Understanding Private PIlot Llicense Requirements

Most Flight Schools don't explain all of the student pilot regulations and how they apply to your Private Pilot Training. In the last article I pointed out how there were a lot of regulations for the Student Pilot Training within the general Private Pilot Training Requirements.

Today I will explain them. Once again I have them all listed in the regulations section of my website but I will walk you through them so you can understand them. I have explained them pretty good in my regulations section but I will add some things here.

We will start out with the requirements for solo flight. Before you can go up and solo, your instructor must log all of the areas listed in the regulation in your logbook. The problem that often happens is when you are somewhere that is going through instructors left and right, each time you switch the next instructor has to go over everything with you. You may get lucky and get a solo endorsement from a previous instructor but that is not always the case.

The link below will take you to the regulations article:

Student Pilot Solo Requirements

Now all of these requirements must be documented in your logbook. There is also a requirement for a Pre Solo Written test. Most people don't understand that this test must be given by the instructor who will sign you off for solo flights. Not the Flight school. In many cases the test may be the same but it is supposed to be from the individual instructor and not the school.

So say for example your instructor says you are ready to solo and you pass his / her pre solo written test. The next week you find out your instructor left the school and is nowhere to be found ( yes it happens all the time). Now not only do you need to take another test given by your new instructor, you have to do all the pre solo requirements with the new instructor also.

I see this all the time because I get a lot of these upset students calling me for help. In this case I move the student forward and don't worry about the solo till after I get them through the post solo requirements. This allows me the time and flights to go over all of the pre solo requirements without adding a ton of extra flights.

Many schools and instructors will not let you move forward until you solo, this is one thing you want to look into. This can cost you a ton of money.

The same is true for the post solo requirements. I have listed them below.

Student Pilot Pre Solo Cross Country Requirements

In this phase of training there is not written test requirement but your instructor has to have given you flight instruction in the areas listed in the student pilot pre solo cross country requirements.

Tomorrows Installment is Aeronautical Knowledge, Books and Materials

Hope To See You In the Sky

Airfreddy

Airfreddy's Private Pilot License Manual

Airfreddy's Flying Stories

Airfreddy's Private Pilot Course

Airfreddy's Flight Training Site