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:

Inspired by a challenging flight experience, the author, as a CFI, emphasizes the critical need to prepare solo learners for unexpected situations like sudden weather changes or home airport closures.
The author's best practice involves training and endorsing pre-solo learners for flight to at least two auxiliary airports within 25 miles, ensuring familiarity with these alternate fields.
This approach, validated by student successes in real-world diversions, equips learners with the necessary skills and options to safely navigate unforeseen circumstances.

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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.