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Not
long after your first solo, your instructor will authorize you to
fly on your own — still alone, of course. But you'll have
to take more responsibility for weather decisions, evaluating the
wind, and other decision that until this point were made by, or
in conjunction with, your flight instructor. Accurate information
and a thorough understanding will help you to better execute these
responsibilities.
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I have had some practice in windy conditions and I am pretty comfortable, but how will I know when it is too windy to go flying without my instructor? (top)
Remember that your instructor supervises your first few solo flights.
Your instructor most likely will not let you fly solo on a day when
the winds are too strong; nor will the flight school dispatch an aircraft
to you. If the winds start to increase in speed after you take off,
another runway may be the best option. Often your instructor will
establish wind limits for you; if winds exceed that amount you can't
solo. Such limits may be raised incrementally as your skills develop.
Related article >
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How can I learn more about wind indicators and how they work? (top)
There is information on the different types of wind indicators on
our website. Wind direction indicators include windsocks, tetrahedrons,
and wind Ts. Remember that windsocks point downwind, so you want to
land or take off by flying from the small end of the windsock to the
large end. Tetrahedrons point into the wind, so you want to take off
and land in the direction the tetrahedron is pointing. The wind T
looks like an airplane, so takeoffs and landings are made in the same
direction that the "airplane" is pointing. Additionally,
there are unofficial wind indicators such as flags, waves on ponds,
and crop movement that can give you an idea of wind speed and direction.
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Is
it OK to execute a go-around from a bad approach while on final, or
from base to final, or do I have to wait until I'm close in? (top)
Yes. If you feel your approach is not right, add full power and go
around. It is better to feel good about your approach to the runway
instead of forcing a landing. You can execute a go-around from any
point in the pattern. Make the go-around procedure the rule, at least
in your mind, rather than the exception. Look for a reason, any reason,
to savor the thrill of flight a few moments longer by taking another
trip around the traffic pattern. Land only if everything is under
control — otherwise, go around.
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When
I solo, can I log the flight time as pilot in command (PIC) time? (top)
Yes, you can. Changes to the federal aviation regulations that took
effect on August 4, 1997, clarified this point. A person may log PIC
time when they are the sole occupant of the aircraft, and this applies
to student pilots as well. FAR 61.51(e)(4) says, "A student pilot
may log pilot-in-command time when the student pilot (i) Is the sole
occupant of the aircraft; (ii) Has a current solo flight endorsement
as required under [FAR] 61.87; and (iii) Is undergoing training for
a pilot certificate or rating. So be sure to log all of your applicable
solo time as PIC time."
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