Student Pilot Solo Requirements,
Explained
First solo is the milestone every student remembers forever. Here’s exactly what FAR 61.87 requires to get there — the paperwork, the pre-solo test, the endorsements and the 90-day rule — plus the 61.89 limitations that apply once you’re flying alone.
Before Anything Else: The Paperwork
Applied for through IACRA (usually with your CFI or a DPE/FSDO). Plastic certificates issued since 2016 don’t expire. You need it in hand — processing can take weeks, so apply early in training.
From an aviation medical examiner (AME), required before solo in an airplane. Get it early in training so any FAA paperwork surprises surface before they can delay your solo.
At least 16 years old to solo an airplane (14 for gliders and balloons), and able to read, speak, write, and understand English.
The Pre-Solo Knowledge Test
Before your first solo, FAR 61.87(b) requires a written test — but it’s written and graded by your own instructor, not the FAA. It covers three areas: the applicable regulations from Parts 61 and 91, the airspace rules and procedures for the specific airport where you’ll solo, and the flight characteristics and operational limitations of the make and model you’ll fly — V-speeds, fuel system, weight limits, emergency procedures. Your CFI must review every incorrect answer with you before signing you off. It’s open-book preparation for the day the right seat is empty, not a trick exam.
The Flight Training Behind the Signature
FAR 61.87(d) lists fifteen maneuver and procedure areas you must be trained in — and demonstrated as proficient in — before solo. In plain terms, they group into: ground operations (preflight, powerplant and systems, taxiing and runup), the pattern (normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, traffic pattern entry and departure, go-arounds, slips to landing), airwork (climbs, descents, turns, flight at slow airspeeds, stall entries and recoveries, ground reference maneuvers), and contingencies (collision and wake turbulence avoidance, emergency procedures, approaches to landing with simulated engine failure). Your instructor isn’t allowed to solo you until each area is trained and demonstrated — which is why “when will I solo?” has no calendar answer.
The Endorsements (and the 90-Day Rule)
Your CFI certifies you passed the pre-solo written test for the aircraft you’ll fly (61.87(b)).
Certifies you received and demonstrated proficiency in the 61.87(d) maneuvers in the specific make and model you’ll solo — a Cessna 152 endorsement doesn’t cover a 172.
A logbook endorsement, renewed every 90 days, from an instructor who has flown with you and finds you safe to solo in that make and model (61.87(n)). Day 91 without a fresh one = no solo, no exceptions.
The 90-day clock is the one that bites. Solo privileges quietly expire 90 days after the last endorsement, and the instructor renewing it must have flown with you. If training pauses — weather, money, life — plan a flight with your CFI before your next solo, not after you’ve preflighted.
Once You’re Solo: The FAR 61.89 Limitations
- No passengers — ever, including family (solo time also logs as PIC time under 61.51(e), one of the few silver linings of flying alone).
- No compensation, no carrying property for hire, and no flight in furtherance of a business.
- No flight when flight or surface visibility is below 3 statute miles by day or 5 statute miles at night.
- No flight without visual reference to the surface — no VFR-on-top over a cloud deck.
- No international flights.
- Nothing contrary to the limitations your instructor writes in your logbook — wind limits, specific runways, distance from the field, and so on. Those endorsement limitations carry the force of regulation for you.
Solo Cross-Country Is Its Own Gate
The solo endorsement covers flying at and around your home airport. Go beyond 25 nautical miles and FAR 61.93 adds two more layers: a one-time solo cross-country endorsement after cross-country training in your aircraft category, and a per-flight endorsement in which your instructor reviews your planned route, the weather, and your preparation for that specific flight. There’s also a practical carve-out: after training on the route, your CFI can authorize repeated solo flights to one specific airport within 25 NM — the classic “go practice landings at the quieter field down the road” endorsement.
Walk to the airplane ready
The pre-solo test covers regulations, your airport’s airspace, and your airplane’s numbers — exactly what FlightKit drills. Quiz the regs and airspace, learn your aircraft’s V-speeds and systems, and practice pattern radio calls before your CFI ever hands you the keys.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours do you need before your first solo?
There is no minimum hour requirement in the regulations — FAR 61.87 requires demonstrated proficiency, not a number. In practice most students solo somewhere between 10 and 30 hours, with 15–20 being common. Frequency of lessons, weather, and the airport environment matter far more than raw talent, and soloing "late" has no bearing on how good a pilot you become.
What is the pre-solo written test?
Before solo, FAR 61.87(b) requires a written knowledge test — created and graded by your own instructor, not the FAA — covering the applicable regulations of Parts 61 and 91, the airspace rules and procedures for the airport where you'll solo, and the flight characteristics and operational limitations of the make and model you'll fly. Your CFI must review every incorrect answer with you before endorsing you.
What endorsements do I need to solo?
Three things from your CFI: an endorsement that you passed the pre-solo knowledge test, an endorsement for pre-solo flight training in the specific make and model, and a solo endorsement in your logbook that must be renewed every 90 days by an instructor who has flown with you. Solo cross-country flights beyond 25 NM require separate additional endorsements under FAR 61.93.
Can a student pilot carry passengers?
No. FAR 61.89 prohibits a student pilot acting as PIC from carrying any passenger — including family members and other student pilots. The first passenger ride comes after the checkride, and it's worth the wait.
Does solo time count as pilot-in-command time?
Yes. Under FAR 61.51(e), a student pilot may log pilot-in-command time when they are the sole occupant of the aircraft and hold a current solo endorsement. Your solo hours count toward the 10 hours of solo flight (including 5 solo cross-country) required for the private certificate.
What weather can a student pilot solo in?
The regulatory floor is FAR 61.89: at least 3 statute miles visibility by day (5 at night) and visual contact with the surface at all times. On top of that, your instructor's endorsement will almost certainly set tighter limits — maximum surface wind, maximum crosswind, minimum ceiling — and those written limitations are binding on you as regulation.
What is required for a solo cross-country?
FAR 61.93 kicks in beyond 25 NM from your home airport: you need cross-country flight training, a one-time solo cross-country endorsement for the aircraft category, and a per-flight endorsement in which your instructor reviews your planned route and current weather and finds the flight can be made safely. Repeated solo flights to one specific nearby airport (within 25 NM) can be authorized with their own endorsement after training on the route.
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