Solo sign off

[Dazzler]

To CFIs...

After you have signed-off a student to solo, do you restrict them to remain in the pattern at their home airport to practice solo takeoffs and landings only, and then at a later date allow them to fly to a practice area to practice maneuvers too?

Or do you consider the solo sign-off to allow them to fly to the practice area immediately after solo?

[CamYZ125]

The way we do it at my school: We have two supervised solos, I do 3 trips around the pattern with the student, then they can do a few after dropping me off. Then they have one (maybe two? I don't remember right now) unsupervised solos in the pattern, and then they have a solo or two to the practice area. Baby steps. Can in be done differently? Sure, but that's how we do it.

[dc3flyer]

When I was an instructor I would always limit students to the pattern for the first 2 solos. Then we would do another dual to the practice area just for a confidence thing, then I would turn them loose. I just made sure that I was always around when they soloed and that I knew what they were doing (ha, ha, ha). I would tell thiem things to practice, but you know how solos go!

[jrh]

LEGALLY I consider the solo sign off to let them go to the practice area, because legally that's what it is. Unless I write a restriction to the pattern as an official "limitation" on their solo endorsement, they can go fly whereever they want within 25 nautical miles of the home airport. I won't sign somebody off until I'm comfortable with them soloing in the practice area.

Practically speaking though, I ask them to stay in the pattern on the first flight. Also, I don't put any restriction on the number of takeoffs and landings. I tell them three is a good traditional number, but if they want to only do one, that's fine, and if they want to do 15, that's fine too--I know they can handle it, and they're the one in charge.

[MidlifeFlyer]

After the first supervised solo (sometimes 2) in the pattern, I usually ask my students to do 3 solo flights. One will be in the pattern, but the second needs to be to the practice area, even if it's just there and back to know that they can. The third needs to be maneuvers.

I want them to feel comfortable with that before we go to the cross-country phase.

[PanJet]

Originally Posted by Dazzler

After you have signed-off a student to solo, do you restrict them to remain in the pattern at their home airport to practice solo takeoffs and landings only, and then at a later date allow them to fly to a practice area to practice maneuvers too?

Unless you write a restriction on the endorsement, a solo endorsement is your telling the FAA that you believe that student is ready to solo within all of the boundaries of solo student pilots, which includes flying anywhere within 25 nm of the airport listed in the endorsement (assuming there's no Class B within 25 miles, but that's a different endorsement and a different story).

Like most of the other instructors said, traditionally speaking the first flight is in the pattern, but legally there's nothing stopping that student from jetting off to the practice area once you sign them off (other than probably a tongue lashing from his/her CFI and the chief pilot).

[nosehair]

No, it's not traditional to write-in all the restrictions we place on students, either verbally or by school policy. Sometimes, with an individual student, a cross-wind limt may be written in, but mostly, it's done by local/individual policy. Since the school or individual instructor owns the airplane in most cases, the student can't get the keys under certain conditions.

But the sign-off, with no restrictions allows the student to fly anytime anywhere within 25 nm.

I always treat sign-offs as if the person owns the airplane. He personally needs to know his priveleges and limits, and not rely on "school policy".