📘14 CFR §61.87 - Solo Requirements for Student Pilots
✏️ Plain-English Summary:
Before a student pilot can fly solo, they must receive specific ground and flight training, demonstrate proficiency, and get a CFI endorsement in their logbook. There are different endorsements required depending on the type of solo flight — including first solo, repeated solo flights, solo cross-countries, and flying to/from specific airports.
✅ Key Takeaways for PPL Students:
✅ You must receive and log flight training for all maneuvers and procedures listed in this reg before soloing.
✅ You must take a pre-solo written test covering Parts 61 & 91 and airspace/radio procedures.
✅ You must demonstrate proficiency and safety to your CFI in:
Takeoffs and landings
Stall entries/recoveries
Go-arounds
Traffic pattern operations
Flight at slow airspeeds
Emergency procedures
Post-flight debriefing and decision-making
✅ You must get a CFI solo endorsement in your logbook and on your student pilot certificate.
✅ That endorsement is only valid for 90 days.
❌ If the 90 days expires or you switch instructors/aircraft — you need a new endorsement.
❌ Cannot exceed 25 nm from the airport of origin.
✈️ Scenario:
You soloed for the first time in a Cessna 172 last month. Now you want to solo in a DA40. ❌ You can’t — even if it's the same category/class, you need a new make/model endorsement for the DA40.
🎓 CFI Teaching Tip:
This reg is one of the most endorsement-heavy for instructors. Emphasize to students that:
“Every new solo type or aircraft requires a specific logbook endorsement.”
Teach students the 90-day limit clearly — and explain that just because they can solo doesn’t mean they should if they haven’t flown in a few weeks.
Use a real logbook to show how and where endorsements are written.
📚 References:
FAR: 14 CFR §61.87
AC 61-65H: Endorsement templates and solo guidance
AIM 4-3-23: Traffic pattern and lighting ops
📺 Extra Help:
🎥 Pilot Institute: Student Pilot Solo Requirements
📰 Boldmethod: What Must Happen Before You Solo?