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5 Answers

Endorsement Question

Asked by: 1262 views Flight Instructor, Student Pilot

You are an instructor at an FBO at Airport B. On a morning in which you are the only instructor available a young lady enters the office and is directed to you for assistance. She explains that she had begun a cross country flight yesterday as a
student pilot. The weather had caused her to spend the night at Airport B with her sister and she would like to return to Airport A where she started. She asks you to sign her off for the flight back as she was directed by her flight instructor.

What are the issues here?

What are your limitations and responsibilities?

Can you sign her off for the return flight? If so under what criteria?

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5 Answers



  1. Bryan on Nov 16, 2022

    This is spelled out in pretty straightforward terms in 61.93(d).

    (d) Limitations on authorized instructors to permit solo cross-country flights. An authorized instructor may not permit a student pilot to conduct a solo cross-country flight unless that instructor has:

    (1) Determined that the student’s cross-country planning is correct for the flight;

    (2) Reviewed the current and forecast weather conditions and has determined that the flight can be completed under VFR;

    (3) Determined that the student is proficient to conduct the flight safely;

    (4) Determined that the student has the appropriate solo cross-country endorsement for the make and model of aircraft to be flown; and

    (5) Determined that the student’s solo flight endorsement is current for the make and model aircraft to be flown.

    I suppose you’re only in this pickle because the prior instructor failed at (d)(2). An instructor at Airport B has to do all five items to issue the endorsement. (1), (2), (4), and (5) are pretty straightforward and could be done without a flight. But I cannot determine that a student pilot is proficient to fly safely cross-country without flying with them. I would not issue the endorsement without flying with the student and running through everything listed in part (e).

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Nov 17, 2022

    Weather is not the only issue that might precipitate the scenario.
    Mechanical issues. Health issues.
    In these cases, the endorsing instructor would not be negligent.

    The original instructor could be contacted. He could review the weather. He would already have flown with the student and reviewed the route planning. He could fax an endorsement to complete the trip or scan and email it.

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  3. Bryan on Nov 17, 2022

    It’s true weather isn’t the only thing…but he included it in the question so I tagged it.

    Contacting her regular instructor is a great idea. I’ve seen instructors write out endorsements which were printed and taped into the logbook the morning of a check ride. So that is probably the best option.

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  4. Russ Roslewski on Nov 17, 2022

    I assume this is a practice checkride scenario or something similar, in which case the intent is to gauge the prospective CFI’s knowledge of the endorsement rules and limitations. But if that’s the goal, it’s not a great scenario, because the real, practical answer that I would give would show no knowledge or application of any rules.

    Because my answer would be that she needs to contact her CFI and have that person provide the endorsement. I’m not likely to endorse an off-the-street stranger from another airport for a solo XC flight, even if the regulations say I can. There’s just no need to do so.

    There is no reason that CFI can’t review her flight planning and endorse her in various ways without being in the same room – it’s 2022 after all. This question might have had a practical application 20 years ago, but not today.

    And if her regular CFI, who has been flying with her, knows her skill and knowledge level, strengths and weaknesses, etc., isn’t willing to endorse her, it would certainly not be prudent for me to do so.

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  5. Mark Kolber on Nov 18, 2022

    Russ, you’ve echoed my thought exactly. And I think “I know that I can but I wouldn’t do it because the regular CFI can do it remotely” is a good checkride answer too. Shows knowledge of the rules and the exercise of good judgment.

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