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A first solo flight is when a new aircraft pilot completes a short flight, including a takeoff and landing, by themselves. Achieving this milestone is known as soloing. In a more general sense, a "solo flight" or "solo time" refers to any flight time when a "pilot is the sole occupant in the aircraft." [1]
The US rules require the aircraft to be fitted with the instruments required for IFR flight, [3] and student pilots [4] and sport pilots [5] must maintain visual reference with the surface. Other operations (such as commercial, turbine powered, and fractional ownership) include special limitations.
Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minima, i.e., in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), as specified in the rules of the relevant aviation authority. The pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually avoiding obstructions and other aircraft. [1]
The candidate must have at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, which can include solo cross-country time as a student pilot. Each cross-country must have a landing at an airport that is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 NM from the original departure point.
A pilot's view of the runway just before landing in thick fog at night. In aviation, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) are weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to flight instruments, and therefore under instrument flight rules (IFR), as opposed to flying by outside visual references under visual flight rules (VFR).
The weather is considered to be MVFR or IMC when it does not meet the minimum requirements for visual meteorological conditions (VMC). To operate safely in IMC ("actual instrument conditions"), a pilot controls the aircraft relying on flight instruments and ATC provides separation. [12] It is important not to confuse IFR with IMC.
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VFR / VMC visibility requirements in the US. In aviation, visual meteorological conditions (VMC) is an aviation flight category in which visual flight rules (VFR) flight is permitted—that is, conditions in which pilots have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft.