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 student pilots are technically the pilot in command (PIC) during solo flights, their flight instructors (CFIs) share significant responsibility for their actions due to issuing the solo endorsement.
CFIs must clearly define and document solo flight limitations in the student's logbook, covering aspects like weather, aircraft type, and specific flight school rules, all of which students are legally and ethically obligated to adhere to.
CFIs are accountable for their endorsements and protect themselves by ensuring students follow instructions and limitations, possessing the authority to void a solo endorsement if a student violates rules, acts unsafely, or exhibits hazardous attitudes.

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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.