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Student’s First Solo Flight (“Take her up for 3 touch and go’s!”) – Endorsement?

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FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Student Pilot

I'm studying for my CFI.  Back in 1984 when I soloed (yup, 1984), my instructor got out of the Beechcraft Skipper and told me to take the plane around the pattern for a few touch and go's.  This was my first solo.  14 CFR 61.87(n) says a student must have an endorsement for solo flight.  Does this scenario of the CFI getting out of the plane after having flown with a student and sending them up for their first solo ever occur anymore since how can the CFI get the endorsement done before the student takes off on his own (unless he grabs the logbook right then and there and does the endorsement, although that would seem to kill the fun and excitement of the moment). Thanks for your thoughts and comments. 

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2 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Russ Roslewski on Jan 28, 2021

    The trick is that a student isn’t required to carry their logbook with them while flying, UNLESS it is a XC flight (61.51i(2)).

    So, since admittedly most student pilots carry their whole flight bag with them when they fly anyway, all you have to do is say “here, hand me your logbook. I’m going to go inside the FBO for a few minutes, why don’t you take it around the pattern a few times”.

    Then, while you watch them start back up and taxi out, you fill out the endorsement. Everything’s legal. Heck, you’re probably done writing the endorsement before they even get the engine started again in my experience.

    Alternately, you have a pre-filled out endorsement on a sticky label, then you can stick it in their book before you get out of the airplane.

    If they’re using an electronic logbook, then for this purpose, I’d still fill out a written one to be legal during the flight, then catch up with the electronic one after they’re done.

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  2. AviatorTrevor88 on Feb 10, 2021

    As Russ said, a student isn’t required to carry their logbook with them while flying, unless it is a XC flight (61.51i(2)).

    But I simply make all the endorsements necessary in the student’s logbook beforehand and then omit my signature. When it’s time to hop out, we leave the engine running in the parking area, I sign my name on their endorsement real quick and throw their logbook in the back seat.

    I also like to give them the 61.93(b)(1) endorsement, which allows them to make repeated solo takeoffs and landings to another airport within 25NM. This endorsement requires that we had flown that route before and that I gave them training on it, but it’s a useful endorsement because I tell them “if the airport shuts down due to someone else having an accident, just divert to this other nearby airport we’ve been to.” Of course, without that endorsement, they’d be allowed to do that diversion anyways just since it’s within their 91.3 authority to do so.

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