Buzo
Well-Known Member
Here is the answer to the question when asked on the FAA part 61 FAQ page.
QUESTION -6. Must the solo X/C described in 61.129(a)(4) be as "sole occupant" as defined in
61.51(d) --i.e., alone in the aircraft? Suppose a person did a X/C trip as a PVT that fulfills the rule in
every other respect, except s/he was carrying non-pilot passengers --his/her children, for example.
Wasn't that pilot "alone" for all practical purposes (decision-making, flight planning and execution, etc.).
Mightn't it be argued that such experience is actually MORE valuable than being physically alone in the
airplane, since it adds to the mix elements of responsibility and pressure --and the implied the ability
to manage those factors-- that wouldn't otherwise be there?
ANSWER-6:[§61.129(a)(4) It says "SOLO" and we intended it to be "SOLO." So if a person has his
or her grandmother, brothers, aunts, or uncles on board, he was not solo. IT HAS TO BE DONE SOLO
QUESTION -6. Must the solo X/C described in 61.129(a)(4) be as "sole occupant" as defined in
61.51(d) --i.e., alone in the aircraft? Suppose a person did a X/C trip as a PVT that fulfills the rule in
every other respect, except s/he was carrying non-pilot passengers --his/her children, for example.
Wasn't that pilot "alone" for all practical purposes (decision-making, flight planning and execution, etc.).
Mightn't it be argued that such experience is actually MORE valuable than being physically alone in the
airplane, since it adds to the mix elements of responsibility and pressure --and the implied the ability
to manage those factors-- that wouldn't otherwise be there?
ANSWER-6:[§61.129(a)(4) It says "SOLO" and we intended it to be "SOLO." So if a person has his
or her grandmother, brothers, aunts, or uncles on board, he was not solo. IT HAS TO BE DONE SOLO