Respect the Limitations of the Solo

Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 07:32 AM ET

Verified

You have just been entrusted with an airplane—that's an awesome privilege that you worked hard to get. [File photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

While the student pilot is the pilot in command, the endorsing flight instructor (CFI) bears significant responsibility for their solo operations, making clear communication and strict adherence to endorsement limitations crucial.
Solo endorsements specify aircraft-specific and weather limitations, and students must also comply with additional operational rules set by flight schools, which often exceed FAA minimums for safety and liability.
CFIs are obligated to protect themselves and others by ensuring students understand and follow all rules, and they retain the authority to void a solo endorsement if a student demonstrates hazardous attitudes, poor judgment, or fails to comply with limitations.

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Federal aviation regulation (FAR) 91.3 states: “The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft.”

It seems pretty straight forward—unless the PIC is a student pilot on a solo flight, and they are flying on the endorsement of their flight instructor. If the student PIC makes a bad decision that results in an FAR violation, or an incident or accident, you better believe their CFI is going to hear about it.