Definition
A specific regulatory citation in the Code of Federal Regulations that requires a student pilot, before being authorized to conduct a solo flight, to receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor on the applicable aeronautical knowledge areas listed in 14 CFR 61.87(b). Read piece by piece: Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Aeronautics and Space), Part 61 (Certification of Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors), Subpart C (Student Pilots), Section 61.87 (Solo requirements for student pilots), paragraph (c)(1) (the pre-solo ground training requirement).
Plain English
This is a regulation address. It points to the exact rule that says a student pilot must be taught the required ground knowledge by an instructor, and have it logged, before being allowed to fly solo.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor endorsement guidance, student pilot solo requirements, and logbook record checks before a first solo flight.
Derivation
CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations, the official collection of U.S. federal rules. The numbering goes from broad to specific: Title (subject area) → Part (topic) → Subpart (sub-topic) → Section (specific rule) → paragraph (specific point within the rule). Knowing this pattern lets you decode any FAA regulation citation.
Why Pilots Care
It ensures the student knows the legal and safety rules that apply to solo flight before being allowed to fly alone.
Intuition Check
Do not treat this as just a page reference. It points to a specific legal requirement that must be satisfied before solo flight.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor wrote in the student's logbook that the pre-solo ground training required by 14 CFR part 61 subpart C section 61.87(c)(1) had been completed.
Example Sentence 2
The logbook entry noted completion of the knowledge requirements in 14 CFR part 61 subpart C section 61.87(c)(1).