Student Solo Limitations

J

JordanD

Here so I don’t get fined
What are some of you guys putting in the limitations part of your student's solo endorsements? Mine are pretty strict (for good reason) but I'd like to get a feel for something standardized rather than a number I just pulled out of my ass.
 
It's going to be different for every student. Some students get really good XW practice before they solo and others have never seen over 5 kts of wind. Same thing goes for reduced vis.
 
When I was a CFI my flight school had student solo mins. This was the absolute minimum that we were required to put on their endorsement but could make them more restrictive if we deemed necessary. I think it was somewhere along the lines of 6 miles vis, 10 knot crosswind, 3000' ceiling, no night.
 
May not work for all situations, but... "Prior instructor approval." That way you can discuss the conditions, practice ADM, and know when your students are going up.
 
TOGA9 said:
May not work for all situations, but... "Prior instructor approval." That way you can discuss the conditions, practice ADM, and know when your students are going up.
Click to expand...
That's probably a good blanket limitation since I make them call me anyway.
 
There is really no good reason to allow solo students to fly in strong winds unless you live in an area where strong winds are so predominant that they would ever fly. If they want to sharpen their crosswind skills they can do it with an instructor, the side benefit being that the instructor can evaluate and critique.
 
Yup, I do a standard >5 miles vis, > 3000 ft ceiling, <15 kts wind, < 5 knots x-wind.
I don't generally tighten that down, if they can't solo in those condidtions, then I don't want them soloing on my endorsement.
 
TOGA9 said:
May not work for all situations, but... "Prior instructor approval." That way you can discuss the conditions, practice ADM, and know when your students are going up.
Click to expand...

Any repeated xtry endorsements I give have "instructor approval" listed. The rest are typically >3k ceiling & 12kts xwind
 
5sm vis, 5000 ft ceilings, 5 kt crosswind component and clear of clouds for initial solo's. I bump up the cross wind and lower the ceilings when they get to x-countries and they become more "self-aware" of what they can and can't do. We don't get a lot of wind in GA so I keep it pretty low. It all depends on the student though.
 
I just write "instructors dispatch only". Works out best, because it allows me to make the call, based on the current conditions.
 
Our school doesn't allow solo flights to practice touch n goes. As a blanket of protection, I put that as a restriction "Landings must be full stop taxi backs." In our 141 environment we have a personal minimums form, this is where I restrict their weather minimums for what they're allowed to fly in.
 
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