How much time?

[Dangeruss]

I'm just getting into flight training and I thought it might be valuable for me and others to see how much time everyone had before they solo'd, and then how much total time they had before they (successfully) passed the checkride.

So if we could maybe get a list going, that would be great! i.e.

solo'd in #hrs
checkride #hrs

O what the heck, I think I'll add a poll too.

[CharlieTango]

First I built a single seated challenger. I took it out on the runway for a tax test and I was flying in a heart beat.

Solo'd with zero time but I had practiced a lot in my mind first.

[dstclair]

~10 hrs to solo
~43 hrs to Private Pilot

[drseti]

O what the heck, I think I'll add a poll too.

Thanks for doing that! I was 25.4 hours to first solo, 78.7 hours to my license. (OK, so I'm a slow learner...)

[Dangeruss]

This is a great start guys, thanks for all the votes so far.

~10 hrs to solo

~43 hrs to Private Pilot

Wow dstclair! 43hrs to ppl is really incredible.

Thanks for doing that! I was 25.4 hours to first solo, 78.7 hours to my license. (OK, so I'm a slow learner...)

Maybe not a slow learner, but thorough and dedicated to aviation. Was that for spl or ppl?

[drseti]

That was PPL (and three decades before SP was invented).

[Jack Tyler]

My 'poll vote' was meant to represent 54 hrs to PPL (with 9 hrs to solo).

LOTS of variables behind these numbers so add a great deal of Kentucky windage to whatever 'average hours' number the poll produces. Seasonal weather locations, a variable work sked (and so on-again/off-again flight training), the availability of the training a/c, and the quality of the instruction - and of course the commitment & effort of the student - all have a major influence.

[MrMorden]

20hrs to solo, 43 to SP. Could have done both sooner, but had to switch airplane types during training.

[Dangeruss]

Good stuff, thanks for the info.

[aviatrix]

Happy you've done this poll... I'm not "there" yet, to either, but will certainly be intrested too see what the averages look like.
Great idea, Thanks!

Maggie/Aviatrix

[Bill]

6.5 hours to Solo (in a Cherokee 140)
44 hours to check ride (in a Citabria) for Private Pilot ticket.

I had three instructors and (mainly) three aircraft during my training. Much of my XC was in a Piper Colt. I also had a couple hours in a J3 Cub, a Commanche and a SkyMaster and had spin training in both the Cub and Citabria. Keep in mind, however, that those aircraft were nearly new (back in 1969) and the airspace regulations were much less complicated.

Stopped flying in '73 and got back in the air four years ago - buying my Ercopue in the Fall of 2008.

[Dangeruss]

nice, pretty awesome that you had experience in four different aircraft, tail draggers and trikes, before you even got your ticket.

[spooky981]

Solo'd at like 17, licensed at 48.

[Targetbuster]

Took 60 for me. But I fly in class c, d and through class b. I received instruction in all 3 airspaces at 3 different airports with 5 different instructors. Perhaps overkill, but I felt I wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing, given all the complicated airspace around here. I think the prescription for each individual is different. Kind of depends on whether you fly in a corn patch or fly VFR transitions over class b.

[gmohr]

Solo in 12hrs (Sport Cruiser)
Cert in 30hrs (Remos G3)

Now have 180hrs, 33hrs Sport Cruiser, 117hrs Remos G3, 30hrs E-AB Arion Lightning.