|
Preparing
for the First Solo
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Definition | Required Exercises | Emergency Procedures | PSTAR | Radiotelephony Certificate
| School-Specific Paperwork |
Medical | Identification
| Age | Student
Pilot Permit | Skill Level | Conditions | How
Long? | Stories
What is the First Solo
The "first solo" is the first time a student flies the airplane
without
the flight instructor, or anyone else, on board. Many people are
surprised
to learn that occurs before completion of training. Students
attach
a huge importance to their first solo, and many pilots remember it in
sharp
detail even after many years of other flying.
There is no minimum instruction time requirement for a first solo in
Canada.
When you have completed all the pre-solo requirements, and your
instructor
feels you are ready, he or she will have you land, get out, and send
you
flying on your own. At most schools, the first solo is just one
circuit:
one take-off, about five minutes in the air, and then a landing. As the
training
continues, students go on longer solos, even to other airports.
Pre-Solo Requirements
Required
Exercises
It's obvious that to fly solo, you must be able to take off and land,
but
you must also be able to cope with a number of specified situations.
You must
be able to avoid, recognize and recover from stalls, spins,
and spiral dives. You must know how to execute an overshoot,
a crosswind landing, and a runway change. And you must
memorize
and be able to demonstrate the correct procedures in the case of emergencies
such as an engine failure, a fire or a communications
failure. Your instructor will initial the front of your PTR as you
complete
each item.
Emergency
Procedures
Memorizing the emergency procedures is part of the required exercises
described
above, but I am listing it as a separate item, because it is something
you
can do on your own. If you have not been given an emergency checklist
for
the airplane you fly (it may be on the back of the normal checklist),
you
can find the emergency procedures listed in the aircraft flight manual.
Ask
your instructor to explain anything you don't understand, then memorize
them.
It is more important that you memorize the actions than the
words.
Some students practise them by sitting in the airplane on the ground
with
the engine turned off, and putting their hand on each required control
in
the sequence.
PSTAR
The PSTAR is a multiple
choice written
test of air law and basic procedures. Everything you need to prepare
for
it is on this website in Robyn's
Improved PSTAR
Study Guide.
Radiotelephone Operator's
Certificate
If the airplanes you fly are radio-equipped, you will need to earn a
Radiotelephone
Operator's Certificate. To do this, study the guide
from Industry Canada
and then write the exam your school has for you. The exam is terrible
and
annoying, but you only need to get 70 percent on it. There are some
questions
on the exam that aren't covered by the study guide for the Aeronautical
certificate,
but are only present in the general
guide. Look at the section on lead acid
storge batteries near the end of this guide. If
the
Industry Canada site is unavailable, try this copy,
from Smithers Secondary School.
Some schools do not administer the exam, and award the certificate
based
on instructor recommendation. Ask your instructor before you invest the
study time.
School-Specific Paperwork
Your school may require you to complete some additional paperwork or
exams
in order for you to be covered on their insurance as a pilot.
Usually you will have to complete and sign a rental contract, agreeing
to
operate the aircraft only in accordance with the procedures and laws
you have
been taught, and to pay the deductable if you damage it. You will
probably
also write a small test, using the aircraft POH, to show you know how
to find
the important speeds, carry out emergency procedures, and calculate
required
take-off and landing distances.
Some schools have a local area knowledge test, to ensure that you
will
remain clear of restricted areas and busy control zones, and know which
frequencies
to use.
Your flight instructor should be able to tell you what other paperwork
you
must complete before solo.
Medical
A pilot's medical certificate is possibly his or her most valuable
possession.
It's a small beige piece of paper certifying that he or she meets the
physical
standards required to be a flight crew member. You need to have one of
your
own before you fly solo, and you must have it with you every time you
fly
an airplane. The six digit number on your medical certificate is your
Transport
Canada file number, and will become your pilot licence number for all
your
licences in Canada.
Don't wait! Start the process
of
getting a medical right away.
Identification
You must show the school a valid (non-expired) passport OR Birth
Certificate
OR a Citizenship card that has a photograph of you. If you do not have
any
of the required documents you will have to obtain one. This Government
of Canada
webpage gives information on how to obtain one of these documents.
A
drivers licence is NOT enough.
Age
You must be fourteen years old to fly solo. Some students
start flight
training at twelve or thirteen, and then fly solo on their fourteenth
birthdays.
There is no maximum age. If you are under 18 you will need a letter of
permission
from your parents.
Student
Pilot Permit
After all the exercises are complete and all the paperwork has been
gathered,
an authorized person can issue you with a student pilot permit. Your
flight
instructor knows where to find (or might be) an authorized person. All
you
have to do is check that your information is correct, and sign the
permit,
when it is ready. You must be carrying a student pilot permit with you
on
all solo flights.
Skill
Level
Your instructor will not get out until you personally are ready to fly
solo.
You wil be pilot in command for that flight, so you yourself must also
agree
that you are ready. Don't feel pressured. If you turn down the first
opportunity,
your flight instructor will work with you until you feel ready.
Conditions
Your instructor wants your first solo to be a safe, enjoyable
experience,
so even if you are ready to solo, you probably won't on a day when the
weather
could make you anxious or make aircraft control more challenging. If
the circuit
is extremely busy with traffic and the air traffic controllers are
starting
to scream at people and tear their hair, it may not be the best time to
launch
a student pilot. Don't worry, though: it WILL happen.
How Long Will It Take?
Everyone always wants to know this. My best answer is "it
depends."
For an amusing look at the factors affecting the time before you
fly
solo, have a look at the Dauntless
Software Time to Solo Calculator. It's based on American
requirements,
so some of the questions are not applicable in Canada.
Delays in solos due to weather are common. I have personally seen
student
solos delayed by crosswinds, terrorist attacks, illness, delayed
medical,
low clouds, an instructor who couldn't fly because he slammed his hand
in
the door of a Learjet, mechanical problems with the aircraft, fog, a
lost
birth certificate, and students who were otherwise ready to fly solo
just
having a bad day.
First
Solo Stories
I am working on a page with accounts of first solos. I'd love to hear
yours.
Robyn's Flying Start
Home
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Training
Process
This page written 10 December 2002 by Robyn
Stewart. Last revised 9 August 2004.
Copyright
2003-2004 Flying
Start Initiatives
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