Average time to solo a student

Is there a contest to see who can send someone solo the fastest?

In the UK the ATC used to send cadets solo in a tiny number of launches,
something like 20 winch launches. They achieved this by cutting out
everything that wasn't essential, including circuit planning and most
emergencies. Thy were solo but that was all.

The civilian clubs took many more launches, it took me 44 which was pretty
average for a teenager, but had been taught stalling and spinning, launch
failures, circuit planning and soaring. As a result my 4th solo was 20
minutes off the wire for my C certificate.

With the current pre solo syllabus it would be a challenge to get
everything covered in 20 aerotows.

What I tend to tell people after I send them solo is "Now you can learn to
fly". That's how it felt to me, and it still does.

Chris

At 05:24 05 June 2018, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 1:55:12 PM UTC+12, CindyB wrote:
On Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 8:43:58 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I'm a very experienced power pilot CFI & have soloed hundreds of
airpla=
ne student pilots over the years. That said, I'm not as experienced as a
C=
FIG.
=20
=20
me (CindyB change) =09
6:33 PM (less than a minute ago)
On Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 8:43:58 PM UTC-7, wrote:
I'm a very experienced power pilot CFI & have soloed hundreds of
airpla=
ne student pilots over the years. That said, I'm not as experienced as a
C=
FIG.

I soloed a new student this weekend. He did a spectacula=
r job. =20

On line it appears in several places that the average time to solo a
gl=
ider is around 40 flights. Is they information accurate? My student
doesn=
't have nearly that many flights.

Opinions?
=20
Congrats to the new solo pilot!
Opinions on r.a.s.? Ha! Lots of them, but you've got answers from a
few=
fine instructors. More than 25 years CFI-G responding here.
=20
Factors to consider on flight count to a solo:
Consistency of training (number of CFIs)
Frequency of training (best is alternate days, typical is 1x weekly)
Age of student (~25 flites plus 1 per year over age 40)
Emotional, physical or intellectual deficits
(dominant eye, musculature for controls, fear of flight, etc.)
Intellectual prep prior or concurrent with flying (Reading and study)
Valid simulator training experience (Condor's Great! Cuts airtime
respon=
sibly.)
Thoroughness of training syllabus (What variety of emergency prep?)
Potential weather variability and scale at solo location.
The student's mental outlook, responsibility and openness to ongoing
tra=
ining toward the rating.
=20
=20
A lesser impact on flight count is complexity of machine or launch
method=
.. The student doesn't know what they don't know. Give them a 2-33 or a
DG-=
500 and they will learn rates for desired reactions.
=20
As the CFI-G, you have to believe they will handle whatever comes their
w=
ay during their solo supervision period. Engine/prop/mast complexities if
s=
elf-launching. The abruptness of disarray in a botched winch start. The
ma=
nagement of slack line and towing position and PT3s of aerotowing -
flight
=
as a formation and its necessary communication foibles/weaknesses. =20
=20
You gave us little insight to allow us to respond with pertinent info.
Th=
e gentlemen responded generically, appropriately.
=20
Aerotow, once a week, variable weather, motivated reader, 2-33 through
fi=
xed gear glass ~30:1, typically 12-14 weeks and 30-35 to solo. But I am
kn=
own to be thorough on the emergency procedures training.
Straight-ahead break, abbrev pattern 2-3 times from different
places,
=
downwind landing in 5-8 kts. That's 4 flights. Sprinkled thru the
experienc=
e.
Full spoiler locked-open landing. Slip to a landing (no spoilers till
tou=
ched). A wave-off or two at the top of some tow or other.
It keeps them thinking..... not coasting.
=20
Thanks for being curious. Thanks for teaching.
=20
Cindy Brickner
Mojave, CA

A factor you missed. Is soloing:

- ability to safely launch and execute a circuit to landing on a calm
windl=
ess late afternoon "I FLEW AN AIRCRAFT ALL BY MYSELF!"

OR

- ability to safely launch in active thermic (bumpy and/or a bit of wind)
o=
r ridge (definitely some wind) conditions and stay up for half an hour.

?

If you're training towards the latter then you're probably going to fly
wit=
h the student on days on which they can't yet reasonably practice the
launc=
h or approach to progress towards solo, but you can go off and do a bot
of
=
actual soaring and even a small cross-country with them. That adds
flights
=
and hours to the time before solo.