I think it is always "bad instructor judgment" to allow a
student who has not yet soloed and been properly endorsed to
operate an airplane of any type or configuration as the only
occupant of the airplane. Whether the student has the skill
or judgment to taxi a trike, tailwheel, seaplane or
skiplane, they are NOT yet good enough to do so until they
have enough skill and experience to rate the solo
endorsement. Now, if they are on an island about to be hit
by a tidal wave and there are just enough planes and seats
to take everybody to safety and one lane has to be flown
solo by a student pilot, your exercise emergency authority
and go.
The skill required to taxi is vitally important to flying,
you can't take-off or land without taxiing. You can crash
during taxi. The FAA/NTSB accident and incident reports
indicate that taxiing is a very hazardous area of operation.
So for me, students are either dual or endorsed and
supervised.
--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P
--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See
http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.
"Jose" wrote in message
t...
| For a certificated land pilot, 90% of the seaplane rating
is
| how to taxi, sail and dock, beaching, and the rules of
water
| navigation. Yet no seaplane instructor would allow a
| student to practice solo in the seaplane
|
| Then you'd agree that the ability to taxi a land plane (on
land) has
| little bearing on the ability to taxi a seaplane (on
water). One
| without the skills to solo a seaplane could very easily
have the skills
| to taxi a land plane (or even fly it).
|
| One without the skills to fly any kind of plane could
still have the
| skills to taxi a nosewheel landplane safely solo (but not
have the
| skills to taxi a tailwheel landplane safely solo).
|
| This gets down to instructor judgement, and the type of
plane (sea,
| land, nosewheel, ski) makes a difference in what would be
considered
| good judgement.
|
| Jose
| --
| Nothing takes longer than a shortcut.
| for Email, make the obvious change in the address.