We have a PQS (Personnel qualification standard) at Fentress that every prospective pilot must complete before he can fly solo. The form is then countersigned by the base OIC. It's pretty basic, and stresses safety more than anything. It's really just a way to make sure that you can safely handle your plane on the ground and in the air, and know how to work the pattern and where to fly for your type a/c. It also weeds out the yahoos. I remember before that PQS was set up, we wound up with a pattern ship stuck in the side of a pickup truck, because the guy at the sticks had no clue, was flying an aircraft way over his skill level, and was flying where he shouldn't.