Average Dual Time Before Solo - I Know - Everyone is Different

Don't forget to enjoy it either! Training was some of my favorite flying, looking back, especially with Fred as we really enjoyed each other... I'm training right now for my TW endorsement and am very close, and I told Jack who's helping me get it, that now I have my own plane at home airport I plan on hiring him in between Bi-annuals and go out and learn new skills that aren't part of PTS but could be handy, or have him throw emergency scenarios at me, training truly is some of the funnest flying you can do. So deep breath and enjoy it! You WILL get there if you keep focus. Also the comment on chair flying is spot on... I honestly think it does help, no you aren't technically learning anything and you aren't logging time, but I wholeheartedly believe it can help you relax more the next flight in a given maneuver.
 
One thing that’s unpopular that I will say as far a average time to solo is this, not everyone is cut out to be a pilot, sorry, now days with participation trophies and “you can be anything you want to be” nonsense and all sometimes we try to ask a penguin to fly.

If you’re working at learning how to fly a couple times a week, good CFI and nothing out of the ordinary and you’re over say 25hrs or so, you need to start asking questions, is it the CFI, his lack of skill or maybe just he teaches difrent than you learn, good to try a new high time CFI at this point, as the second most likely factor is maybe flying just isn’t for you.
 
I would rather see you fly one hour twice a week at this stage. Half of your 2nd hour is being wasted because your brain is tired after a 90 minute beating.
Now, this assumes the one hour is straight out to the plane and off the ground snicker-snack.
Ground teaching is on the ground before and after the flight, not in the plane with the tach running.
But hey, that's me (shrug)
 
I soloed at 27...some I know did less, others more. I get the cost issue, but this is the thing you really want to be ready for...it costs what it costs...
 
I just took a look, 30 hrs over 6 months. Very busy class D airport. I knew I had 12K put aside in the bank and didn't ponder the bills, it took the fun out of it. Just make steady progress and enjoy it!.
 
7.8 In Maine. In February. In a J-3. After 1.5 ski checkout.
 
Dear Self,
In my case - It was 25 Hours. I spent 10 hours getting my landings down pat. At this point all I have is my Night VFR Requirement, which I am doing tomorrow night, and Dual Cross Country and Solo Cross Country and then I will have checked every box (Provided all hour requirements are met) to get to my written/oral/checkride stage. I don't plan on Checkriding until the summer though. I started training in November and flew 2-3 times a week which paid off big time! Thanks all.

Also the cost is the cost 100%. You'll have to spend the money anyway to get to your hour requirement so.. duh
 
Congrats. Now you probably understand better why it doesn’t matter. ;)
 
The thing about the solo is that it really is less relevant to people that are concerned about getting it done. It’s more important for those that aren’t. It’s a confidence builder and a way to force you to realize the plane is in your control. It’s more important to those that aren’t focused on getting it done than to those that are.
 
100% I agree with you. I didn't understand that starting out. Now that I am solo certified, now I get it. There is no need to rush to solo. Landing is always the hardest. Learning Judgement of your transition (Not flare because a 172 doesn't 'flare') understanding Pitch for Speed, Power for Altitude, Understanding flap management, are all things that go into becoming a great pilot. Sometimes as a student you'll have a real nice greaser and sometimes you'll have a little harder on the mains. The main thing is that you're always learning and improving. As a wise man once said 'A good landing is one where you can walk away with the plane intact'
 
Not to mention. After you solo, you still have a LOT of training to do.
 
I had 14.3 logged AFTER my first solo flight which included some dual and three solo T/O's and landings. While most people will be anxious to reach that point, it is really just another step. There is plenty to do and learn. the only real difference is that it gets about 30% or so cheaper without a CFI occupying the right seat.
 
Where you based out of? Where you xC to? Just curious
 
TVProducer said:
Hello All,

I have just begun flight training and I'm attempting to make a spreadsheet budgeting the amount I will be shelling out per 2 hour flight session until I get to my solo level. I asked my CFI the average and he said that he had students who did it in 10 hours and some who took 100 hours it all depends on the student.

I have already completed ground school before I got in left seat. I have only had two sessions in the 172s and I already have accomplished:
  • Basic Turns
  • Taxiing (Still needs some work because I need to get my feet in a good position on the pedals)
  • Full Checklisting
  • Altitude Management (power not pitch)
  • Slow Flight
  • Takeoff (without rudder control)

Roughly each 2 hour session costs $300 with C172S and CFI. My CFI says I'm making good progress so far, he said he will show me more maneuvers, possibly start into engine on and engine off stalls next session, following by takeoff/landing, and finally cross country. I know many pilots spend $8k-$10k for their private license all in, but from where I am at I'm hoping to have my Solo by 20 Hours aka $3,000. Any input would be appreciated, and I know, Never compare yourself to another pilot.
Click to expand...

I soloed at 24.4 hours. And, that was with getting a lesson just once a week, as that's what fell into my budget.
 
