Solo Endorsements: Understanding Basic Solo Requirements

Nicolas Shelton

Knowing about endorsements you're giving or receiving is essential. If you're an instructor, you'll want to be well informed about what you're signing. And as a student, you should know what is going on in YOUR logbook.

But with so many regulations and changes, it can be easy to get confused. So let's streamline the basic solo endorsements.

Knowing your Resources

Your best resource for questions about pilot endorsements is Advisory Circular 61-65. At the time of writing, it's AC 61-65H, but check to make sure a new one hasn't been issued.

There are also easy apps to help keep track of your student's endorsements. Check out 'CFI Pilot Checklist' on the AppStore. You can add multiple student profiles, and keep track of their training and endorsements.

While this is a great resource to crosscheck yourself, it isn't a substitute for proper recordkeeping (more on that later), and you should still understand endorsements yourself.

FAA

Training Required for Solo Flight

Before you put pen to paper to sign a solo endorsement you'll need to provide aeronautical knowledge and flight training to your student.

Aeronautical Knowledge 61.87 (b)

A test administered by you (the student's authorized instructor) must address

Airspace rules and procedures for the airport they will be soloing
Flight characteristics
AND ANY APPLICABLE SECTIONS OF PART 61 & 91

It's the responsibility of the student's authorized instructor to determine any relevant regulations and provide training to the student. Remember, your student is acting as PIC for the first time, so they'll need to know any regulations they will be expected to comply with while operating as PIC.

Once you've administered this test, you'll review all incorrect answers with the student before they fly solo.

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Flight Training 61.87 (c)/(d)

Before you send your student on their solo flight, there is a reasonable expectation that your student is proficient and can fly safely. This judgment is placed on the "authorized instructor."

FAR 61.87 (d) lays the framework of maneuvers your student should receive training on (assuming ASEL).

Proper flight preparation procedures, including preflight planning and preparation, powerplant operation, and aircraft systems;

Taxiing or surface operations, including runups;

Takeoffs and landings, including normal and crosswind;

Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions;

Climbs and climbing turns;

Airport traffic patterns, including entry and departure procedures;

Collision avoidance, windshear avoidance, and wake turbulence avoidance;

Descents, with and without turns, using high and low drag configurations;

Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight;

Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall;

Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions;

Ground reference maneuvers;

Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions;

Slips to a landing; and

Go-arounds.

Endorsements Required

You've provided the required training, and your student is ready to safely solo. Now it's time to get the pen out. Here's a list of endorsements you'll need to make.

Essential Endorsements:

Pre-Solo Knowledge 61.87 (b)

Pre-Solo Flight Training 61.87(c)

Initial Solo 61.87 (n)

As Needed Endorsements:

Each additional 90 calendar-day period 61.87(p)

Solo Flight at Night 61.87 (o)

Take-Offs and Landings at an Airport within 25nm 61.93 (b)(1)

Solo in Class B 61.87 (a) and/or (b)

Examples of each endorsement can be found in Appendix A of AC 61-65H.

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Recordkeeping

Students just need to keep their endorsements. And unless you're flying a solo cross-country flight you don't legally have to carry your logbook with your endorsements while flying (FAR 61.51 (i)(2)).

As an instructor, you'll want to keep a record of who you've endorsed for solo flights as well as the date for at least 3 years (FAR 61.189 (b)(c)).

With so many regulations, endorsements can be intimidating. But by using the regs as a checklist, you can stay legal.