Emir wrote:
It’s the question I always ask my friends who are instructors: How can you be sure that the student is capable of doing this?
Three consistently safe approaches and landings with no interference from me.
Last weekend I signed off my first student to go on his solo XC. I think the one who was terrified was me!
chrisparker wrote:
Three consistently safe approaches and landings with no interference from me.
If I was instructor I would indefinitely fly with my students 
The first solo is a massive milestone for students confidence, self decision making and sortie management – delaying it is massively destructive to progress and overall hours to licence. I have picked up countless students where the confidence of their instructors has delayed their solo and solo consolidation hours and their progress overall has been dragged out.
Equally, if the student is conditioned to ‘expect’ a first solo on a particular sortie their performance on the dual bit is guaranteed to go downhill fast as they start thinking ahead and get distracted / stressed – as an FI you make the decision depending on performance and environmental factors (weather, traffic etc…) as the sortie progresses, hence it is entirely appropriate to only authorise first solo to the student mid sortie. In sending hundreds of first solos I’ve only had one refusals to go so far!
I really enjoyed my first solo. The instructor I had at the time was very “hands on”…
But evidently some find it very stressful. OTOH maybe that may be a conditioned response. Many years ago, possibly around the time the woman I met was doing her PPL, there was a TV series called Air Show – mentioned here. One of the presenters was a woman who acted out a totally-nervous-wreck first solo. I didn’t think it showed GA in a good light for attracting customers…
A motorcycling friend had an engine failure on his first solo, years ago, and landed off airport… I might not have believed his story but others confirmed it. His father in law owned the FBO. He and his wife are both psychologists and I hope that helped him deal with it!
My first solo was on my 16th birthday, in the early evening, smooth air on a warm day. I remember the plane jumping into the air, and singing very happily to myself as I went around a few times. I wasn’t scared but at 16 you’re immortal anyway.
I’ve got a bunch of what I consider “first solo” flights now.
My very first solo I didn’t leave the ground. It started out as the classical situation: Three safe & consistent circuits without instructor intervention. Instructor jumps out with some last-minute instructions and I taxi out. Heart pounding. In the runup-area I perform a runup, partly by default, partly to relieve some of the stress. Massive mag drop on the right magneto. Hmmmm… Tried to clear it with aggressive leaning, didn’t work. So I taxied back to the platform where a puzzled instructor stood waiting for me. He tried to clear the mags too but that didn’t work so the plane was sent to the mechanic. Was that a first solo? I did set the aircraft into motion with the intent to fly, so legally I could have put it in my logbook. And I was the only one on board, so PIC. And I actually may have learned more from that “flight” than from my real first solo.
Anyway, a few minutes later we had reserved another aircraft and I was on my way again. This time not stressed, but actually a bit p*ssed about the whole situation. The flight was over before I knew it. The only thing I really remember was the congratulations from ATC afterwards.
Other noticeable milestones: first xc solo, first solo aerobatics, first solo in a glider, first solo in a single-seat aircraft.
In my experience the situation on the first XC solo is a lot different. By then the student is quite competent to land his aircraft solo, and the difficulties are not in basic flying anymore. Since even an airspace bust won’t get you shot and you have all help you can get by FIS or diverse ATC units around, if necessary, I have not found much more nervous students than prior first solo flight.
For some pilots this is just overwhelming. I had one student who stopped after the second circuit saying he was full od adrenalin and needed to stop for the day. He was so overwhelmed, he cried tears of happiness after the flight. Was a really great moment.
@BackPacker: It wasn’t a solo but a demonstration of good airmenship and judgement.
I think the first solo land away is a bigger deal than first solo
I had exact this. Firs solo was interesting but not so exciting. A circuit I’ve done hundred times with all that visual clues around. The only real difference was "wow, it’s a rocket now, 1000ft before turning crosswind. First XC and landing somewhere I never been before was much more exciting.
Silvaire wrote:
My first solo was on my 16th birthday, in the early evening, smooth air on a warm day. I remember the plane jumping into the air, and singing very happily to myself as I went around a few times. I wasn’t scared but at 16 you’re immortal anyway.
Sharing similar experience on my first solo with glider (although few months older than 16), on late autumn afternoon, singing when aero-tow took off, released rope after few minutes, made several turns left and right and landed. The only suprise was lightness of glider because of missing instructor but he warned me about that.
