Soloing

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fly38

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fly38
I'm currently going through Introductory Flight Screening (IFS) for the Navy, which requires flying general aviation aircraft at a local FBO and soloing after about 11 hours. I know many people have done it but to me it feels like the training is moving fast, and I feel like I'm going to need to take longer to be good to solo. I was just curious how long it usually takes people to solo and if anybody has any advice on how to accomplish the solo in 11 hours. So far I've done about 5 hours.
 
fly38 said:
I'm currently going through Introductory Flight Screening (IFS) for the Navy, which requires flying general aviation aircraft at a local FBO and soloing after about 11 hours. I know many people have done it but to me it feels like the training is moving fast, and I feel like I'm going to need to take longer to be good to solo. I was just curious how long it usually takes people to solo and if anybody has any advice on how to accomplish the solo in 11 hours. So far I've done about 5 hours.
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Anywhere from 5-100 hours. Some are ready early, some are not. After your next flight it may just all click for you and you will be ready for the intructor to get out. There is no way to "force" the 11 hours into being. It will either happen at 11 or it won't.
 
I think mine was around 17, but I switched CFIs once and flew three different model planes. Your instructor won't let you, unless you are ready.
 
For most of us other than cost, and ego it really did not matter if we solo'd at 5 hours or 50 hours. For you I get the sense this is not so. So what happens if you do not solo by 11 hours?

Doug
 
I can't exceed 13.5 not 11 hours before I solo, so If the instructors deem I'm not ready for my solo, then I don't fly for the Navy.
 
Are you allowed to record your lessons? And if so, are you? I've recorded my last two lessons and I have found that reviewing those lessons over and over have been invaluable to me in retaining the information in the lesson. Doesn't need to be anything super high def. Just enough so that you can watch and listen to the lesson and take notes and make sure you know everything as well as you can before the next lesson.

If that doesn't work, truly how bad do you want it? If you're not hitting it by the deadline, go to another FBO at some other airport and pay an instructor to make you know your stuff. Pay out of your own pocket and then come back to the first FBO looking like a flying genius. :)

Either way, good luck.
 
If you think that's moving fast, wait until you get to Pensacola. The purpose of setting that limit in the flight screening program is to determine your adaptability to flight training, because not everyone is cut out for Navy flying, where it's pretty much "take a drink from this here fire hose," and they do not have the time, patience, or budget for those who can't keep up with the pace. It certainly can be done, but not by everyone. Better for both you and the Navy to find out here and now whether you can.

So, the only advice I can give as one who has been through Naval Aviation training is to dedicate yourself to the project, no matter what else you have to give up to do it.
 
fly38 said:
I can't exceed 13.5 not 11 hours before I solo, so If the instructors deem I'm not ready for my solo, then I don't fly for the Navy.
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You need to find an instructor who will do it "the old way" every lesson is a preparation for soloing on a cherry picked day. I think I soloed around 13.5 hours, but probably 5-6 of those hours were doing "other things" yes you need to know how to identify a stall etc.. but 90% of your time should be in the pattern at a shorterish uncontrolled, sleepy field doing touch and gos. You don’t want to be flying 3 mile long downwind legs, manuvering for airlines to land. Find a sleepy 3,500' long strip and a Cessna 150 and an instructor who understands the mission. I'm not suggesting skimping on safety, but turns around a point can wait until after solo.
 
bartmc said:
You need to find an instructor who will do it "the old way"
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You don't get such choices in a military flight screening program. You go with the program, and either you hack it or you don't. May sound harsh, but that's the only way it can work.
 
Agree with Rusty. Find an instructor willing to focus on the solo criteria. Once you have the fundamentals of slow flight and stalls, then focus on the landings (takeoffs come pretty fast.) If you do that you shouldn't have any problem. My last five students have soloed between 11-16 hours, but it varies by frequency of training. Take a weekend and do multiple lessons with one hour breaks between flights for some ground school. You can make the 11.
 
Ron Levy said:
You don't get such choices in a military flight screening program. You go with the program, and either you hack it or you don't. May sound harsh, but that's the only way it can work.
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Yep, but I'm suggesting that he not put himself at a disadvantage by flying out of a busy Class C airport with a 3 mile long runway, with an instructor who'll run off to the practice area to do other things, when the traffic gets thick or shake the students nerves because he's landing behind and in front of a heavy and insists on stopping and taxing back for every landing.
 
