Definition
Written authorizations a flight instructor places in a student pilot's logbook (and, where required, on the student pilot certificate) that grant the student permission to conduct specific solo flight activities under 14 CFR Part 61. Each endorsement is dated, signed by the instructor, and limited in scope — for example, solo flight in a specific make and model, solo cross-country flight, or solo flight to a particular airport. Endorsements expire and must be renewed at intervals defined by the regulations.
Plain English
Signed notes from a flight instructor in a student's logbook that say 'this student is approved to fly alone for this specific purpose.' Without the right endorsement, a student pilot is not legally allowed to fly solo.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training records, student pilot logbooks, lesson plans, and instructor checklists before a student is allowed to fly without an instructor on board.
Derivation
Endorsement' comes from the Old French endosser, meaning 'to write on the back of' — originally referring to signing the back of a document to authorize it. In flight training, the instructor's signature is the authorization itself.
Why Pilots Care
A student pilot cannot legally fly solo without this specific endorsement in their logbook.
Intuition Check
Do not read “endorsement” as a casual recommendation or compliment. In this context, it means a formal written authorization that allows specific solo flying.
Example Sentence 1
Before the student's first solo, the instructor reviewed the lesson plan, completed the required pre-solo knowledge test, and signed the solo endorsements in the student's logbook.
Example Sentence 2
With the solo endorsement in place, the student pilot performed three takeoffs and landings without an instructor on board.