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3 Answers

Student pilot re-solo different make/model

Asked by: 2409 views FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Hello everyone,
I'm a post-solo student pilot. I started my training in a Cessna 172 and started  soloing the plane. Recently, my school got rid of the 172 and bought a Tecnam P2008 light sport. My CFI endorsed me for the new plane after a couple of hours of dual flight training but he never gave me another written test or ground instruction for this make and model. I ended up completing my solo cross-country flights in the Tecnam and now I'm worried about the check-ride.. Was I supposed to take a second written test for the new plane?

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3 Answers



  1. Russ Roslewski on Dec 03, 2021

    The regulations are not perfectly clear on this (and I haven’t searched the Chief Counsel interpretations), but I think a reasonable reading of 61.87b would require a second written test covering the aircraft characteristics of the new make/model. There would be no need to retest on the Part 61/91 rules and airspace requirements, so it could be a short test.

    However, I don’t see that this would even come up on the checkride. I have never had an examiner ask to see my students’ pre-solo written test, or even asked about it. It’s not their responsibility to do so. The examiner will look to see that you have the proper endorsements, and apparently you do.

    However, the CFI really should have given you another test. That’s on them. You might point this out, and they could then give you one now, and everything would be covered (sort of).

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Dec 06, 2021

    It seems clear to me. 61.87(a) requires that a student meet the requirements of 61.87 to operate “an aircraft” in solo flight. Not just for the first aircraft.

    61.87(b)(1)(iii) requires testing on “Flight characteristics and operational limitations for the make and model of aircraft to be flown.”

    The instructor did not meet 61.87(d)(1), if he provided no ground instruction for the Tecnam.
    Per 61.51(a) and the definition of “training time” in 61.1(b), the instructor is required to log the ground training time.

    If he endorsed (61.87(n)) the student for solo in the Tecnam, then he falsified the entry because he had not given (and logged) any ground training for the Tecnam.

    At the very least, the instructor needs some remedial training.

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  3. frankfly86 on Dec 07, 2021

    At this point I did get an endorsement for the pre-solo written, and of course the solo endorsement plus a checkout flight endorsement. I know it’s kinda bad but will this move things along or should I still worry about the checkride?

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