LDJones said:
Agree with Rusty. Find an instructor willing to focus on the solo criteria. Once you have the fundamentals of slow flight and stalls, then focus on the landings (takeoffs come pretty fast.) If you do that you shouldn't have any problem. My last five students have soloed between 11-16 hours, but it varies by frequency of training. Take a weekend and do multiple lessons with one hour breaks between flights for some ground school. You can make the 11.
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Again, you don't get such choices in a military flight screening program.
 
Ron Levy said:
You don't get such choices in a military flight screening program. You go with the program, and either you hack it or you don't. May sound harsh, but that's the only way it can work.
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I understand that aspect of it, and forgive me for not being up to speed on the Navy regs, i was a jarhead ground at that, but is there anything to stop him from finding a flight instructor close to where he is with the same type aircraft and doing some 'home study'
 
Ron Levy said:
Again, you don't get such choices in a military flight screening program.
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But he does now, doesn't he? Why would he put himself at a disadvantage? Is the CFI, plane and place he's going to be doing his pre-solo training hand picked by the Navy? That's not how I read his OP.
 
VanDy said:
I understand that aspect of it, and forgive me for not being up to speed on the Navy regs, i was a jarhead ground at that, but is there anything to stop him from finding a flight instructor close to where he is with the same type aircraft and doing some 'home study'
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If the Navy finds out he's getting extra training on the side, I suspect he'll be dropped from the program, as that would defeat the purpose of the flight screening program.
 
bartmc said:
But he does now, doesn't he? Why would he put himself at a disadvantage? Is the CFI, plane and place he's going to be doing his pre-solo training hand picked by the Navy?
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Yes, they are. The Navy selects contractors on a competitive bid basis, provides the syllabus, and requires compliance. Training is monitored and reviewed to ensure that.
 
They gave us a choice of schools in the Pensacola area. The flight lessons are what anybody getting their PPL would do, but they just want us to solo by a certain time.
 
It's about learning to plan as much as learning to fly. Have you sat down with your instructor and wrote out your plan to achieve your goal ?
 
I'm flying with two different instructors and there is a lot of us IFS students. We are pretty much the biggest customers for the FBOs around here. I talk to the instructors after the flights and ask them how I can improve on the next flight. Every flight so far we've done slow flight, power on and power off stalls,the past two flights I've worked on steep turns and engine out procedures, and this past flight I worked on s-turns and turning around a point.
 
fly38 said:
I'm flying with two different instructors and there is a lot of us IFS students. We are pretty much the biggest customers for the FBOs around here. I talk to the instructors after the flights and ask them how I can improve on the next flight. Every flight so far we've done slow flight, power on and power off stalls,the past two flights I've worked on steep turns and engine out procedures, and this past flight I worked on s-turns and turning around a point.
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if it's not working then change it. You have a clear goal. If you want it enough you'll find a way to make it happen.
 
If this seems rushed to you then strap it on tight if you make the cut. Military flight training is like drinking from a firehose aimed directly between your eyes. You will be pushed to your very limits to excel each and every day because that is what they expect you to do once you strap on a military aircraft. Military flying is not for the faint of heart. But when you finally finish training you will have done something few on the planet can claim. It's worth every drop of sweat.
 
fly38 said:
I'm currently going through Introductory Flight Screening (IFS) for the Navy, which requires flying general aviation aircraft at a local FBO and soloing after about 11 hours. I know many people have done it but to me it feels like the training is moving fast, and I feel like I'm going to need to take longer to be good to solo. I was just curious how long it usually takes people to solo and if anybody has any advice on how to accomplish the solo in 11 hours. So far I've done about 5 hours.
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I solo'd at 8 hours... and I'm no ace.

Things that worked in my favor:

1) being prepared for the lessons

2) frequent lessons. I had as many as 4 lessons in one week

3) short lessons. Typical lesson was about 45 minutes of flying.

4) CFI that wasn't interested in padding the bill

5) Outstanding weather - which allowed for scheduling frequent lessons

6) An airport that wasn't very busy. We weren't lined up 6 deep for take-off and never were number 5 to land.

7) Practice area that was just 15 miles or so away from the airport.

Enjoy the flying
 
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