The Things You Need to Know Before You Solo

Learning to fly an airplane is not like learning to drive a forklift or a stick shift.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 08:20 AM ET

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Being ready for your first solo takes a lot more than you might think. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Student pilots must thoroughly understand and meet the comprehensive aeronautical knowledge and skill requirements outlined in FAR Part 61.87 before soloing.
The pre-solo knowledge test is geographically specific, covers flight characteristics and operational limitations, and must be administered by the instructor who reviews all incorrect answers.
Instructors bear significant responsibility for a student's actions after solo endorsement and expect students to take ownership of their training, following a syllabus, rather than rushing the process.
Rushing pre-solo training or failing to grasp site-specific knowledge can lead to safety incidents and regulatory issues for the endorsing instructor.

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As a student pilot you don’t know what you don’t know. There is so much information coming at you, so many skills to learn, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and buried—especially when it comes to what you need to know before your first solo.

Your instructor will appreciate it if you take ownership of your training by insisting on and following a syllabus. The first part of the syllabus will consist of tasks listed under FAR Part 61.87—the aeronautical knowledge and skills required for solo flight.