Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Thread: Can You Solo In A Week?

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    2,575

    Post Can You Solo In A Week?

    There is a program which will be done at Sun N Fun which is pretty interesting.
    3 student pilots with no prior experience will be given a week of intensive flight training with the goal of having them ready to solo in One Week.
    Sounds pretty intensive , but we will see. Half of the 18 hours will be in a Redbird Simulator and half in the actual planes. a rebuilt C 172.

    My bet is that they can do it, barring bad weather.
    AOPA is filming it so those of us not at Lakeland can see it later.
    How about a pirep from someone who is there, wish I was this year.

    I'd like to go, even at the last minute, but don't have any housing.

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    1,718
    Can you solo in a week? The short answer is "yes".

    If the following general factors are in your favour:

    -good weather
    -have the time
    -have the funds now
    -have the right attitude and aptitude
    -have the required skills and determination
    -have an instructor that's a good fit with your personality and demeanor

    ...then "yes", you can solo in a week, easy.

    I soloed in 10.8 hours over 7 weeks. Did it on my birthday, best birthday present ever!

  3. #3
    Byron J. Covey
    Guest
    I know of one example back in the 1960's where a person who had already passed his written and had a third class medical got his private in one week.

    His uncle was the instructor as well as a designated examiner. They had excellent weather in the summer time with long daylight hours.

    Having personally flown of a 40 hour evaluation period in three weeks, with 37 of those hours in 7 days, I can attest to the fact that that is an intensive flight schedule.


    BJC

  4. #4
    Richard Warner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Covington, LA
    Posts
    83

    one week private

    [QUOTE=Byron J. Covey;48252]I know of one example back in the 1960's where a person who had already passed his written and had a third class medical got his private in one week.
    His uncle was the instructor as well as a designated examiner. They had excellent weather in the summer time with long daylight hours. Having personally flown of a 40 hour evaluation period in three weeks, with 37 of those hours in 7 days, I can attest to the fact that that is an intensive flight schedule."


    I wonder how much, if any, of the time was "Ball Point Pen" time for the one week private. That sounds like a very exhausting schedule. I guess it could be done as you say, but it is almost unbelievable.
    Last edited by Richard Warner; 04-23-2015 at 07:20 PM. Reason: Shorten spacing between paragraphs

  5. #5
    Byron J. Covey
    Guest
    [QUOTE=Richard Warner;48365]
    Quote Originally Posted by Byron J. Covey View Post
    I know of one example back in the 1960's where a person who had already passed his written and had a third class medical got his private in one week.
    His uncle was the instructor as well as a designated examiner. They had excellent weather in the summer time with long daylight hours. Having personally flown of a 40 hour evaluation period in three weeks, with 37 of those hours in 7 days, I can attest to the fact that that is an intensive flight schedule."


    I wonder how much, if any, of the time was "Ball Point Pen" time for the one week private. That sounds like a very exhausting schedule. I guess it could be done as you say, but it is almost unbelievable.

    I worked at the airport part time back then, and I can attest to several days of flying that were 8+ hours. I pumped most of the gas for them.

    I completed 35 (of the required 40) hours of flight evaluation for my airplane in 7 days in the November, with relatively few daylight hours. No ballpoint time involved.


    BJC

  6. #6
    Jim Rosenow's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Smithville, OH
    Posts
    237
    I thought I picked up on something earlier in the week while watching video coverage, although I reserve the right to claim misinterpretation on my part. Someone associated with the project made a statement to the effect that by the end of the week 'the student will conduct a complete flight without the instructor manipulating the controls' or a similar phraseology. Anybody else see that?

    We should find out today, I guess...

    Jim

    EDIT... http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/A...e-week-big-day .....They were "supervised solos"...aka instructor sitting quietly in the right seat with no input. Certainly not solo, but probably made sense in the SnF environment.
    Last edited by Jim Rosenow; 04-26-2015 at 11:45 AM.

  7. #7
    FastEddie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    NW Chicago Suburbs
    Posts
    19
    When I was 18, I soloed in a week through the Flight Encampment program thru the IL wing of the CAP.

    We did 1/2 day of ground school and 1/2 day of flight instruction.

    Started on Monday, soloed on Friday afternoon with 10.2 hours in the logbook!!!

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    2,575
    Eddie, where were you that summer and what airplane? I am guessing Champ or Cub?

  9. #9
    FastEddie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    NW Chicago Suburbs
    Posts
    19
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    Eddie, where were you that summer and what airplane? I am guessing Champ or Cub?
    1984, Charleston/Matoon (KMTO), Cessna 172

  10. #10
    crusty old aviator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    You can't get here from there
    Posts
    237
    In Texas somewhere, maybe Dallas, a fella from Alaska opened what he calls a "Simcade." It's basically a flight simulator, but you are strapped inside an actual cockpit that moves just enough to give you the sensation of flight, when combined with pictures on the big screen monitors outside the cockpit. They started getting calls and visits from flight schools, and even a FAA goomer, because of the volume of Simcade patrons who were signing up for flight training and performing better maneuvers and landings than some of the CFI's they went up with were capable of performing. The local GA community and FAA suspected, and maybe even accused, the Simcade of conducting an illegal flight training center in a shopping mall. Instead of embracing the technology, they wanted it to go away.

    So, if the RedBird is as good as the Simcade, yes. Heck, after a few days in a sim, you could solo in one day, if you're not required to fill your brain with extraneous stuff, like how to communicate like a seasoned ATP to ATC, proficiently operate a stack of complex avionics, and interact with flat screen software.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •