Are Student Pilots Prohibited From Doing Stalls on Solo Flights?

It’s really a matter of checking on whether your CFI will allow them.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A student pilot being guided through flight by an instructor. [Credit: Unsplash]

Key Takeaways:

A student pilot's solo restrictions on maneuvers like stalls or ground references are not related to the Part 141 modernization initiative.
FAA regulations (14 CFR § 61.87) generally permit student pilots to conduct these maneuvers solo if they have received the required training and appropriate endorsement.
However, pilot schools and individual instructors can establish additional solo limitations beyond FAA minimums, based on curriculum structure, safety considerations, or assessments of student proficiency.
These specific solo limitations, which may include weather or crosswind limits, are explicitly detailed by the instructor in the student's logbook endorsement.

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Question: I am a student pilot who just soloed. My CFI told me I could practice everything we’d done together except for stalls and ground reference maneuvers. Is this because the FAA doesn’t allow student pilots to do them solo as part of the Part 141 modernization initiative?

Answer: According to the FAA, “this is not related to the Part 141 modernization initiative. Students can conduct stalls and ground reference maneuvers during solo flight if they have received the required training and hold the appropriate endorsement from an authorized instructor under 14 CFR § 61.87.”