Student Pilot Solo - Work

[gitmo234]

I'm sure this will be another hot button question so I'm going to clarify up from that I'm not considering this. It popped into my head during a meeting.

So here's what I'm wondering is "okay", and by okay I mean within FAA regulatory compliance.

I'm a high time student pilot (high time as in getting ready for check ride, 58 hours) and I have approved repeat solos to a different airport <50 nautical miles away.

Lets say that this week I have a meeting very near that other airport. Is there any issue with me using my solo privilege to fly to that airport, park, have someone pick me up and take me to the meeting. My business is not aviation related and it is simply an alternate form of transportation. No passengers, no payment for flight, just dont want to drive.

 

[marcoseddi]

why not?

 

[DJTorrente]

Consider whether you're willing to let your attendance at the business meeting be contingent upon the weather being within your solo minimums established by your CFI. Your flight may not even get off the ground, so to speak, on the day you want to go.

What if you run into weather on the way there and can't land as planned? In an ordinary training solo, you could just turn around and come back to base, or divert elsewhere and wait it out. If you have business planned at the other end of the flight, you might feel pressure to push on (for example, if you have a pickup waiting at the airport).

 

[CTLSi]

I'm sure this will be another hot button question so I'm going to clarify up from that I'm not considering this. It popped into my head during a meeting.

So here's what I'm wondering is "okay", and by okay I mean within FAA regulatory compliance.

I'm a high time student pilot (high time as in getting ready for check ride, 58 hours) and I have approved repeat solos to a different airport <50 nautical miles away.

Lets say that this week I have a meeting very near that other airport. Is there any issue with me using my solo privilege to fly to that airport, park, have someone pick me up and take me to the meeting. My business is not aviation related and it is simply an alternate form of transportation. No passengers, no payment for flight, just dont want to drive.

Once endorsed for solo you can fly solo within those restrictions all you want. What you do at a destination airport is up to you. But you cannot fly to just any airport. The CFI would have given restriction on where you can go, how far in one direction you can fly.

 

[RyanB]

I don't see why not, if wx permits, ask your instructor and give it a go!

 

[MikeELP]

From a regs standpoint you're right as rain with the appropriate solo endorsement. As DJ noted above...be careful of pushing your limits and/or the limits set down by your CFI. "Get-there-it is" can bite you.

Mike

 

[gitmo234]

I don't see why not, if wx permits, ask your instructor and give it a go!

After reading some of the comments here I actually called him. This situation is actually possible at work for me, this coming Wednesday. I ran it by him and he said "You're already endorsed, but lets fly there tonight as a refresher and look t the upcoming weather, if that's good, why not".

So tonight I'm going back with him to get his thumbs up. Good news is, the weather looks very good for Wednesday.

In response to get-there-itis... I seem to be very susceptible to that. I'm gonna focus on relaxing during this because I look it this way... if this works out, its a 20 minute flight due south. If it doesnt, it's a 2 hour drive each way, plus about $20 in tolls, plus traffic.

 

[jnbcfi]

(a) A student pilot may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft: (4) In furtherance of a business.....

What does the FAA mean by in furtherance of a business? Anyone know?

 

[gitmo234]

I read up on that just now and it looks like the rules for students and sport pilots in this regard are basically the same...which are dependent upon interpretation. One side of the argument says "used for a commute to work, fine. Reimbursed for travel? not fine". The other says virtually nothing is permitted by it.

 

[CTLSi]

I read up on that just now and it looks like the rules for students and sport pilots in this regard are basically the same...which are dependent upon interpretation. One side of the argument says "used for a commute to work, fine. Reimbursed for travel? not fine". The other says virtually nothing is permitted by it.

You are confusing PP privilege and purpose for a flight with what you can do as a student pilot.

As a student you CANNOT take a passenger with you, but you can fly by yourself within the restrictions of your solo endorsement to any destination also as restricted by your solo endorsement.

Once on the ground, if you wanna go to lunch, visit a friend, go to a meeting, play a video game it's your life.

 

[steingar]

Consider whether you're willing to let your attendance at the business meeting be contingent upon the weather being within your solo minimums established by your CFI. Your flight may not even get off the ground, so to speak, on the day you want to go.

What if you run into weather on the way there and can't land as planned? In an ordinary training solo, you could just turn around and come back to base, or divert elsewhere and wait it out. If you have business planned at the other end of the flight, you might feel pressure to push on (for example, if you have a pickup waiting at the airport).

Always the case when you want to fly anywhere. In a hurry? Drive.

That said, if its a meeting you can beg off with no consequence, go for it. I owned the aircraft in which I trained, and I did solo flights all over the place.

 

[poadeleted20]

You are confusing PP privilege and purpose for a flight with what you can do as a student pilot.

As a student you CANNOT take a passenger with you, but you can fly by yourself within the restrictions of your solo endorsement to any destination also as restricted by your solo endorsement.

That's true as far as it goes, but you are also limited by what it says in 61.89 General Limitations no matter what your instructor writes, and your instructor cannot waive those. So...

Once on the ground, if you wanna go to lunch, visit a friend, go to a meeting, play a video game it's your life.

Most of those are fine, but if the meeting is for your job, then that is in fact "in furtherance of a business," and per the General Limitations for Student Pilots in 61.89 as cited above, such a flight is not permitted for a Student Pilot. This is clearly explained for Sport and Rec pilots in these two interpretations:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...011/gilbert - (2011) legal interpretation.pdf
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...-terrafugia - (2012) legal interpretation.pdf
...which clearly state that the described meaning of "in furtherance of a business" applies to Student Pilots, too.

So take the darn check ride and make this issue go away!

 

[gitmo234]

Scheduling my 3 hours prep for next week!! Instructor says I'm more than ready

 

[AggieMike88]

Most of those are fine, but if the meeting is for your job, then that is in fact "in furtherance of a business," and per the General Limitations for Student Pilots in 61.89 as cited above, such a flight is not permitted for a Student Pilot. This is clearly explained for Sport and Rec pilots in these two interpretations:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...011/gilbert - (2011) legal interpretation.pdf
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...-terrafugia - (2012) legal interpretation.pdf
...which clearly state that the described meaning of "in furtherance of a business" applies to Student Pilots, too.

Hmmm. I sorta remember Jesse The Hulk and his first posts here about Freezing Rain. That was pre-checkride and he was flying from the DFW area to his oil field job south of San Antonio.

Thanks for the details Ron. I'll file that in the data bank if I'm ever asked the question by a student pilot.