EP 20 "How Long To Helicopter Solo?"

[@tommyk1073]

I just did mine, 3 weeks ago..3 times in the pattern..felt great. I did mine at 46 hours..so don’t be discouraged if you haven’t done it yet..do it when you feel ready!

[@HelicopterGround]

Awesome Tommy!

[@jamesmiles60]

I first went solo at 38hrs for a few circuits. Then followed a small cross country nav exercise.

[@HelicopterGround]

Thanks for sharing James!

[@Bkytrmpt]

Good topic and glad you brought this up Kenny...with 15hrs in R22(18 hrs altogether w my 3 hrs schwizer) I dont feel I ready for solo and will take my time til I and school feel I ready.. ...safe over moncho is a winner.

[@HelicopterGround]

Awesome Bruce thanks for sharing!

[@pokey1652]

You should solo when it’s safe. The student feels confident and the instructor has no doubts. As long as it takes...

[@HelicopterGround]

Thank you for sharing Glenn!

[@floraok6884]

But if the student is with Danning-Kruger effect but instructor is total oscillating.. or just Balance at the horoscope, for example? 😁

[@nickmosley3238]

19.6 before solo for me in the R22 back in the day. As others have said, it really doesn't matter as one thing is for sure: no matter how many more hours you do after, you never forget your first solo.

[@HelicopterGround]

Thank you for sharing Nick!

[@ericcoleman7883]

What I ran into at my previous school was they wanted you proficient at autos before they would let you solo. So I racked up the hours till a previous instructor took me up and then landed and I finally solo. I still remember my first 5 laps in the pattern and my instructor was on the ground watching. He signed me off and my other instructor, the next time I flew, took me around a couple times, hopped out told me to idle while he fills the tanks, once full he sent me off on a 30 mile cross country! My second solo!! sheesh!! that instructor left and new guy took over,. let me solo at a towered, then next lesson I screwed up an auto and it was back to square one. I have since changed school and have been happily flying solos, pulling autos and 180s. Have done a 150 mile cross country solo, a couple of 60 mile solos I still have a lot to learn but have been enjoying my flights far more - So my take, it is the school that will determine as well as your proficiency, took me a long time because of my autos, but is that a reason to hold a student back? New school felt I could fly just fine, and maybe that gave me the confidence to finally ace most of my autos

[@HelicopterGround]

Thanks for sharing Eric!

[@kyler.4754]

Dang, I'm a full time student with a little over 150 hrs in Robinson's and both the schools I've attended don't solo students until nearly the end of their private training. Personally I didn't mind waiting to solo but at first i did worry I was behind because so many students online seem to solo around 20 hrs. (For what it's worth I'm on track to finish my CFII at 200 hrs)

[@HelicopterGround]

Awesome Kyle thank you for sharing your experience!

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

Man,..I would have been climbing the walls if I had to wait until the end!

[@grevis101]

So an adaption to this question, when you are sending students out solo (at 10 - 15 - 20 hours etc...) how many would be able to perform a real life auto if they had to?

[@HelicopterGround]

Thanks for a great question! The idea is to have them proficient to handle it and get on the ground safely. May not be pretty, but if they can walk away unhurt, that is the goal!

[@floraok6884]

Helicopter solo is more faster than cars driving solo... Because there is NO PARKING between two cars!!! 😂 Women choose helicopters! 👍😁

[@HelicopterGround]

Awesome!