Off you go!
Sending your student on their first solo cross-country flight
A: While it is always good to challenge your students just a little, be careful not to overwhelm them. Remember that they are going to naturally be a little anxious about the flight, so don’t put them in situations that are above their skill level or may be dangerous.
A few examples:
Control tower. A towered airport is fine, but don’t send them to JFK. They certainly don’t need the headache of being overwhelmed with radio transmissions, ATC instructions, complex airport environments, and diverse traffic, not to mention the landing fees.
Terrain. An airport on a sectional looks like any other: just a blue or magenta symbol. But where is it? Charlottesville, Virginia (CHO), for example, is a nice, paved, single runway almost 7,000 feet long. But it runs northeast/southwest. Prevailing winds are commonly northwest offering the potential for stiff crosswinds, and turbulence from the mountains. Similarly, Ocean City, New Jersey (26N), is 3,000 feet long and oriented parallel to the shoreline. Daytime sea breezes and nighttime land breezes are sure to be blowing across that runway as well.
Surface. Unless you regularly fly from a turf strip, I would discourage sending a student to an unfamiliar one. Turf airports may be wide, but they are typically short, obstructed, not regularly attended, and may not offer fuel and other services.
Restaurant on field. Good choice! This offers the student a chance to relax, refuel, and plan the next leg.
This is by no means a complete list, just a few considerations when selecting airports. While our job is to make pilots and not baby them, we want their cross-country flights to be good learning experiences, not chaotic and challenging nightmares beyond their abilities.
Craig Brown is a senior aviation technical specialist in the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
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