Just wondering what everone else has in their logbooks for when they first went solo. Me I have a stamp (that is mostly unreadable) But from what I can make out it goes something like this...

Certification that ______________
has reached the required standard
of experience required to complete
their first solo flight.

Instructor ________ Lic.#_______

Date:___________ Avcanada Aviation

What's in your logbook?
Or what does your school put into their student's logbooks?

Nothing. Just my entry with excited remarks.

I had a big red stamp "1st SOLO!" in my glider logbook back in 1999 at CRGS. As for my PPL, nothing.

When I was instructing, a similar comment went into the PTR but the student was left to do what they wanted with their logbook.

Same ... Big red stamp in the glider log book " 1st Solo " ... nothing in the power log book.

Though my true first solo being in a glider made my power solo not nearly as significant as it should have been.

nothing... but a pat on the back

Nata, Just something like "first solo flight " in the remarks.

I got certified by a bucket of water ... does that count?

Adam Oke wrote:I got certified by a bucket of water ... does that count?

Ditto ... Make that buketssss of ice cold water !!!

No matter how well you prep'd for it, that was brisk ... but so well worth it after a long, hot, afternoon of chasing gliders.

Ya i got ther water also, kinda obvious when the instructors tells me to hand him my headset, coat and kneeboard during the walk back to the school, But I didnt fight it



Ah memories, what I would give to have those good times back.

Having been around the block a few times,
when I endorse a logbook for solo, I specify
an aircraft type and a max crosswind component
(which I might add, has never been as low
as 5 knots! )

Something like this:

"Safe for solo on Pitts S-2B max x/w 15k"
<signature> <licence no> class 1 instructor

Hedley

I think he is talking about a PPL's first solo ever, not a type check out....or are you doing ab initio instruction in a Pitts

are you doing ab initio instruction in a Pitts

Yup. It's not as crazy as it sounds at first. I firmly believe
in starting pilots off in tailwheel aircraft only, so that they
learn from the first lesson how to use the rudder pedals.

Problem is that if someone learns how to fly on nosewheel
aircraft, they have to unlearn the bad habits they have
picked up (ie virtually ignore the rudder pedals) which IMHO
is more than twice as hard as learning it right the first time.

This explains why so many people crash tailwheel airplanes
when they try to transition from nosewheel, and why so
many older guys (who started flying on tailwheel) don't
see what the big deal is.

Our Maule is a marvellous tailwheel trainer for ab initio
because of the improved visibility out the front, as
compared to the Pitts. But you can use the Pitts for
ab initio, given a sufficiently motivated and talented
student (done it before).

Anyone know if there's a convention on writing your first solo entry in red ink? Does any one know if this only applies to the words 'First Solo' or to the entire entry?

Quote:
are you doing ab initio instruction in a Pitts

I know of one person who learned ab initio on his father's Harvard IV.

um ... the RCAF used the Harvard as an ab initio trainer
in the 1950's ... my father did his first solo in a Harvard
in 1951, like all the other air force pilots training with him.

I'm not sure why the Harvard / T-6 / SNJ has such a
wild reputation as a "fire-breathing dragon" - I never
found it difficult to land at all. I fly a clip-wing version
these days.

Anyways, yes, I have soloed people in a Pitts. The
good thing about soloing in a Pitts is that you will never
have any difficulty in the future landing any airplane