Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40.5; Flight Crew Total 753.6
Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
I am a flight instructor at a 141 school. I am currently one of the instructors teaching the Private Pilot curriculum. The error I committed was sending one of my students on a solo flight without a current solo endorsement. Normally in our curriculum; a student pilot solo endorsement would not expire before the student earns their PPL. Due to COVID; our curriculum got pushed back and winter break put a pause on the private curriculum just a few flights before the check ride. The time added was enough for all student solo endorsements to expire. Knowing this; we added a reminder in our CFI guide that follows along with our Private Pilot Training Syllabus. The reminder was placed on the flight just before the solo flight. Due to the lost proficiency over winter break; I was not ready to give this student a new solo endorsement at the beginning of this spring semester.The issue began on the flight before the solo flight. This particular flight was the fourth time I had instructed this curricular period in the last 30 days so; I felt confident on the expectations of the flight. Because of this; I did not review the CFI guide before or after the flight and therefore missed the solo endorsement reminder. With my full permission; my student then flew solo the next day.I discovered the issue when I went to send that student on their next solo flight and I asked them to prove to me they had their required documents and endorsements. I then quickly gave a new solo endorsement.
Flight Instructor reported a student flew a cross country flight without having the correct solo endorsement.