Soloed in about 8 hrs. $7 wet for the Taylorcraft................$3 for the instructor.
FAA written was free
 
As others have said, time to solo varies with the student, you don't get any gold stars or cookies if you solo earlier than most. I know this because I soloed at 9 hours in a Cessna 152. Then 20 hours and 20 years later, I soloed my own (low wing....'cause they're the best) airplane.
 
"you will perform them over and over again gaining proficiency"

Practice makes permanent. Your brain actually rewires to assimilate new experiences, and every time you replicate a maneuver you strengthen these new connections.

Bob
 
To change tack a little, what were the conditions when everyone soloed? I was sent up for mine with a 10kt crosswind component. My instructor figured that its Kansas so you better be able to fly safely when its a bit windy.
 
20 hours last month. Started back in May, but have been grounded more times than not due to weather over the course of my training. Wasn't counting hours, but was so happy when my CFI asked me to drop her off at the FBO.
 
As others have said, you should focus on your training and what you should be learning and less on the financials. I can tell you from experience with other expensive hobbies that focusing on the financials is a recipe for disaster. You will place excess pressure on yourself to perform which often results in a failure to perform and need to spend more time on the topic. It also contributes to a mentality of thinking about how much this time is costing you and a focus on just learning the lesson according to exactly what is being taught and less about what you should be learning from the topic of discussion (turns around a point are a good example of "transferable skill" where you can learn something exactly as it is taught and not grasp the greater lesson of what the topic is teaching).

I know the financials are tough but flying is an expensive hobby in general, instruction (ground and air) does not add much to it in the grand scheme of things... At 280 hours, over half my time is/was logged as some form of "flight training" between my private, instrument (which I did nearly all 40 hours under the hood with an instructor because it was easier and seemed more beneficial to me to pay the $50/hr to have someone available on my schedule and whom could authoritatively critique my flying than the alternative), commercial, complex, tailwheel, currency requirements and the various other aircraft, airport and insurance checkouts.

At 140 hours of training, I estimate I've paid between 6,000-9,000 for "flight" training, plus another probably 2k for ground training (my ground training isn't as accurately logged) and 1600 for DPE Checkrides. No small sum to be sure but it pales in comparison to the $35,000+ I've spent on flying solo or with passengers (I benefited from some relatively cheap, by today's standards anyway, flying in Texas at $100-$110/hr in a C172 and putting in 30 hours in a tailwheel at $105/hr in CA).

With all of that being said, I'm sharing my numbers because I do find the topic/question interesting if misguided in the reasoning behind it.

I started flying in late August 2009. In mid September, after flying nearly every other day for a total of 10 flights and 8.8 hours my instructor informed me that I was 1 or 2 flights away from solo'ing. I assume I probably would have solo'd before 10 hours if the school's insurance requirements werent what they were which required a pretty standard minimum of 10 hours in make/model for solo. I went out to get my medical and due to a douche AME, got waylaid in medical purgatory for 3 years.

When I picked up flying again in April 2012, I again started flying almost every other day and was close to solo'ing again at 15.2 hours. Then came a spate of busy weeks with my instructor out of town for weeks on end such that I logged only 2.3 hours of flight in 2 flights between April 24 and June 18 (May 23 and May 24 were the flight dates). I finally solo'd on July 9 at a total of 21.8 hours/23.4 hours post flight. Discounting the 8.8 hours of flight logged back in 2009, it was about 13 hours total and again probably would have been 10 hours if my instructor had been able to keep up with my availability.

I flew an average of twice a week solo and once a week with an instructor through the rest of July and into August. I changed instructors in August because my primary instructor again was planning to be out of town with a busy work schedule for all of August and I was hoping to have my PPL finished before a trip home to PA at the end of the month. I completed my PPL check ride at 58.2 hours/59.7 hours post flight. Of that 42.4 hours was flight training and 15.8/17.3 hours solo or PIC.

I still generally discount most of my earlier instruction in 2009 because I basically had to start from scratch in 2012 so I put my PPL at around 50 hours total and 35 hours of training at "regular intervals" of 2 or more times per week.

By contrast, I've been irregularly working on my Commercial since February 2017. Work schedule and a lack of availability of a complex aircraft hampered my efforts to get it completed such that I've logged 40 hours since starting to work on it and I'm still a few hours from completion. That being said, since starting working on it regularly and in earnest at the beginning of this month, I've logged 7 hours and will have it finished next week with probably 4-5 hours more total time (want 1 more flight with my primary, 1 or 2 flights solo and 1 or 2 flights with a second instructor to review/do mock checkrides, weather permitting).
 
I was ready to solo after 17 hours. Landed the plane by myself smoothly several times with my CFI, went back to the hangar but night time was approaching so he said I'll go on my first solo the next day. Then, weather happened and I was grounded for two weeks lol. So, I guess I'll take a few more duals this weekend before flying by myself.
 
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