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PhantomAir 05-25-2007 01:40 AM

The true definition of "Solo" flight
 
There is a lot of discrepancy in this subject, but flying "Solo" according to F.A.R 61.87 applies towards students and does not mention licensed pilots. But it states that you must be the sole occupant of the aircraft to classify being solo, even though your girlfriend or your dog does not know how to fly the airplane.

Does anybody know about this? Can you log solo time if your passenger does not have a clue as to how to fly the airplane? :confused:

WEACLRS 05-25-2007 05:58 AM


Originally Posted by PhantomAir (Post 170701)
There is a lot of discrepancy in this subject, but flying "Solo" according to F.A.R 61.87 applies towards students and does not mention licensed pilots. But it states that you must be the sole occupant of the aircraft to classify being solo, even though your girlfriend or your dog does not know how to fly the airplane.

Does anybody know about this? Can you log solo time if your passenger does not have a clue as to how to fly the airplane? :confused:

You must be the sole occupant. It's actually defined in 61.51(d) Logging of solo flight time. "...a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft." Your dog doesn't count, but your girlfriend would, even if she doesn't know anything about flying.

MikeInTx 05-25-2007 06:12 AM


Originally Posted by PhantomAir (Post 170701)
even though your dog does not know how to fly the airplane.

Hey my dog is actually pretty good
:D

de727ups 05-25-2007 07:46 AM

You can be the only one in the plane. If you're a student pilot, it's illegal to have anyone else in the plane. (and unethical, I think)(and the insurance company wouldn't pay)(and if you were my student, I'd drop you like rock).

There is something about logging solo in a twin even though your CFI is onboard, I think, for insurance reasons.

MikeInTx 05-25-2007 07:50 AM

I have heard a few commercial students as well as a CFI at my school mention that during their commercial training when they were supposed to be on solo cross countries, they stopped and picked up friends/family at small airstrips along the route...is this technically against the rules?

Slice 05-25-2007 07:54 AM

Are you hinting at logging solo even though you have your PPL? The only time to ever log anything in the solo column is solo flight, before you are a licensed pilot. It's not cool to carry folks before you are supposed to. It certainly has been done before but shows a lack of maturity and judgment.

MikeInTx 05-25-2007 08:03 AM


Originally Posted by Slice (Post 170831)
Are you hinting at logging solo even though you have your PPL? The only time to ever log anything in the solo column is solo flight, before you are a licensed pilot. It's not cool to carry folks before you are supposed to. It certainly has been done before but shows a lack of maturity and judgment.

Agreed...only a complete jack-ass would carry passengers as a student pilot...i was referring to folks with at least a PPL picking up people to share the experience of the cross-country flight required for training, and then logging it as a solo flight...

PhantomAir 05-25-2007 11:05 AM


Originally Posted by WEACLRS (Post 170770)
You must be the sole occupant. It's actually defined in 61.51(d) Logging of solo flight time. "...a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft." Your dog doesn't count, but your girlfriend would, even if she doesn't know anything about flying.

Thanks. I guess I would have found that out if I would have just turned back a few pages :D

Slice 05-25-2007 11:18 AM


Originally Posted by MikeInTx (Post 170835)
Agreed...only a complete jack-ass would carry passengers as a student pilot...i was referring to folks with at least a PPL picking up people to share the experience of the cross-country flight required for training, and then logging it as a solo flight...

Sorry, I was referring to post # 1. My point being (PhantomAir)if you already have a PPL there's no reason to ever use the solo column to log time in powered fixed wing airplanes.

the King 05-25-2007 02:23 PM

You can log it as solo (provided you are indeed alone), but like Slice said, it doesn't really have any value.


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