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3 Answers

Cross xtry for student pilot

Asked by: 1626 views ,
Student Pilot

A student pilot had previously wanted to fly the following for his 150nm cross xtry:

AIK-IIY-LUX-AIK

A previous instructor flew

AIK-IIY-AIK

and on a separate flight

AIK-LUX- AIK

Does his new CFI have to fly the IIY-LUX separately  with him to satisfy the regs requirement?

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3 Answers



  1. awair on Feb 21, 2021

    I’m not familiar with IIY-LUX; the distance, airspace, the terrain or other threats, but would interpret that if a student had flown dual A-B-A & A-C-A, they could be authorised for A-B-C-A.

    Obviously this would be at the instructors discretion and depend on sector distance, threats, and the student’s capability.

    In the UK, we would always fly the full route, and even a reversal would not be authorised. At the time, the rules were not even as detailed as the CFRs. So when I became a ‘student’ Helicopter pilot, I was totally unaware of what my CFI was required to do to let me loose!

    Now with considerations of liability, and just from knowing that no two days, or no two flights are ever the same, I would do the whole route. And twice if necessary!

    Good luck.

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  2. Russ Roslewski on Feb 21, 2021

    There is no requirement in the FARs to fly any of the route with the student beforehand. I know many will, but I generally don’t. At the most I will have them fly to one airport we’ve been to before, but in my opinion, at least one should be completely new to them. After all, once they are Private Pilots, they’re not only going to fly to airports they’ve been to already, right? So it’s preparing them for “real flying”. If they get lost, they have to get themselves unlost. If they encounter weather, they have to deal with it and make decisions, etc. It’s the ultimate confidence booster too.

    If it is a school policy to fly the route with them first, well first I think that’s a lousy policy, but in any event then you’d have to ask the question of the school.

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  3. Jeff Baum on Feb 21, 2021

    Oops! Sorry Russ, that was meant to be a Thumbs UP! I must have moved the mouse as I clicked, my mistake. Let me know if here is a way to change that.

    John, I do the same as Russ. I will fly with a student to an airport to which they have not previously seen to evaluate their ability to deal with the new airport. Then on their long cross country, I like to see a “new to them” airport in the plan. This gives the student experience of flying to some place new without any assistance, and Increases the confidence in their own abilities.

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