First solo requirements for student pilots
Everything that has to be in place before your instructor steps out of the airplane.
Your first solo is the first time you fly the airplane with nobody else on board. Before your instructor can send you, you have to meet the student solo rules in 14 CFR 61.87. Here's what has to be in place.
The first solo checklist
- Be at least 16 and hold a student pilot certificate.
- Hold a medical certificate (third class or higher) for airplane solo.
- Pass the pre-solo knowledge test. Your instructor gives and grades it. It covers the parts of 14 CFR 61 and 91 that apply, the airspace and procedures at your airport, and your airplane's flight characteristics. Your instructor reviews every missed question with you.
- Finish pre-solo flight training on the maneuvers listed in 61.87(d): takeoffs and landings, traffic patterns, stalls, slow flight, emergencies and more.
- Get the endorsements in your logbook for the knowledge test, the pre-solo training, and solo flight in that make and model. The solo endorsement must be dated within the 90 days before the flight.
What the first solo usually looks like
Most first solos are three takeoffs and full-stop landings in the traffic pattern at your home airport, with your instructor watching from the ground and listening on the radio. The airplane climbs faster without the second person, so expect it to feel lighter.
Get ready for it
Read the first solo lesson brief, practice your pattern calls in the Radio Trainer, and know the traffic pattern legs cold.
Common questions
How old do you have to be to solo an airplane?
16, with a student pilot certificate.
How long is a solo endorsement good for?
The endorsement for solo in a make and model must be dated within the 90 days before the solo flight.
Do I need a medical to solo?
Yes, at least a third-class medical certificate for airplane solo as a student pilot.
Sources, review & change history
- Published
- Oct 26, 2026
- Review status
- Written from the FAA sources linked in the text. Not yet re-checked line by line or reviewed by a flight instructor.
- Changes
- Oct 26, 2026: first published.
Study aid only. Your instructor, current 14 CFR and the FAA's handbooks and ACS have the final word.