When you solo during your training, what do you practice?

[geneticistx]

Im having an incredible time in the early part of my PPL training.

I switched flight schools and cant say enough great things about where I am now. I have learned more in the first few lessons than i learned in numerous hours at my first school.

The weather at YSE was absolute crap for March, but things are looking up now.

I'm still a few hours away from my solo, but I'm curious as to what you practice when you head out to solo, and how often, like slow flight, circuits, etc?

Just bought a couple of gopro cameras and the planes at Glacier Air have mounts. Today and tomorrow are looking great and I'll post some videos soon.

[AuxBatOn]

I would concentrate more on flying and less on video at least until you are licensed.

During your solo flights, practice what you need to work on. Your instructor should be able to point you in the right direction. Use a crosswind runway if possible.

[geneticistx]

Oh, the video thing is just something that will happen while the plane is flying to video the mountains, it has no other function.

[PilotDAR]

I second Aux - leave the cameras at home. Thanks anyway, but we've seen the videos before. We know that you're proud as can be that you're in command of the hurtling aluminum, and we celebrate that with you, but we don't need to see it, and we would rather you be safe, focus on your flying, and spend your time reading about advancing your flying skills, rather than editing and posting video.

Many of the posters here learned to fly excellently well without cameras. So can you. I have taken and posted video clips, and yes, I have flown the aircraft "for" the camera. And, to best assure safety while doing this, I apply thousands of hours of my safe flying experience. When you have thousands of hours, post to us your super videos!

Until then, consider your solo flying time as your opportunity to gain your self confidence, practicing what you have been taught, within the limits imposed by your instructor. Practice just making a better job, with more precision, of the same maneuvers you flew with your instructor. Never stop doing that when you fly solo. Last month was the 40th anniversary of my being issued a student permit, last week I was practicing crosswind forced approaches in my 150, just to keep my skills sharp.

PS, I see your reference to the video/mountains. My remark is unchanged. You're there to learn to fly, not video in the mountains, leave the cameras at home. The mountains will still be there after you earn your license, and build some experience.

[North Shore]

3rd to the 'No cameras' crowd. You'll have lots of time to take cool videos once you've got your licence. Until then, concentrate on getting that licence.

[NoGutsNoGlory]

Your instructor will discuss the exercises to be practised prior to each solo flight. Remember these are still training flights and believe it or not you will learn much more in your solo practice than you will with an instructor beside you. Preparation and honesty is key. Prepare yourself by reviewing the air exercises and their procedures, also review the flight test requirements so you know what degree of precision you should be aiming for. Be honest with your instructor when you come back to debrief. Telling the instructor everything went perfectly will not help you progress in the training. If you're honest and tell your instructor what was going wrong, they can usually give you 1 or 2 tips that will fix everything.

Have fun, be safe, and remember only perfect practice make perfect!

[geneticistx]

Wow. Strong and valid opinions. Thanks.

[mato]

The camera in the plane thing, hmm... Just like the family member at your wedding who insisted to take cell phone pictures blocking the way of the wedding photographer with the real camera.

Everyone wants to be a director of a short film. I suppose its kind of awesome to have a few videos you make, but any video of flying you could want is out there on youtube. If you want to make some vids, I guess just don't let it distract you from the important stuff. We all know some silly distractions can have some serious consequences... Such as pilots taking pictures on landing leading to an RJ write off in YYZ.

[lhalliday]

Your instructor will assign you tasks, you go do them, then debrief when you get back. This may be "fly to the practice area and do slow flight at this list of speeds", "fly to another airport and fly some circuits", and so on. Later in training your instructions may be minimal: "fly to xyz and talk to me about it when you get back". It's common to fly an exercise dual, then fly it solo. Some heavy stuff is post-solo, like forced approaches and precautionary landings.

As you get closer to your flight test you will know what you're good at and what you need to practice. The day before my flight test I practiced soft-field landings.

Forget video. Fly the airplane.

...laura

[photofly]

Bingo.

As a solo student you may do only what your instructor told you to do in the briefing before you fly - you're only allowed to fly solo under supervision. Start doing your own thing and you're flying outside the privilege of your student pilot permit.

As for videoing: it can be helpful to video the instrument panel and forward view as you fly manoeuvres. But only if you have the discipline to review it after the flight. Forget any thought of scenery, mountains and if youtube crosses your mind, cast it aside: the only people with the slightest interest in watching you screw up a steep turn are your instructor and you, and that should be from the point of view only of doing it better next time.

[Oldguystrtn2fly]

Interesting topic and responses. I always wondered about this whole "under supervision" of an instructor. You are pic yet not? Isn't it more a case of an instructor keeping you on the ground in regards to weather etc but once he lets you go you aren't under supervision really?

[lhalliday]

You are PIC but your flight must be endorsed/approved by your instructor.

The nature of the supervision varies, from watching you do circuits at the airport, monitoring the radio as you fly to the practice area, or being available on the phone for the duration of your flight.

