How do I get the most out of my solo time?

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threeleafcloverspy@reddit

Have a plan! Know what you’re trying to work on and improve.
Challenge yourself. The whole flight shouldn’t be a challenge but you need at least some aspect of the flight to push your envelope.
Be deliberate. If you say “I’m going to fly at 4500’” then make sure you fly at 4500’. Don’t let the lack of an instructor make you lazy. I actually find it’s easier to focus on the tiny details without the instructor.

In terms of challenging yourself that might be as simple as tackling winds that are a bit higher than you’ve been doing. But make sure you don’t overload yourself. I always look for 1-2 things that are challenging, but not more than that.

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bhalter80@reddit

Be deliberate is the big one. Even teaching IR I get a lot of people who can fly at 4520 all day long but lack the discipline to fly at 4500.

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Better-Caramel3983@reddit (OP)

This might be a dumb question but should I be able to hold an altitude exactly? Like your example says I shouldn't be drifting by even 20 feet?

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vtjohnhurt@reddit

It's the same as holding the center line when landing. Sure, it does not really matter if you're not perfect. But don't let yourself get sloppy.

On the other hand, if everyone precisely maintained their assigned altitude, we would have more mid-air collisions. This is especially true at 'pattern altitude', and being spot-on led to a close call.

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threeleafcloverspy@reddit

Yeah, I struggled a bit with landings right after my PPL and I think it’s because I had a long wide runway and I stopped being deliberate with my touchdown points.

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threeleafcloverspy@reddit

For me, I accept I’m going to fluctuate by 20 feet or something. Especially if it’s bumpy or something. But the key to me is that I don’t accept it.

I had a bad habit where I’d climb to say 4500’, overshoot to 4600’, and then just basically stay there. Now I make myself correct every single time. And not lazily. Like ok, I’m 100’ high, time to descend. It’s made me better I think.

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bhalter80@reddit

Yes, if you trim well. You might have a momentary excursion +/- 20 but not beyond that

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SoloCFI@reddit

Lots of great advice here. Adding on to #1, I personally play everything through my mind that I have planned before I am even in the aircraft. This helps set my expectation but also highlights things I may not have considered when actually performing the flight.

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SpartanDoubleZero@reddit

Go practice your maneuvers, start high and do your stalls, then steep turns, the emergency spiral descent, then into ground reference maneuvers, then finish with simulated engine out. Do pattern work, really work those short field landings. Before your checkride ask a CFI to go with you to number 1 judge your ass harshly and 2 add that weight you need to account for that will be present on the checkride.

For XCs make it fun. Plan routes that aren’t a straight line, use VOR/DME as a back up and even plan it. Know at way point (1,2,3,4) ABC VOR/DME will be at XXX degrees going to/from and be XX distance from you (it’s a fun little challenge to see how close you can get to what you have on paper. Go get that $100 hamburger. If there’s an airport with a museum attached go check that out, if you find an airport that has a crew car, take that and go grab something out in town. Go see stuff you’ve always wanted to see from the air. Reinforce the reason why you put in so much work and of course make sure you’re endorsed for all the airports.

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No-Foundation-8034@reddit

I was told by my PPL CFI that solo time and Checkride times you DO NOT do anything that is:

-dumb -new -different

Stick to what your CFI has taught you. If you want to try a new technique, discuss / do it with your CFI first.

And be deliberate with what you are doing. Stay ahead of the plane. I talked to myself throughout and that helped, doesnt work for everyone though

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aftcg@reddit

Avoid trying new things bc no one is looking

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vtjohnhurt@reddit

Long time ago, so I don't feel the need to hide my stupidity. My point in making this comment is to communicate that 'you too, a pilot who prides themselves on being safe and not foolish, can do some stupid things.'

I was on one of my early flights in my new-to-me single seat glider type. Exploring the 'flight envelope'. I wanted to do a stall and have the nose drop like it did in the trainer that I'd flown previously. Try and try, I could not get the nose to drop, the glider would just 'moush', it was very docile. But silly me could not accept this outcome.

I figured, 'maybe the nose would drop if I stalled at a higher attitude?' So I pushed the nose down, built up some speed, then pull the nose up and held it up. Whoosh. The nose dropped. When I was back on the ground, one of my instructors who happened to be in the air at the time said, 'That was a nice hammer-head!'. Glider type was rated for some aerobatics, but I did not have the training.

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vtjohnhurt@reddit

Explore the performance envelop of the aircraft. Do all of the maneuvers that you've been trained to do. Do multiple landings at multiple airports.

Once you can reliably repeat your 'standard pattern and landing', plan and execute non-standard patterns and landings: extend downwind, slow to increase separation in the pattern, land short, land long, land with a somewhat higher airspeed, land without using brakes; get some advice about this from your CFI before you attempt anything beside your 'standard landing'. I aim to be able to put the aircraft where and when I want it on the ground.

Plan how you're going to land before enter the pattern, then execute your plan (assuming nothing unexpected happens in the pattern). Do not get lax and accept the random results 'how it happened to work out' when landing.

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arienaviation@reddit

Always good to know what you want to practice before getting up there. Test new navigation methods, like reverse sensing on a VOR. Find scenarios on the ground and fly them in the air. Ground references maneuvers, really anything but have a plan is important, or else you're burning holes.

Do you come up with scenarios on the ground?

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Mountain-Captain-396@reddit

Make calls out loud as if your instructor is right next to you. It will help prevent you from getting lazy and skipping important steps.

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aye246@reddit

Turn on Highway to the Danger Zone or One Vision and play it through your headphones while you do your maneuvers.

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yeeee_hawwww@reddit

On my recent commercial XC, I kept chair flying emergencies and building a contingency plan in case something were going wrong. Other time kept up with the weather in front of me, cloud were building up and in south it’s not great. So pretty much getting ahead of the plane.

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phteven1989@reddit

I would talk to myself and go through everything I would as if my instructor was there. I’d point out landmarks, good places to land in my engine died, and I’d study out loud regulations and/or acronyms like 91.205. I’d also look at the gauges and think about how they work, how they can fail, and what I would do if they did. I’d also use the time to experiment with the VOR. I’d track it in and see how the needle moved as I moved and compare it to GPS. But of course, keep your eyes out of the plane and be safe. That’s the most important thing. Oh, and have fun!

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kivathewolf@reddit

Have a plan for the solo flight. Don’t just putz around. List the maneuvers you have practiced - slow flight, steep turns are something I recommend solo practicing in the local practice area. Once you are comfortable with being alone and these maneuvers, do power off stall. Then go to power on stalls. Hold your self to ACS standard. Don’t push your limit but learn to get comfortable with uncomfortable. If you are doing xc, push urself a bit more. Pick flight following on your own. If you fly out of un towered field, go to a class D Airport (do that first with your instructor) and vice versa. Solo time builds confidence. Always discuss with your CFI and have a plan A and B. Never be afraid to use plan B. Chair fly before your solo flight. Practice on the chair and fly good- you will not suck!

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RyzOnReddit@reddit

Fly good. Don’t crash. Mostly try to get to the point where you’re comfortable in the plane alone.

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Does anyone have any tips that I should implement in my solo flights to best prepare me for my checkride or improve my experience?

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