Student night solo?

"Peter MacPherson" wrote in message
news:9kQad.459163$8_6.292132@attbi_s04...
I'm a CFI and was curious how many CFI's sign their students off for
flying solo at night. I personally don't feel comfortable doing it.

Thanks,
Pete



When I was a student after miss judging winds aloft and winds coming down
the gorge and squeaking in with 15 min before actual night. I was thinking
my instructor knew it was going to happen becuse he approved the solo X-C.
Maybe I should not stopped and ate at the cafe at my destination but I was
hungry! I landed parked the airplane and debriefed. He said 1 more night
flight under the hood and we will make it a X-C then 8 unassisted stop and
goes and he would sign me off for night solo & checkride and make my
appointment for checkride. The next night after the flight, I was informed
that airplanes would be gone the next day and recived no sign off's as there
were no airplanes to fly. At the debrief the instructors logic was If he
thought I was ready to take the checkride and exercise the privileges of
private pilot after the check ride he wanted himself to be comfortable with
me flying at night and have some night time solo practice. It made since to
me.