On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:48:08 -0600, Darrel Toepfer
wrote:

Cub Driver wrote:

I unfortunately find myself in the latter category... 47.7 hours and
no solo yet. Only two issues remain: simulated instrument flight and
landings.

I soloed at 48 hours, without taking any time on instrument flight.

I was required 3 hours of it...

Before your solo? The reg requires three hours to meet the
requirement for the PPL, but I don't think any reasonable reading of
the reg could require those three hours to be completed to go through
first solo.

I seem to recall somewhere in this thread that the OP is in a part 141
school? If so I'd ask for a copy of their approved 141 syllabus, and
see at what point the simulated instrument work comes in. If it's
before solo, I'd think about having a coffee with the instructor and
chief pilot and see what the reasoning behind it is. I mean, it's 1st
solo - you can't leave the pattern, and if you manage to get yourself
stuck in inadvertent clouds during pattern work there's something more
seriously wrong happening than not having the hood work maneuvers down
pat at that point.