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Must PPL solo cross country time exclude a passenger?

Asked by: 4907 views , , ,
FAA Regulations, Light Sport Aircraft, Student Pilot

I am a licensed Sport Pilot.  To move up to PPL, I need, among other things, to log at least 5 hours of solo cross country time.

If I were just a student pilot, the solo cross country flights would be just me, since I couldn't take a passenger.  But since I have a Sport Pilot certificate, and I fly a Cessna 162, I can legally take a passenger with me.  

Question - if I take a passenger with me on a cross country flight, would I not be able to count that time as "solo" cross country for PPL purposes, since I wouldn't be the only person on board?  Or is the FAA just wanting to make sure there is not a CFI or other pilot on board?

TIA

John

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2 Answers



  1. EAD on May 09, 2017

    The definition of “Solo” time is unambiguously defined in 61.51 (d)

    “Logging of solo flight time. Except for a student pilot performing the duties of pilot in command of an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember, a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft.”

    In other words, it’s not solo if there is ANYONE else inside the aircraft with you, airship exception not withstanding…

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on May 09, 2017

    See 61.51 (d).

    ” Logging of solo flight time. Except for a student pilot performing the duties of pilot in command of an airship requiring more than one pilot flight crewmember, a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft.”

    The wording says a pilot, not a student pilot. In order to log solo time, you must be the only person on board.

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