Nervous 1st-Time Airplane Buyer

[Bill Greenwood]

Inuss, I didn't write 15 or 20 hours for solo, although that should be enough for most people, and most people should have their cert by 70 hours or so and not over a 100.
Years ago when I started, 1968 at least two things were different than now. First there were more flight schools, most every big airport had one in the days before the TCA chased them away from major airports within cities.
So there was competition, if a CFI at one school did not value a student,that student could go to another school.
And I think there were more students, maybe just more people interested, or it was cheaper, or maybe the GI Bill helped.
But, in any event CFI seemed to have a different attitude toward a student solo. The solo was seen as a step when the student had basic knowledge and control of the plane, enough to fly around the local pattern and make 3 landings. It didn't mean the student knew everything or that more learning was not on tap.
I don't think all CFI s are like that now.

Bob, it has been a lot of years since I did it, but I didn't find my private flight test, or as you say, "practical" very hard.And solo is really easy, it is the same thing a student has probably done numerous times already, ( 3 landings )except this time the CFI is not in the plane.