"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:IiP2g.6584$ZW3.578@dukeread04...
The student pilot is exempted from the requirements of
61.31

Why? Why is the student pilot exempted from the requirements of 61.31(i),
in particular?

[...]
Doing a 61.31 for a first solo is granting too much to a
student pilot.

That's a good point, especially given how much latitude 61.31(i) gives the
pilot with respect to other aircraft. But still, so far all I've seen is a
regulation (61.31(k)) that exempts student pilots from some portions of
61.31 and a statement by the same person quoting that regulation that
61.31(i) isn't covered by 61.31(k) (that is, that it's not a "rating
limitation").

Just because it doesn't make sense to require a student to be qualified for
a 61.31(i) endorsement just to have them solo, that doesn't mean the FARs
don't require that. There's lots of stuff in the FARs that don't make much
sense.

Pete