Guide · 6 min read
Your first solo: what really happens on the day
Most students go solo after 12 to 18 hours. Here is how your instructor decides, what the circuit feels like alone, and what happens after you land.
How your instructor decides
There is no fixed hour. Your instructor is looking for consistent take-offs and landings, safe go-arounds without prompting, good radio calls, and calm handling of a simulated engine failure. When three circuits in a row need no help, the conversation starts.
The morning itself
Solo days usually start as a normal lesson. You fly two or three circuits together, then your instructor asks you to stop at the holding point, climbs out, and walks to the tower. You will have a moment to breathe before you call for take-off.
What feels different
The aircraft climbs faster without a second person, and it is quiet. Students say the strangest part is the empty seat. The circuit itself is the same one you have flown dozens of times.
After you land
Your instructor signs your logbook, the tower usually congratulates you on the radio, and by tradition the base crew gives you a soaking with a bucket of water. You can decline the water.
Before you can go solo
You need a valid medical, a student pilot permit, and a pass in the air law exam. We check these a fortnight ahead so nothing delays the day.
