Hi, probably a dumb question but I'm curious if after my first solo since there are a number of flights that I fly alone without the instructor will I need to pay the hourly CFI rate during the time I am off practicing maneuvers on my own or when I do the solo cross country, or do I just pay for the engine hours used on the plane? It may be different at each school but I am just trying to get an idea of how much more money I should expend to spend. Thanks in advance.
Do you pay for instructor after successful solo?
- Thread starter billyloon
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First post.... Welcome to POA...
As for your question..... If you are flying solo then any "decent" instructor should not charge you for that time....... if they do.... Find a new instructor............. FAST....
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airheadpenguin
Pre-takeoff checklist
Pay for the time you're using the CFI. If they're reviewing your planning or doing pre/post flight briefing etc... don't be offended if you have to pay. If they're in the plane expect to pay. In all of these cases they're doing work.
In the situation you bring up, what work would they be doing? Would they even be aware you were flying?
In the situation you bring up, what work would they be doing? Would they even be aware you were flying?
Old Geek
Pattern Altitude
No. That said, a small gift to your instructor after you solo is an informal tradition.
Brad Z
Final Approach
Well there's solo, and then there's supervised solo. If the CFI hops out and tells you to take it around three times in the pattern while he observes (often with handheld radio in hand), there's a good chance you'll get billed for his time. On the other hand, if he's just signing you off for local work or a solo XC, you only need to pay for the plane, plus whatever ground time you had reviewing your flight.
AdamZ
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Adam Zucker
First post.... Welcome to POA...
As for your question..... If you are flying solo then an "decent" instructor should not charge you for that time....... if they do.... Find a new instructor............. FAST....
Yea what Ben Said!
MultiMediaWill
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Will
My instructor was actually a professor at the college I attend so for all ground time and flight planning we always met during his office hours and he never charged me for it! He's an old guy who instructs for fun.
ARFlyer
En-Route
I normally don't charge for any of the solo times that im on the ground. The only part I charge for is the time I'm in the aircraft for their first solo.
When I have to be present for the second and third "solos" I normally schedule ground with another student. I'll step outside during their landing or just hold my ground session outside on the table. I only have to be on "airport grounds" per the 141 rule Dean quoted. It doesn't mean I have to watch them like a hawk for 100% of the time.
MassPilot
Cleared for Takeoff
That's how it worked at my flight school. The first three solos had to be supervised. After some pattern work with my CFI, he would get out and I'd be allowed up to three T/O's and landings solo with him watching from the ground. I had to pay for the airplane and his time during these three flights. After this, all my solo flights were unsupervised (pattern, practice area, and X-C), and I only paid for the airplane.
Captain
Final Approach
Pretty sure you only have to review his weather planning. I never watched a solo student at a 141 school. (well, except the solo flight when I signed him off).
Are you suggesting a CFI would have to sit at an airport while his student went on a cross country? What if weather came in and the student had to spend the night? Your now stuck at the airport as a CFI or do you just coordinate hotel / airport standby with the student?
Are you suggesting a CFI would have to sit at an airport while his student went on a cross country? What if weather came in and the student had to spend the night? Your now stuck at the airport as a CFI or do you just coordinate hotel / airport standby with the student?
NineThreeKilo
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NineThreeKilo
For solo flight, NO
If the CFI isn't there to help you, you don't pay him.
If the CFI isn't there to help you, you don't pay him.
SkyHog
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Everything Offends Me
No respectable CFI will charge you to listen to you on a radio .
But many do ...
But many do ...
Brad Z
Final Approach
Depends, can he bill time working with another student? Contrary to what some may believe, an instructor's time is valuable and they have every right to bill for it. That said, while I'd wager the majority of CFIs wouldn't bill in that scenario, I wouldn't consider one who did bill to be "not respectable".
When he's providing a service to you, you pay. First supervised solo, definitely. Later practice area solos, no.
ARFlyer
En-Route
Yep, that's what I have to do if I have a student out on his solo x/c. Now I can be with other students, but I can't leave the airport until he checks the aircraft back in.
We've never had a student stuck since I have been there. Mostly because of our high weather minimums.
DrMack
Line Up and Wait
I treated my instructor to a grand steak dinner.
KeyWestPhotog
Pre-takeoff checklist
Something else to know... Any CFI can sign you off for your release prior to landing at another airport.
If your instructor isn't available, and you want to go somewhere, any CFI(current) can review your plan and sign your log.
Sent from my iPhone using An APP that doesn't pay me to advertise for them.
If your instructor isn't available, and you want to go somewhere, any CFI(current) can review your plan and sign your log.
Sent from my iPhone using An APP that doesn't pay me to advertise for them.
ChrisK
En-Route
I did this for one of my planned XCs when my instructor want available. A caution though - a different instructor will probably be more critical!
airheadpenguin
Pre-takeoff checklist
This is a reason to become friends with more than one instructor. Signing you off assumes a bunch of risk for them so they may be hesitant if they don't know you.
SkyHog
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Everything Offends Me
I never had a cfi sign my second or third legs. Just sounds like unnecessary extra paperwork (plus is severely limits your airport options).
My cfi let me pick what airports to do and away I went. Picked KLVS, which I had not been to before.
My cfi let me pick what airports to do and away I went. Picked KLVS, which I had not been to before.
airheadpenguin
Pre-takeoff checklist
I always picked but they always reviewed the planning even if they hadn't been there themselves. KBDL was an interesting choice and showed how not all Class Cs are the same, it was very different from KMHT which I was used to
J F
Filing Flight Plan
I never charged a student if he was solo in the plane. I would charge anytime I was in the plane or we did ground before or after a x/c solo flight. I always tried to be there for a checkride and didn't charge for that but I usually had another student during a checkride. I would do anything I could to save my students some money since I was in their shoes before. I taught at a busy 141 school where they would knock out 50 hours of x/c time after private to count towards their comm. Half the lessons were dual but I would send them solo for most of them and double count some of the dual lessons (1 lesson to destination, 1 lesson back) to save them money. I probably finished 75% of my students under the projected cost by helping them out with little things like that.
If a CFI is charging you when you are solo, maybe look around a bit.
If a CFI is charging you when you are solo, maybe look around a bit.