Aviation wrote:

On the one hand, passengers need to get denser air to breathe
but large aircraft have oxygen masks that drop down.

If the aircraft is much above 25,000', the masks will do little good. You need
a pressure mask to survive long at (for example) 35,000'. Those used by the
airlines for passengers are not good enough for that.

(I could
do some rough estimates that the average fat slob can hold
their breath for less than a minute so, without masks, the jet
would have to go from let's say 30000 feet to 5000 feet in
30-45 seconds. My ears would explode.)

Nobody can hold their breath in that situation - the pressure difference will
cause you to exhale. Above about 25,000', the air pressure is low enough that
oxygen actually passes backwards out of your bloodstream into the lungs and out
of the body. As for your ears, they're already toast. The pressure just dropped
from the pressure at 8,000' to that at cruise altitude in a few seconds.

Basically, the pilots need to get their masks on and get the plane down below
25,000' as rapidly as it can possibly be done. The descent to 10,000' can be made
a little more leisurely, but not much - there's always someone in the cattle
section who panicked and isn't wearing a mask. If that's one of the flight
attendants, you're really in trouble.

I was wondering if taking your FIRST solo flight is that simple.

Pretty much. My instructor also told me to do three takeoffs and landings to a
full stop and park it when I was done.

The location in the film in Washington, DC but I figure all
US flying is FAA regulated. Wouldn't the first time soloist
have to fill out some forms, file a flight plan with the
airport and maybe even do a complete pre-flight check on the
aircraft?

All the forms got filled out way back when you applied for a student pilot's
licence. No flight plan is required for any VFR flight in the U.S.. The pre-flight
inspection was done before the student and instructor got in the plane - you
don't have to do it again just because the instructor's getting out.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."