50 hours and no solo

[pewdipie]

Hi Guys,
I have 50 hours in total and no solo. The instructors keep saying i am not ready. What you guys think ?. Is it a good idea to move to different school ?. Do flight schools keep students from going solo ?.

Thanks,
Pewdipie

[Bradley Tucker]

The average person solo's before that. I would move schools and get a second opinion. Would not hurt.

[laserstrike]

Sounds like you need to find a new school, or give up on flying.

[youhavecontrol]

I'd try a new school if you can. 50 hours is a lot.. even for struggling students. If several instructors have said you're not ready then either they're correct or the school has a problem with their training. Hopefully it's the latter, even though either scenario is unfortunate. A second opinion from another flight school will answer that. Best of luck.

[CpnCrunch]

What, specifically, are you having trouble with?

[Bede]

That depends. Are you flying regularly? If you have 50 hours over the last 10 years, that's a problem. Can you consistently land the airplane without the instructor saying anything?

I had a student once that I solo'd once after many hours, but after that he was too inconsistent to send again. Does this sound like you?

If you simply don't get it, the school owes to tell you that this flying thing just isn't for you and you can stop wasting your money.

[BGH]

I had a friend once that was racking up the dual & was pissed at how many hours she had without seeing any solo time in the future,she asked the chief flight instructor to evaluate her & tell her what the problem was - he watched her for the flight & noticed that she couldn’t see properly so he got a pillow for her to sit on & sent her out with another instructor for an hour of free instruction,instructor saw what he needed & let her solo on that flight.

Daryl

[pewdipie]

i have flown with a senior instructor at the school and the flight went well (i flew the whole thing myself). I can fly without any assistance from the instructor. but they didn't send me solo. i heard similar stories from other students at the school too.. so its better to checkout another SCHOOL ??

[pewdipie]

What, specifically, are you having trouble with?

I fly the whole thing myself (i even flew with the senior instructor (he couldn't find any problem either). They can't find any problems. But they keep making me do circuits.

[pewdipie]

That depends. Are you flying regularly? If you have 50 hours over the last 10 years, that's a problem. Can you consistently land the airplane without the instructor saying anything?

I had a student once that I solo'd once after many hours, but after that he was too inconsistent to send again. Does this sound like you?

If you simply don't get it, the school owes to tell you that this flying thing just isn't for you and you can stop wasting your money.

I can land, take off and fly the circuits constantly without any help at all.

[rookiepilot]

What, specifically, are you having trouble with?

I fly the whole thing myself (i even flew with the senior instructor (he couldn't find any problem either). They can't find any problems. But they keep making me do circuits.

Hmmmmm,

Would you like to share the school?

[Bede]

If that's the case you need to find another school.

A school is supposed to have a training program/syllabus. Ask to see it and ask to see where you are on it.

[CpnCrunch]

What, specifically, are you having trouble with?

I fly the whole thing myself (i even flew with the senior instructor (he couldn't find any problem either). They can't find any problems. But they keep making me do circuits.

What reason do they give when you ask them why you can't go solo?

[Hilroy]

I got my PPL at 48 hrs... There is a problem somewhere. Ask your instructor, he will tell you what's missing.

If he keeps making you do circuits, he's not happy the way you handle the aircraft on either of the flight phases.

[rookiepilot]

I got my PPL at 48 hrs... There is a problem somewhere. Ask your instructor, he will tell you what's missing.

If he keeps making you do circuits, he's not happy the way you handle the aircraft on either of the flight phases.

"Never trust a student with fuel and oil". LOL. Quite the blanket statement. I loved guys like you.

You don't think much of your students do you? And there is not a chance there is a problem with this instructor and not with the student?

[C.W.E.]

I got my PPL at 48 hrs..

And I got mine in 30 hours.

There is something very wrong with this students training.

[Hilroy]

I got my PPL at 48 hrs... There is a problem somewhere. Ask your instructor, he will tell you what's missing.

If he keeps making you do circuits, he's not happy the way you handle the aircraft on either of the flight phases.

"Never trust a student with fuel and oil". LOL. Quite the blanket statement. I loved guys like you.

You don't think much of your students do you? And there is not a chance there is a problem with this instructor and not with the student?

I find it very interesting that someone is here asking why he hasn't solo after 50 hours. He has the answer, he just don't want to tell us.

It never happened to any of my students, but the Chief Instructor would have fired me if I wouldn't be able to explain to my student why he is forbidden to progress.

[PilotDAR]

The information provided is inadequate to form an opinion on this particular combination of student and instructor. I have encountered, on rare occasions, students who just were not cut out to be pilots. Every now and then, an instructor will keep trying to train them. I too have been guilty of this, trying my best to help a fellow pilot build the necessary basic skills to be able to build upon for the next rating. In a memorable case, the PPL pilot, after 60 circuits over two days, could not demonstrate to me basic piloting skills to handle the plane to a minimum standard to even go solo in it, much less the next rating. I consulted my instructor mentors, and confirmed that my minimum expectations were fair, and this pilot could not meet them in a reasonable time. I informed the pilot, as nicely as I could, that I could not train him to the next standard, and suggested specific basic airplane handling skills he should build under dual instruction. This pilot graciously accepted my assessment, and our business was ended.

I felt badly, as I had hoped that I could help this pilot refine the precision of his airplane handling, but there was just too much gap between his skills, and my instruction techniques for basic handling. I could repeatedly demonstrate exactly what I wanted to see, but I could not enable him to absorb it. We were not a match.

But, I was able to explain to him exactly what I perceived his deficiencies to be, and what to pursue to improve them. I specifically told him that after he completed a checkout in a local Decathalon, and flew five hours of solo circuits in varying winds, he would probably be there. I never heard what happened next.

I accept the reality that some instructors (skilled, and less so) may lack the ability to communicate a deficiency to a student.

On the obverse, I demonstrated a water landing in a new type to a pilot I was checking out. He said to me: "show it to me well, because that's what I'll remember". Fair enough, I'm there to teach well. I demonstrated a really good landing and takeoff, and described what I was doing as I flew them. He asked to try it... Okay... He flew perfect landings and takeoffs after that - dozens of them, never got one wrong! Eventually, after doing so well, I told him that I was going to have to fly some poor ones, just to have the opportunity to demonstrate bounce recovery, and a few other imperfections. Usually, a student will muff a few, and there'll be an opportunity to demonstrate "fixing". Not this guy! Over three days of flying, I did not have to fix anything he had flown.

Some students have to accept that they might not have what it takes. Some instructors have to accept that they are not the best. And some combinations of people don't work, where another combination will be adequate, though not efficient. The key is to figure out which situation exists, and the student is owed a fair and detailed assessment, aimed at promoting an efficient next path, if there is one.

[Aviatard]

Some students have to accept that they might not have what it takes. Some instructors have to accept that they are not the best. And some combinations of people don't work, where another combination will be adequate, though not efficient. The key is to figure out which situation exists, and the student is owed a fair and detailed assessment, aimed at promoting an efficient next path, if there is one.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the most succinct, intelligent thing posted on this forum.

[AirFrame]

The information provided is inadequate to form an opinion on this particular combination of student and instructor.

Excellent post. And I think the line quoted is the best summary of this particular situation.

The advice given has been great. Identifying the problem could be as easy as switching schools... If it's the student, the problem will persist. If it's the school, another school/instructor may be able to advance them to the next level.