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: Jul 2002
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Thought I'd post to make it the 100th.
First glider solo 29 launches
First power solo with only four entries in my logbook! after 6:35
Like Kingy, above, I too had a medical problem that resulted in
'second first' solo's.
Resumed gliding whilst on a course of chemotherapy (although not for cancer) and flew in between infusions.
For the power stuff I had to wait until I was off some steroids but still on a milder course of chemotherapy before re-soloing, finishing my PPL and completing night and IMC ratings all in less than a year.
And I must say, the CAA were great, very supportive and knowledgable about a rare condition and very keen to get me back flying as soon as possible.
Squawking 7700
First glider solo 29 launches
First power solo with only four entries in my logbook! after 6:35
Like Kingy, above, I too had a medical problem that resulted in
'second first' solo's.
Resumed gliding whilst on a course of chemotherapy (although not for cancer) and flew in between infusions.
For the power stuff I had to wait until I was off some steroids but still on a milder course of chemotherapy before re-soloing, finishing my PPL and completing night and IMC ratings all in less than a year.
And I must say, the CAA were great, very supportive and knowledgable about a rare condition and very keen to get me back flying as soon as possible.
Squawking 7700
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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13hrs10 min - at Bourne, in a 152 and had the fun of a microlite cutting me up on final (When I landed, my instructor realised how angry I was with the Microlite pilot, that he would not let me out of the plane and we just went back to Luton - we were not allowed to solo as trainees at Luton. I'm glad he did to be honest, I was so angry, I would probably have got into a lot of trouble !!
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Bai, mi go long hap na kisim sampla samting.
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5.7hrs, had a great instuctor. I managed to get all my other licences/ratings/endorsments/approvals in minimum time as well.
Join Date: Sep 2001
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9 Hours. One of the most memorable moments of my life.
Got hooked and moved up the PPL foodchain and started IR training at 120 hours. Really began to hit walls on an “approved course”. What was truly startling was an interface with military pilots who were converting to civvy licenses and would transit the flight school in a few days taking 4 or 5 hours to complete training and obtain a first time pass on IRFT. Most were talented and some could drive a C310 as though it was on rails. They had so much spare mental capacity that they could peel an orange and do the Times crossword while flying an ILS to Cat 1 minima. Truly depressing watching that from the middle row!
A wise instructor at the establishment said “ slow learners rarely leave smoking holes in the ground – we’ve time to sort them out: it’s the quick ones we worry about”
Slow or fast – much depends on who you learn with and that word “learn” is the key
Got hooked and moved up the PPL foodchain and started IR training at 120 hours. Really began to hit walls on an “approved course”. What was truly startling was an interface with military pilots who were converting to civvy licenses and would transit the flight school in a few days taking 4 or 5 hours to complete training and obtain a first time pass on IRFT. Most were talented and some could drive a C310 as though it was on rails. They had so much spare mental capacity that they could peel an orange and do the Times crossword while flying an ILS to Cat 1 minima. Truly depressing watching that from the middle row!
A wise instructor at the establishment said “ slow learners rarely leave smoking holes in the ground – we’ve time to sort them out: it’s the quick ones we worry about”
Slow or fast – much depends on who you learn with and that word “learn” is the key
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
Join Date: Jul 2000
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About to be let lose in a whirlymagig.........estimating about 7 hrs. I will post after I manage to do it without breaking anything. Again, great instructors.
Join Date: Nov 2002
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I did my first solo after 18h, those 18 hours included cross country flying, 1 hour X-wind landing training and a total of 69 logged landings!
It was great fun to finally get to do the first solo! (3 Touch and Goes)
It was great fun to finally get to do the first solo! (3 Touch and Goes)
Last edited by ihaeuselmann; 7th Feb 2003 at 17:28.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Today, after 11 hours and 42minutes! (including 12 minutes waiting at the runway hold for a take off slot!!!!!!!!!)
Still nice feeling, and brings home the reality that the boyhood dream has been realised - well, part of it....bring on the 737!
