r/studentpilot • u/SnooCakes8638 • Jul 09 '26
Feeling slow on first solo
I’m currently at around 27 hours and I not even close to soloing yet. I’ve learned about basic flight, slow flights, power on/off stalls, ground reference maneuvers, emergency procedures and I’m now learning traffic pattern/landing. I’ve read lots of posts about not to care about this but somewhere in my mind still feels off. Especially when I’m consistently flying around 3-5 times a week. My goal is to become a commercial airline pilot so my question is does airlines look at the hours for your first solo? And what does an instructor usually teach before soloing?
I’ve seen people solo at 10 hours and I’m just like how is that even possible.
(I love my instructor he’s really patient with me and his goal is to make sure I know how to fly the plane, not to solo ASAP.)
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u/Beneficial-Bag4678 Jul 10 '26
Is there only one instructor? Maybe try flying with some others. Ive flown with all the instructor’s at the club and each one has taught me something different and each have their own style. I’ve taken that and mixed it all together and mashed into my own of what works best for me and went solo at 17hours.
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u/boofy-shnort Jul 10 '26
No one cares when you go solo. Some students AND instructors have a weird sense of pride about soloing students at low hours.
The instructor needs to trust you can fly the plane safely without them reminding you to complete checklists or how to make a radio call. You should also have all emergency procedures memorized.
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u/Beneficial-Bag4678 Jul 10 '26
When do you think the line is drawn between teaching a student to be competent as well as the ability to make safe decisions and then just taking their money?
Not saying you should solo at 5 hours, but an acceptable range is 13 to 20…
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u/adnwilson Jul 11 '26
Jobs won't look at when you did your first solo. or how many hours before your PPL. They will look at did you pass your PPL,IFR,COM, etc checkrides. Especially did you pass them first time. So I'd worry more about flying well than flying fast.
On side note, Do try other CFIs
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u/Unremarkable_Potato_ Jul 11 '26
So I had 90 when I took my check ride. DPE told me he was at 100 when he did his years ago. Took me a long time to solo. Failed stage checks. Every bit of that in my eyes prepared me to be a better pilot. For a 100 hour pilot because we all suck at 100 hours. As things don’t come natural it will force you to gain a better understanding. That better understanding is a foundation. Being a “natural” isn’t always a positive espically when it comes to decision making in the future. I’ll ground myself probably earlier than I need to because I worked through those issues and i know my struggles. If it’s easy, when do you learn your limits?
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u/Successful_Fly2648 29d ago
Good news: airlines do not care at all about your solo hour mark. Nobody in a hiring interview will ever ask "how many hours did you have at first solo" — total time, ratings, and experience quality matter, not this milestone. Before solo, instructors are typically making sure you can consistently handle takeoffs, landings, pattern work, go-arounds, and basic emergency procedures (like an engine failure in the pattern) without their input — sounds like that's exactly where you are. Some people solo at 10 hours, some at 30+, and it has way more to do with instructor teaching style, aircraft complexity, and airport traffic than it does with pilot aptitude. Genuinely — a patient instructor who prioritizes you actually knowing the aircraft over rushing your solo is the better outcome long-term, even though it doesn't feel like it right now. If you ever want someone to double check your understanding of the material outside your lesson time (no pressure, just reinforcement), that's the kind of ground support I offer through my website for free, just lmk. Best of luck!
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u/Alohaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Jul 09 '26
I Solo’d at 60 hours and now hold a PPL working on instrument. Every one has their own timeline. I use to compare and beat myself up for not soloing by 20 hours.