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I am in the process of building hours and requirements to go from Sport Point to PPL. It has been great as I get to fly passengers and have some flying fun while continuing training. Here are some questions that no one, including the FAA websites, has been able to answer definitively. When planning a PPL “solo” cross-country can I take a passenger as I am allowed by privileges of my SP ticket? Most everyone’s initial thoughts are no, but why not. I am not with my CFI and am PIC just as if I was alone in the aircraft. Next I think I’m sure of the answer to this, Sport Pilot cross-country distance reqs are set at 25nm, and PPL is higher. So, I guess any XC time I have that is below PPL standards will not count towards PPL. I would suggest anyone thinking of going the SP to PPL route make their solo and other XC plans long enough to count towards both. Wish I had thought of that before. Doh! Any other advice?

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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - John Lennon

I'm not a CFI yet, but I think I can answer.

No, you can't take a pax. Why? SOLO means just that, you alone in the plane even if you have the privilege to carry pax. An example is the req I needed for my Commercial rating. It required a 300nm SOLO x/c with 3 landing at different airports. So even as a private pilot with instrument rating I had to do that one SOLO. They want to know that you have no on-board help even from a non-pilot.

Ron