Endorsements Question?
 

I have a student doing a cross country solo tomorrow. I have not yet endorsed him for cross country solo. He is planning to leave early in the morning, my question is as follows:

Is it legal for him to scan his flight plan and send it to me to review, then for me to fax or email him back his endorsements and for him to print them out and stick them in his logbook / student pilot certificate?

Anyone know?

I wouldn't send him off without an original signature in his log book and student pilot cert. You can't do that via fax or email.

Yes, I think the regs would require an original signature. Flight instruction benefits from a high-degree of supervision. In that sort of situation I would have reviewed/endorsed it all the day before, included specific written Wx limitations in the endorsement, and had the student call me before he departed to discuss wx/notams.

There are some that say even that wouldn't be legal. Face to face same day as the flight.

Caveat Aviator.

You must review the student's cross-country planning and determine his/her readiness to perform the flight under the known conditions - whether you can do so without face to face interaction is open to interpretation.

Whether you are in a Part 141 environment also makes a difference as in the case of a 141 Private Pilot student the Part 141 instructor MUST be at the airport the ENTIRE time of the solo flight.