Solo Procedures

Question 1

When is it required to refuel the airplane to full tanks during solo operations?

Answer 1

• Before the solo warm-up.
• After the solo warm-up, before a solo cross-country flight.
• If the student determines that the flight cannot be completed within 3.5 hours (2.5 hours, if flying an aircraft with a fuel capacity of less than 48 gallons).

*This policy is in keeping with the general requirement that all training flights at ATP Flight School depart with full tanks, unless operational necessity requires otherwise. Students are not expected to refuel at the intermediate stops on the solo route, unless the flight is taking longer than expected and will exceed ATP’s duration of flight limitations (maximum 3.5 hours with fuel capacity of at least 48 gallons, maximum 2.5 hours with fuel capacity less than 48 gallons

Question 2

Which landing procedures are students authorized to conduct during solo operations?

Answer 2

• Full-stop landings
• Go-around
• Touch-and-go landings are permitted with an instructor on board, but prohibited during student solo operations. Instructors should conduct only full-stop landings during the final flights before the solo phase, so that the student’s recent training matches what they must do during solos.

Question 3

Which communication requirements are solo students required to do?

Answer 3

• Identify themselves as “solo student” on initial contact with each controlling agency or when providing local advisories, and when making traffic pattern radio calls.
• Request VFR flight following for all solo cross-country route segments.

Question 4

What is the monitoring requirement for solo cross-country flights?

Answer 4

A designated monitoring instructor (who may or may not be the primary instructor) must be available by cell phone and text message until the student returns.

Question 5

Because of the solo warm-up, not all the time in any given “SOLO XC” lesson is in fact solo. How do instructors report the amount of solo time flown?

Answer 5

Append “# solo” to the end of the flight tracker message, where “#” is the amount of solo time flown.

Question 6

If a student takes a break during one of their solo cross-countries, which of the following are they required to do before departing?

Answer 6

• Check weather at their remaining destinations.

- Call the monitoring instructor.