How far from airport when solo

[BruceScott]

Just wondering how far from the airport you can fly solo before getting the pilot certificate.

 

Looking for it in the manual and it is saying 25nm after solo before the x country.

 

My instructor has just been getting me to do curcuits but I cannot find in the manual where it states how close to the airport you have to be.

 

I am assuming that it would be close enough for him to see what I am doing.

 

I could ask him I guess but I thought that I would find out for myself.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Once you do your first solo flight, it's my understanding that you can remain in the circuit until you do your area check flight, only after that can you go into the training area solo. This is so you can gain the total amount of 5 hours of solo time to complete your certification. Once certified you can fly no more than 25nm from your base airfield until you complete your Cross Country endorsement.

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

Am guessing circuits is just that, only circuits, anything else would be to the designated training area, within its boundaries, and back again. Once you have the restricted license you are restricted to 25nm from the airfield you took off from., until you do your Nav endorsements then you go where ever you (legally) want..

 

 

[Tomo]

5 mile radius for me.... so I basically go from one edge to the other = 10 miles

 

I don't really think it matters if your in or out of sight.... because in the Drifter, you get out of sight pretty quick, especially if you climb up to 5000'!

 

 

[robinsm]

When able to go solo I was of the understanding it was 25nm. How else are you going to practice stalls, steep turns etc that you need for your flight test. You can't do these in the circuit area.

 

Maynard

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

When able to go solo I was of the understanding it was 25nm. How else are you going to practice stalls, steep turns etc that you need for your flight test. You can't do these in the circuit area.Maynard

Only after you've done your area solo check ride with your instructor. Once that's done you can then head into the training area on your own.

 

 

[BruceScott]

Thanks Everyone

 

For the comments,

 

I will ask the instructor if I can venture out further as I know the local area like the back of my hand as I used to drive livestock trucks and know everybody's property from the ground, now I can see it from the air.

 

Only need another 2.1 hours of solo and maybe another hour with him to practice a few more stalls, forced landing and go arounds.

 

Nothing like practice.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Guest brentc]

This is another tricky and interesting question.

 

The 25 miles would be for a pilot with pilot certificate issued (without x-country).

 

When you are solo you don't have your pilot certificate so your area of training would be purely at the discretion of your CFI / SI and most likely in the designated training area.

 

I recall when I was solo my instructor told me I could go anywhere I wanted (outside CTA of course) but that certainly wasn't the same for everyone else at the time.

 

 

[BruceScott]

Thanks Brent

 

It proberly is up the discretion of the instructor and he sort of said where I can see you.

 

So with what Tomo has said about 5 nm radius would be OK.

 

I wanted to find it in the manual so I knew how far as there could be a situation where you have to do a long downwind because of traffic, so in that case it would be easier to vacate the curcuit area and then come back.

 

Agree Brent about a tricky and interesting question.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[Guest Decca]

2.01 flight crew limitations

 

Bruce do you have the CDversion of the RAAus Ops Manual?

 

Here's what you're looking for: (Excuse the shorthand typing).

 

Regards, Decca.

 

Cross Country Flying

 

4. No pilot Cert Holder shall act as PIC of a rec a/c at a greater distance than 25Nm from point of departure unless

 

a. an RA X country endorsement has been issued or

 

b. Flight Training exercises are being conudcted under the supervision & control of a CFI.

 

NOTE: Consecutive flts of 25Nm do not comply with this requirement.

 

 

[BruceScott]

Thanks Decca

 

I read this but I do not have the pilot cert as yet, still have about 3 hours to go.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[Guest Decca]

Ha! Sorry Bruce, it's been a long day & another case of RTFQ.

 

Decca.

 

 

[BruceScott]

No probs decca

 

Has been a long day and might soon retire to dream more about next saturdays flying, may do a couple of hours solo and see how close I am to getting the cert.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Guest Decca]

You've done well. Get yourself on Tomo's "SOLO" thread if you haven't already.

 

Decca.

 

 

[BruceScott]

Been there and done that with Tomo's thread, we solo'd on the same day i think but miles apart.

 

Looking forward to getting cert shortly, instructor said 2.1 more hours solo and maybe .5 with him plus the couple of exams and I should be OK.

 

Sons in Geelong at Uni now so would be good once I get the X country out the way to fly down and him.

 

Some local knowledge between Deniliquin and Geeelong would be great at some stage.

 

Lot of high country and fog between us though.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[ahlocks]

When you are solo you don't have your pilot certificate so your area of training would be purely at the discretion of your CFI / SI and most likely in the designated training area.

In the absence of anything to state otherwise in the RAA Ops manual;

 

CARS 1988

 

5.69 Where may an instructor permit a student to fly as pilot in

 

 

 

 

 



command?

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) An authorised flight instructor must not permit a student pilot to fly an

 

 

 

 

 



aircraft as pilot in command if the flight is not:

 

 

 

 

 



(a) in a traffic pattern; or

 

 

 

 

 



(b) if the student has flown 2 hours of flight time in a traffic pattern

 

 

 

 

 



as pilot in command of an aircraft of the category used for the

 

 

 

 

 



flight—within the student pilot area limit; or

 

 

 

 

 



© if the aircraft is being flown for the purposes of cross-country

 

 

 

 

 

training—along a route specified by the instructor.

 

 

 

[BruceScott]

Thanks ahlocks

 

Just need to find out what the student pilot area limit is.

 

I have done nearly 3 hours in the traffic pattern which I assume means curcuits.

 

Would be nice just to be able to go for a fly but that will happen soon enough when the pilot cert comes.

 

Bruce

 

 

[ahlocks]

Bruce,

 

Have a yarn to your instructor. The training area is usually somewhere with lots of flat, open ground......;):big_grin:

 

Cheers!

 

Steven B.

 

 

[BruceScott]

Steven

 

We have miles of that around Deniliquin as far as the eye can see.

 

Just found those Cars you were referencing on the CASA website

 

http://www.casa.gov.au/pilots/download/vfr/general.pdf

 

Once you know where to go it is easy.

 

Cheers

 

 

[ahlocks]

I was being a smart a:censored:e about the flat open ground.:clown:

 

I've been too chicken to fly over there 'cuz it's so flat! Reckon I'll get lost after Jerilderie! Should be able to bludge a free feed for us from the establishment next door when I grow some kahoonies.

 

Cheers!

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

G'day Bruce,

 

I think that the bottom line here is that between the time you go solo and the time you get your certificate you are flying at the discretion of, and under the direct control of your instructor.

 

What that basically means is that if he/she says "don't fly" then you can't. If they say "circuits" then that's what you do, and if they say "training area and don't come back for two hours" then that's what you do!!!

 

I found this part of my training a pain. As I was getting close to my certificate my instructor literally said "training area and don't come back for two hours". Talk about boring, I did stalls, steep turns, PFLs, counted rusty cars, worked out who had kids from the nappies on the clothes line....

 

Best of luck with your certificate.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[BruceScott]

G'day Mike

 

Thanks for the info, see what happens on Saturday.

 

Still need to do that HF exam, that may be next weeks task.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[BruceScott]

You won't get lost as you can nearly see Deniliquin from Jerilderie, the local rice mill stands out for miles, not that there is any rice going into it at the moment.

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[crashley]

I believe it is 10 nautical miles before your pilots certificate and 25 after

 

 

[Yenn]

Go where your instructor advises and don't expect to practice steep turns etc in the circuit area. It would not be safe.