Always Be Prepared to Divert to Another Airport

Training to land within 25 miles of your home field starts before the first solo.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 10:48 AM ET

Verified

The FARs allow a learner to be endorsed for solo at airports within 25 nm of their home airport provided the CFI has given them training to and from these alternate airports as well as in the traffic pattern. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

A CFI recounts how a personal experience as a student pilot, encountering unexpected IFR conditions in a VFR-only plane, underscored the critical importance of preparing learners for unforeseen flight challenges.
This led the CFI to implement a practice of providing training and solo endorsements for at least two auxiliary airports within 25 miles of the home field *before* a student's first solo flight.
This pre-solo preparation, including scenario-based knowledge tests, ensures learners are equipped to safely handle emergencies like rapid weather changes or primary airport closures, as demonstrated by successful student diversions.

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Most of us learn from our mistakes. That includes CFIs who, as freshly soloed learners, had an experience that taught them to make sure their learners would be better prepared if they encountered a similar challenge.

For me it was the importance of providing training so the learners could fly to airports within 25 miles of their home field. This training is done before their first solo. After the first solo, I endorse them for solo flight to these auxiliary fields. This is just in case something goes sideways and they can’t land at home.