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Solo Cross-country initial endorsement

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FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Student Pilot

Hi everybody, I hope someone can help me with this questions.

One of my students is a student pilot seeking a private pilot certificate, was flying with another instructor who gave him the solo endorsements for his solo flights. They also flew together for his Dual X-country flights to 3 different airports, however his previous flight instructor never endorsed him for his SOLO x-country flights. Now, his previous instructor has left town and I am his new instructor. I told him that in order to endorse him for his solo x-country flight need to give him training on maneuvers listed on 61.93(e) and also comply with 61.93(c)(1)  A student pilot must have a solo cross-country endorsement from the authorized instructor who conducted the training that is placed in that person's logbook for the specific category of aircraft to be flown.

However the student doesn't want to spend more money flying a x-country lesson again. I asked a more experienced CFI about it and I was told that I don't need to fly with my new student a whole x-country flight and give him training in both directions of the route. But I can do a mock-up training with him(pretend to fly from point A to point B, file, open, amend and close a VFR flight plan, and in the middle of the flight give him a situation to divert to a closer airport). Doing that should be ok to endorse him for his solo x-country flight.

The student's solo endorsements are current,  just need to endorse him for his solo x-country initial 61.93(c)(1)(2) and 61.93(c)(3). 

Does anybody have a better idea what to do? 

I really appreciate all your guys help. 

Thank you all!

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1 Answers



  1. Max Trescott on Aug 19, 2019

    Yes, it’s unfortunately his previous instructor didn’t do that endorsement, and of course the student doesn’t want to pay to do it again. One solution might be for him to contact his prior CFI and get him to send him the required endorsement, and then paste that endorsement in his logbook.

    I think 61.93 (c) (1) is fairly clear. “A student pilot must have a solo cross-country endorsement from the authorized instructor who conducted the training that is placed in that person’s logbook for the specific category of aircraft to be flown.” Unless you repeat all of the training required in 61.93(e), I don’t see how it’s legal for you to give that endorsement. You could always contact your FSDO for their guidance.

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