...laura

[PilotDAR]

The nature of the supervision varies, from watching you do circuits at the airport, monitoring the radio as you fly to the practice area, or being available on the phone for the duration of your flight.

There's the key. The instructor will instruct you (which could be "go and fly xxx"), and limit you ("don't yyy") as appropriate to your skills and the conditions of the day. For a while I had occasion to be both a commercial pilot, and student pilot at the same time. My instructor was pretty free with the supervision, it was more: "I'd like to fly to Brampton for lunch, are you okay with that today?". "Sure, make sure you practice xxx on the way back".

It is monumentally unwise to exceed your instructor's briefing and limitations. If you don't understand the briefing and limitations, you should ask. Your entire flying career will contain elements of receiving and working within a briefing, and adhering to limitations - so best get used to it....

[Oldguystrtn2fly]

Would it be correct to say that a student is under the direction of the instructor as opposed to supervision? I know it's just verbage but supervision gives the impression that an instructor is co-responsible in some way when they aren't.

[AuxBatOn]

The instructor is still supervising. Supervising is not necessarily PIC. I supervised many flights but I was not the PIC.

After the student is airborne, the instructor is not directing much...

[JasonE]

Back to the camera - if you can set it and forget go ahead. (Just don't forget it in the plane when you're done like I did half the time!) I video'd most of my solo flights so I could review them myself afterwards. I set it in a position I could read the gauges while reviewing. I found useful/interesting. Agreed on the point of not posting them all over youtube. Only you will find them of interest.

[photofly]

Would it be correct to say that a student is under the direction of the instructor as opposed to supervision? I know it's just verbage but supervision gives the impression that an instructor is co-responsible in some way when they aren't.

The law says both:

solo flight time means, with respect to the flight time necessary to acquire a permit, licence or rating,

(a) in the case of a pilot, the flight time during which the pilot is the sole flight crew member, and

(b) in the case of a student pilot permit holder, the flight time during which the holder is the sole occupant of an aircraft while under the direction and supervision of the holder of an instructor rating for the appropriate category of aircraft; (temps de vol en solo)

And yes, in a way, the instructor is responsible. If the student screws up the instructor is going to be asked about it.

[cgzro]

I just loved spins and forced approaches (still do) and my instructor was happy to let me add a few to whatever other things he wanted me working on. Learning to fly is of course work but don't forget to enjoy it by adding things that re-inforce your self confidence and fun.

Save the cameras for later... more to distract you.. beeping .. falling off the mounts .. fiddling with them instead of holding your brakes etc.

[waterdog]

As someone who has just completed their PPL I found using CloudAhoy a great tool. Its an app that runs in the background on your phone and records your flight so that you can analyze it later at home. If for example you are struggling with landings, you can see how stable your approach is. If your struggling with forced approaches you can see what pattern you flew and where you are going wrong.
I think its free for the first 30 days, something to consider checking out.

[AirFrame]

I just loved spins and forced approaches (still do) and my instructor was happy to let me add a few to whatever other things he wanted me working on...

As a possible aside to this discussion... My school had a rule against practicing spins as a solo student. I didn't realize this until I had spent a couple of solo flights practicing them... I stopped doing them because they asked, but I never looked to see if it was just their rule, or if there was a regulation. Does anyone know?

[lhalliday]

As a possible aside to this discussion... My school had a rule against practicing spins as a solo student. I didn't realize this until I had spent a couple of solo flights practicing them... I stopped doing them because they asked, but I never looked to see if it was just their rule, or if there was a regulation. Does anyone know?

Most flying schools restrict solo spin practice to CPL students.

If you're flying your own plane you can what whatever you like. My Musketeer isn't certified for intentional spins (AD 74-23-09), but threw an incipient spin at me once when I was doing some upper air work. Standard spin recovery, throttle closed, opposite rudder, break the stall with the elevator, fly out of the dive. No harm done.

...laura

[PilotDAR]

Standard spin recovery, throttle closed, opposite rudder, break the stall with the elevator, fly out of the dive.

.....Break stall, then opposite rudder.... right Laura

[AuxBatOn]

Depends on the type

[Big Pistons Forever]

NASA did quite a bit of research on the spin characteristics of GA aircraft. Their recommendation for a generic spin recovery was as follows

-Power idle
-Ailerons neutral
-Rudder opposite the observed yaw
-Elevator to produce a nose down movement

Attempting to break the stall without stopping the autorotation first has the potential to produce an undesirable outcome, and should always be avoided unless the POH specifically calls for it. I have never seen that advice in any POH I can recall

The bottom line however is simple. Unless you are in a spin as part of a planned manuever in an aerobatic sequence,
If the airplane is spinning then you have already failed as you let the aircraft stall and then let it yaw. Preventing either will never let a spin develop.

The only students I have ever let practice spins on their own were those students that were practicing as part of an aerobatic training course. I have never let a PPL or CPL student practice a spin on their own.

[lhalliday]

Every plane I've ever flown said to stop the rotation first, then break the stall. I have a copy of the original Musketeer POH (prior to the 1974 AD), and it said the same thing.

...laura