| Your Pre- Solo Training is the first Part of your Private | | | | you are at a school that is going through flight |
| Pilot License Training. In order for you to solo you have | | | | instructors left and right, you can expect having |
| to be instructed and be found " COMPETENT" in the | | | | different instructors. This turns out to be more money. |
| areas listed in the Student Pilot Regulations of the | | | | Once again the reason I tell people to plan things out |
| FAA. I Have them listed in the Private Pilot License | | | | ahead of time. |
| Requirements in my other articles. | | | | I will use an aircraft rate of $120 Per hour For a C-172 |
| Now there are 15 Aeronautical Experience areas that | | | | and $45 for the Instructor Since that is what I charge. |
| need to be covered and you need to be proficient at | | | | You will find many different rates in different areas of |
| them. I am finding two different types of students have | | | | the countries so just use my numbers as a guide for |
| two different ideas about soloing. | | | | you. I have put 1.5 hours of solo time in here since your |
| The Younger Student: The younger students want to | | | | first and second solo should be close to this. If you are |
| get soloed as fast as possible. | | | | not ready to solo you will pick it up later on. |
| The Older Students: I have a lot of students who are | | | | 17 Hours Dual Instruction @ $165 Per Hour |
| my age or older. These students are going after their | | | | 1.5 Hours Solo @ $120.00 Per Hour |
| life long dream but are now in the phase of their life | | | | 5 Hours Ground Instruction @ $45 Per hour ( Flight |
| were they don't want to do anything stupid. In these | | | | Instructor ) |
| cases the student doesn't really care about soloing. So | | | | Total Dual Instruction $2805.00 |
| I move them ahead and go through the cross country | | | | Total Solo Time $180.00 |
| phase. I have had many older students that get to | | | | Total Ground Instruction $225.00 |
| about 30 hours, I have completed almost everything | | | | TOTAL $3210.00 |
| with them and finally say, " It is time to get out there on | | | | Now you want to remember this should be close with |
| your own" At this time they go do all of their solo time. | | | | a dedicated flight instructor and flying on a regular |
| Then we come back and finish up with the flight test | | | | basis. I would suggest 4 lessons per week. If you are |
| preparation. | | | | not ready to solo, you should ask your instructor to |
| In Either case if the student is not ready to solo I move | | | | move you forward. Most people have problems with |
| them forward. | | | | landings so there is no reason not to move forward |
| For the purpose of this article I just add up the cost for | | | | with the rest of the requirements because each flight |
| you to get up to that phase of your training. If you are | | | | you have to land. You will get the lightbulb to come on |
| not ready to solo I just move on to the Post Solo | | | | soon or later. Many times you will find that if you stop |
| Requirements. | | | | focusing on just landings you will start to get them nice |
| If you take a look at the requirements you can see | | | | and smooth. |
| that there are 15 areas that you have to be instructed | | | | One other thing you want to remember is you are not |
| in and it has to be logged in your logbook with an | | | | the only person in the world who has problems in |
| instructors signature. I always tell students not to focus | | | | certain areas. Most students in general have the same |
| on the solo. You want to focus on being a safe pilot | | | | problems and usually it is landings. Don't let it bother |
| and getting your Private Pilot License done on | | | | you, you have been driving a car all your life and it |
| schedule and on a budget. | | | | takes a very long time to break the habits. |
| Now in my syllabus I have 13 Flights to cover these | | | | Soloing is a great milestone but you want to |
| areas with the addition of a Spin Entries Lesson and a | | | | remember that your main goal is to be a safe and |
| Review Flight. In know that spin entries are not required | | | | confident pilot. I always ask students, would you rather |
| but years back I had a student get himself into a spin. | | | | solo in 10 hours or would you rather be prepared to |
| Since then I try and show every student spin entries | | | | handle any emergency that came up. You are dealing |
| and recoveries. | | | | with a machine and sometimes no matter how well |
| All of this training adds up to about 17 hours and 3-5 | | | | maintained they are, they are going to break. |
| hours of ground instruction. Now you have to | | | | Your goal is to "FLY THE PLANE" and handle the |
| remember that is me. If you have a good dedicated | | | | emergency so you can make it to happy hour. |
| instructor, you should be somewhere close to this. If | | | | |