Still nice feeling, and brings home the reality that the boyhood dream has been realised - well, part of it....bring on the 737!
Join Date: Apr 2002
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Well I took 20 hours to first solo but passed my skills test after 43.5 hours training, which was minimum at the time. The student that I am most proud of took over 40 hours to do her first solo but got her licence eventually and is now a safe, excellent pilot. Don't know if any of this proves anything bit I still reckon that people are very different and you can't make judgements quickly. Enjoy all your flying and you'll be a good pilot one day.
Join Date: Jan 2003
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I did mine in 6.5 hrs and was the most awesome experience of my life. My instructor told me that I was not allowed to take my skills test though, until I had the 45hrs JAR legal minimum. Got my licence issued with 47hrs, including the GFT.
Now I am completely obsessed, and skint.
Now I am completely obsessed, and skint.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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I'm at 25 hours and still not quite there... I started flying a few years ago then ran out of money, began again at more or less the same time as starting a new job and took an age to get round to studying for the Air Law and Human Performance. Now I have just got back in to it. I have sooooo many T+G's in my logbook and my landings are much better now, so it should be soon. Can't wait actually! I just need to get my Class 2 renewed first...
Join Date: Sep 2000
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5 hours 25mins.
But that was made easier by doing in it in a 3 week block, and so I went solo on the 3rd day.
Having some gliding experience does help significantly. It seems pathetic now, but I found the R|T a real challenge.
And ofcourse PFL's were a doddle...
Best of luck to all of you who are still 'en-route'. Stick with it, its worth it....
But that was made easier by doing in it in a 3 week block, and so I went solo on the 3rd day.
Having some gliding experience does help significantly. It seems pathetic now, but I found the R|T a real challenge.
And ofcourse PFL's were a doddle...
Best of luck to all of you who are still 'en-route'. Stick with it, its worth it....
Autorise a L'atterrissage
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What seems to vary from one school to another is how much of the syllabus has to be taught & proficiency demonstrated before the magic of first solo is allowed.
At Cabair I (correctly in my opinion) had to learn and demonstrate EFATO, etc. etc. before being allowed to go solo.
Oh. And I took some time to master the flare, so I was a shade over 16 hours before mine.
3 things I remember - how quickly the 172 climbed without an instructor, no leg in the way to get to flap control, and total, utter euphoria!!
At Cabair I (correctly in my opinion) had to learn and demonstrate EFATO, etc. etc. before being allowed to go solo.
Oh. And I took some time to master the flare, so I was a shade over 16 hours before mine.
3 things I remember - how quickly the 172 climbed without an instructor, no leg in the way to get to flap control, and total, utter euphoria!!
Join Date: Feb 2003
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I can't remember without looking at my logbook but it was somewhere in the region of 30 hours due to weather etc. I could have done it sooner but on the first time of asking it was a bit blustery and I didn't feel happy so declined. My mind was not on the job fully that day.
I flew just on weekends and then had to miss 3 months with bad weather at the beginning of 2002 so I had to have a couple of hours refresher when I started again. Have to admit I found the landing the hardest. I wasn't too worried about the hours I was taking, just in getting it on the deck safely. Why be macho and try too soon, nothing to gain only an early grave.
Like Leclairage I had to know EFATO plus stall recovery inside out as well as mastering glide approaches, flapless approaches and low level circuits before I could go solo. My first 10 hours covered 8 different instructors which I wasn't happy about as they all look for different things. Once I got settled with one instructor life was easier.
By the time I finally did my first solo I had already completed my 3 dual Nav flights. Once I had gone solo I was straight into my solo nav flights, doing all my solo at the very end of the course.
One point I think needs to be remembered is the airfield people train at and the instructors. I had a 500m narrow grass runway to aim for, not a 2000+m lump of tarmac like you get at East Midlands. When I did my QXC into there I couldn't miss and if I got it a bit wrong (which I didn't) knew I had time to correct it.
