Ask a CFI: The First Solo

Whether you have just taken your first flight, received a new license, or started your first paying job as a pilot, each milestone reached in flight training is a cause for celebration. However, there is perhaps no other milestone quite as big as the first solo. This month, "Ask a CFI" will be discussing advice over the solo - the first time a student will taxi, make radio calls, and fly without an instructor. 

Kaitlynn Branco poses next to her plane, proudly holding her decorated shirt after her first solo.

For new student pilots, this task may seem out-of-reach and daunting, but the solo typically occurs within the first 15-25 hours of flight. There's no need to worry, though, because before a student enters the cockpit alone, required flight and ground training evaluations must be passed to ensure a pilot is ready to spread their wings and takeoff. 

These ground and flight evaluations consist of emergency procedures, airspace operations surrounding the airport used for training, knowing the flight characteristics of the make and model of the aircraft being flown, just to name a few items. All of the specific pre-solo aeronautical knowledge and flight training requirements are written in 14 CFR - § 61.87 - Solo Requirements for Student Pilots. Your CFI will not only train you on all the items according to 61.87 but will administer a pre-solo written exam that must be corrected to 100% and will endorse your logbook saying you are signed off and ready to go! If you put in the time and effort to study, this is completely achievable.  

Many of our members here at the Flying Cowgirls chapter have shared their experience during the first solo. For some, the winds shifted, and ATC called for a change in the used runways, or a new radio call was given such as "make a right 360 in the downwind and report reestablished". Others have nailed every landing, and winds stayed calm as forecasted. The point is, every solo experience is different, and notably, there's no such thing as a "perfect flight". This edition of "Ask a CFI" will highlight tips and tricks for those about to take flight, and how to know you are ready to fly by yourself. 

Former OSU-WAI chapter President, Grace Cowherd, is a CFI-CFII-MEI and Stage Check Airmen at the Oklahoma State University Flight Center. Here's what she had to say about first solo common mistakes, and how to prepare for your solo: 

Be Confident & Competent 

It's a slippery slope to show your nerves in any sort of evaluation. While it's normal to be nervous, it can be easy to have a hick-up on a maneuver or sequence, and subsequently mess up on the next set of questions or maneuvers. The trick: keep your chin high, compartmentalize emotions, and own your mistakes. As Cowherd said, just because "you mess up something, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to fail.” As stated before, there is no such thing as a perfect flight - and messing up might not result in failure. Correcting yourself and pointing out where you messed up demonstrates knowledge and skill in its own way. And in the chance you do fail - that's okay! Embrace your mistakes as a learning moment; shake it off to try, try again. 

Allyssa Jennings, a freshman in the OSU Pilot Program holds her decorated shirt after her first solo at KSWO

The Need for Speed 

Envision this: airspeed is alive - engines are in the green - Vr, rotate. The wheels are off the ground, and now you have to land! It's an exhilarating feeling the first time you do this without your instructor next to you. Of course, many different elements must be executed successfully to have a solid landing. One such component that Cowherd points out students struggle with is airspeed management. “Airspeed can be your best friend, or your worst enemy.” When properly managed, airspeed control on downwind, base, then final can ensure a smooth landing. If the airspeed is too high, it can lead to floating, a long landing roll, or even a bounced or porpoised landing, potentially causing damage to the aircraft. On the other hand, if the airspeed is too low, it may result in a stall, where the aircraft loses lift and control. Overall, airspeed is a crucial element of landings that student pilots need to maintain awareness of. 

Study for the Ground, or Be Grounded 

According to Cowherd, most students with an unsatisfactory pre-solo evaluation occur during ground testing, preflight, run-up, or taxiing, rather than anything in the air. The rush and excitement of flying can sometimes lead students to allocate more studying and focus on flying rather than ground knowledge, but it's just as important to know factors like weather, standard operating procedures, emergency action items, and relevant laws and regulations regarding solo flight. Being thorough and detail-oriented are virtues of strong pilots, and rushing through the checklists can prevent you from getting signed off to solo. Take your time, especially with checklists, so you can focus and perform.  

Kelsey Anderson, freshman in the OSU Pilot Program and a member of Women in Aviation at Oklahoma State, poses with her decorated shirt after her first solo

Time to Cut Your Tail Feathers 

While everyone's flight training process is different, if you passed your ground and flight evaluations, you know the traffic pattern and aircraft-specific landing procedures by-heart, and during practice your CFI is giving little to no corrections, it sounds like you're ready to solo. It really is one of the biggest milestones in your aviation career, and it's likely a day you'll never forget. Oh, and bring a shirt you don't mind getting cut... 

The solo not only represents that you are well on your way through your Private training, but in the days where flight training was conducted in tandem aircraft rather than side-by-side, and prior to headset technology allowing for better communication, the instructor would tug on the student's shirt in front of them. Often times, after the first solo, the back of the shirt is cut off by the instructor to symbolize that the trainee no longer needs the instructor to fly, and therefore has their "tail feathers" cut off.  

Safe travels on your journey to soloing and be sure to stay tuned for next month's edition of Ask a CFI! 

Mags Off, 

The Flying Cowgirls  

Written by: Sydney Skinner