in nearly 100 hours and completed the PPL in 125.
Amongst my own students there have been several aged over 50 who took 40 or more hours to solo and then completed the training in about 70-80 hours total. I really do not think that this is unusual in our climate and also given the fact that as you get
older it becomes harder to learn new motor skills. Add to that the increased fear....
As to the chaps in the 40's getting a licence in 20 hours, well there was so much less to do - they did not have to bother about the radio nor really worry about navigation - they could land in a field and ask the way!! (Sorry been reading too much Biggles)
As an instructor for more than ten years, I have noticed that in general the older you are the longer it takes to solo and the longer the period of learning the longer to solo. It seems fairly consistent that those who learn in a concentrated period whether in the USA where the weather is consistent, or whether on a flying scholarship or integrated course, will solo in 10-15 hours. However the most extreme example I came across was a student of 55ish who soloed in nearly 100 hours and completed the PPL in 125.
Amongst my own students there have been several aged over 50 who took 40 or more hours to solo and then completed the training in about 70-80 hours total. I really do not think that this is unusual in our climate and also given the fact that as you get
older it becomes harder to learn new motor skills. Add to that the increased fear....
As to the chaps in the 40's getting a licence in 20 hours, well there was so much less to do - they did not have to bother about the radio nor really worry about navigation - they could land in a field and ask the way!! (Sorry been reading too much Biggles)