That said - congrats to those that did it quickly. Whether you take 5 hours or 50 hours to first solo - at the end of the course we are all pilots.
I flew just on weekends and then had to miss 3 months with bad weather at the beginning of 2002 so I had to have a couple of hours refresher when I started again. Have to admit I found the landing the hardest. I wasn't too worried about the hours I was taking, just in getting it on the deck safely. Why be macho and try too soon, nothing to gain only an early grave.
Like Leclairage I had to know EFATO plus stall recovery inside out as well as mastering glide approaches, flapless approaches and low level circuits before I could go solo. My first 10 hours covered 8 different instructors which I wasn't happy about as they all look for different things. Once I got settled with one instructor life was easier.
By the time I finally did my first solo I had already completed my 3 dual Nav flights. Once I had gone solo I was straight into my solo nav flights, doing all my solo at the very end of the course.
One point I think needs to be remembered is the airfield people train at and the instructors. I had a 500m narrow grass runway to aim for, not a 2000+m lump of tarmac like you get at East Midlands. When I did my QXC into there I couldn't miss and if I got it a bit wrong (which I didn't) knew I had time to correct it.
That said - congrats to those that did it quickly. Whether you take 5 hours or 50 hours to first solo - at the end of the course we are all pilots.
Last edited by Northern Highflyer; 28th Feb 2003 at 13:52.
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I was sent off to do mine in C152 G-BIOC by the late Danny Woolf after 7hrs 20 mins, although I did have various Chipmunk AEF rides and a BGF certificate under my belt, which all helped enormously. 
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Somewhere between 10&12 hrs. this time, I seem to recall....
Actually, I was a cheat because I already had around 18hrs (incl. solo) from a financially abortive attempt to work towards a licence 20 years ago. Came back to it last year, went through the whole course and got the licence on 28th Dec..
Syllabus (recent) up to solo encompassed EFATO, PFLs, SSAT, etc., which was extremely reassuring - though the general euphoria (amplified by finally having got back tothe standard I had been at all those years previously) prevented me from thinking too much about them during the solo!
Actually, I was a cheat because I already had around 18hrs (incl. solo) from a financially abortive attempt to work towards a licence 20 years ago. Came back to it last year, went through the whole course and got the licence on 28th Dec..
Syllabus (recent) up to solo encompassed EFATO, PFLs, SSAT, etc., which was extremely reassuring - though the general euphoria (amplified by finally having got back tothe standard I had been at all those years previously) prevented me from thinking too much about them during the solo!
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I think the safe standard would be 10-15 hrs. And what i mean is from the first time you get in the cockpit to solo, not going with a friend or someone and geting the hang of the whole thing before starting actual hours. Im just talkin from my experience cause id never flown a plane and I worked hard and did it in 11 hours
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Just checked my log book - 15hrs 10 minutes. At Luton, students were not allowed to solo so at the time we had to fly to Bourn (35-40 minutes each way). That was where most of my dual solo flying took place too. If I take those trips off, it comes down to somewhere around 11-12 hours.
Like most people I remember my first solo like it was yesterday including the moron in the microlight who appeared from the left in front of me on short final (200 feet). The instructor would not let me have a chat to him when I eventually landed. Probably just a well as I dont think I would have wanted to discuss landing technique with him !!
What interesting things happened to others on their first solo ?
Like most people I remember my first solo like it was yesterday including the moron in the microlight who appeared from the left in front of me on short final (200 feet). The instructor would not let me have a chat to him when I eventually landed. Probably just a well as I dont think I would have wanted to discuss landing technique with him !!
What interesting things happened to others on their first solo ?
Join Date: Jan 2001
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i still think it is sad to rate hours to solo as significant in the overall picture. perhaps i am getting old and boring.if i were an instructor i would not let a student solo until 10-20 hours of varied experience, yet still this is nothing in obtaining knowledge to fly in command taking into account the possible variables relative to weather let alone anything else.