1. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS
GUIDE FOR SOLOING A
STUDENT PILOT

2. THE STUDENT MUST PERFORM ALL REQUIRED MANEUVERS AND PROCEDURES IN A
SAFE AND PROFICIENT MANNER

3. FOR A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE:
1. PREFLIGHT PREP.
CERTIFICATES & DOCUMENTS
PILOT AND AIRPLANE
AIRPLANE AIRWORTHINESS
WEATHER INFORMATION
NATIONAL AIRSPACE

4. PERFORMANCE AND LIMITATIONS
OPERATION OF SYSTEMS
AEROMEDICAL FACTORS
PREFLIGHT INSPECTION
COCKPIT MANAGEMENT
ENGINE STARTING

5. 2. TAXI AND RUNUP
3. TAKEOFF AND LDG:
NORMAL & CROSSWIND
STABILIZED DESCENTS
4. STRAIGHT & LEVEL, TURNS
5. CLIMBS & TURNS
6. AIRPORT PATTERNS
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
ATC LIGHT SIGNALS

6. 7. COLLISION, WINDSHEAR, WAKE AVOID
8. DESCENT, TURNS, VARIOUS CONFIG
9. SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE / SLOW FLT
10. STALLS:
POWER ON
POWER OFF
FULL STALLS AND FIRST BUFFET

7. 11. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND
EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS
12. GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS
TURNS AROUND A POINT
‘S’ TURNS
RECTANGULAR COURSE
13. APPROACHES W/ ENGINE FAIL

8. 13. APPROACHES TO A LANDING
AREA WITH SIMULATED ENGINE
MALFUNCTIONS.
PARTIAL AND COMPLETE POWER
LOSS.

9. 14. SLIPS TO A LANDING
RIGHT AND LEFT
GO – AROUNDS
FAR (D)

10. TO WHAT STANDARDS ?

11. I CERTIFY MY STUDENT CAN SAFELY AND PROFICIENTLY PERFOM ALL THE
REQUIRED MANEUVERS AND
PROCEDURES AS STATED IN THE
REGULATIONS,
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE.

12. IF MY ASSISTANCE IS
REQUIRED, MY STUDENT
IS NOT READY TO SOLO

13. DECISIONS FOR EVERY SOLO
MY STUDENT MUST MAKE
COMPETENT GO / NO-GO
DECISIONS FOR EVERY SOLO
FLIGHT WITHOUT MY
ASSISTANCE.

14. THE STUDENT MUST BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF ALL
OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE TRAFFIC
PATTERN BY SIGHT AND / OR RADIO
WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.

15. MY STUDENT MUST BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A STABLE APPROACH TO
A POINT AND DETERMINE WHEN A
GO-AROUND IS REQUIRED AND
EXECUTE IT WITHOUT DELAY AND
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE

16. THE STUDENT MUST BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WIND DIRECTION AND
VERBALIZE PROPER AILERION / RUDDER
INPUT AS REQUIRED AND THEN EXECUTE
THE LANDING TO A COMPLETE STOP
(ON THE CENTERLINE)
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE

18. THE STUDENT MUST BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE AIRPLANES ENERGY
(SPEED) RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE
RUNNING OUT OF AIRSPEED AND
ALTITUDE OVER THE POINT OF
INTENDED TOUCHDOWN
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE

19. THE STUDENT MUST LAND AT THE PROPER PITCH ATTITUDE AND
MAINTAIN POSITIVE PITCH CONTROL
THROUGHOUT THE LANDING TO
A FULL STOP.

22. MY STUDENT MUST MAINTAIN PROPER CONTROL THROUGHOUT THE LANDING
UNTIL THE AIRPLANE IS STOPPED.
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE

23. THE #1 ACCIDENT / INCIDENT CAUSE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, “LOSS OF
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON TAKEOFF
OR LANDING.” NTSB RECORDS

24. MY STUDENT MUST BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL
DURING TAKEOFF AND LANDING
WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE. THE
LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE AIRPLANE
IS PARALLEL AND OVER THE
CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY.

25. THE CENTERLINE ALWAYS REMAINS BETWEEN THE MAIN LANDING GEAR
WHEELS. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHES
DOWN WITHIN 100 FEET OF THE
SELECTED TOUCHDOWN POINT.

26. NO SIDE LOAD ON THE GEAR.

28. MY STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO POSITIVELY AND CORRECTLY RESPOND
TO ANY ABNORMALITY OR
EMERGENCY DURING TRAFFIC
PATTERN OPERATION
WITHOUT MY ASSISTANCE.

29. MY STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER TRAFFIC
AND / OR ATC WITHOUT MY
ASSISTANCE.

30. MY STUDENT WILL USE PROPER RADIO PHRASEOLOGY. THE REPORT WILL BE :
WHO YOU ARE ; WHERE YOU ARE ;
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

31. MY STUDENT WILL NOT USE: “ ANY TRAFFIC IN THE AREA REPORT
IN,” “CESSNA LEAVING THE AREA
LAST CALL.”

32. WHEN I HAVE DETERMINED MY STUDENTS TRAINING IS COMPLETE
AND DOCUMENTED, MEETS THE
STANDARDS FOR SOLO, AND I HAVE
COMPLETED THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES
REQUIRED FOR SOLO AND SIGNED
THE STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE
MY STUDENT CAN SOLO!!!

33. DID YOU BRIEF YOUR STUDENT ON THE DIFFERENT FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
OF THE AIRPLANE
WITHOUT YOUR WEIGHT?

34. PILOT CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENT
SOLO CHECKLIST
PRESOLO TEST ENTRY
TRAINING COMPLETE
LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT
PILOT CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENT
SOLO FLIGHT BRIEF.
SAFE AND PROFICIENT

35. I WILL SUPERVISE EVERY
SOLO FLIGHT OF MY
STUDENT