The Private Pilot and Sport Pilot Ratings Involve Two Big Goals

  • You must learn to land.

  • You must learn to navigate.

We will look at each of these.  While this discussion focuses on the Private Pilot, all the same skills are required for the Sport Pilot Rating



Takeoffs are Optional, but Landings are Mandatory

 

studentlanding

A Student's First Solo Landing is A REALLY Big Deal.

Learning to land involves mastering several significant skills. Mastering some of these skills involves learning to perform several exercises. The most significant of these are listed below.

  1. Preflight Inspection Consists of Two Parts
    • Cockpit Familiarization involves learning where everything is in the cockpit and the basic functions of the controls and instruments.
    • Checklist Usage involves learning the proper way to use a checklist.
  2. Engine Start and Taxi involves learning to safely start the engine (remember that big fan out front is dangerous to others) and safely taxi the plane on the ground (no, it doesn't resemble driving a car.)
  3. Takeoff and Climb uses the taxi skill to stay on the runway during takeoff and requires use of the rudder to maintain proper climb direction.
  4. Airplane Control in Flight has several components.
    • Level Flight must be mastered before any other skills can be developed. This involves both straight and level flight and turns made without gaining or losing altitude.
    • Airspeed Control is critical to all aspects of flight and must be mastered so that the airplane can be slowed or accellarated without altitude change.
    • Steep Turns must be mastered so that the pilot can maintain control even at steep bank attitudes.
  5. Slow Flight is vital to the safe return to earth.
    • Slow Flight near the minimum safe speed for the airplane must be practiced so that the new pilot can slow down sufficiently to land.
    • Stalls (not the engine, but the wing) must be practiced so that the new pilot can recognize the onset of a stall and take corrective action before an unsafe condition results.
  6. Communications - Learn to use the airplane radio properly.
  7. Traffic Patterns are necessary so that we don't hit each other while airborne and they involve:
    • Entering and Leaving the the airport traffic pattern.
    • Going Around when a safe landing cannot be assured.
    • Landing - Bet you thought we had forgotten that one!

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Navigation: Wherever You Go, There You Are

 

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If this piece of a chart looks strange, don't worry - you will learn to use charts.
 

Learning to land is fun, but airplanes are go somewhere machines. After learning to land, you will want to know how to get somewhere without getting lost. There are several skills that are useful in keeping yourself aware of just where you are while travelling cross country.

  1. Learn to Read Aviation Charts
    • Learn the Chart Symbols
    • Learn to identify good landmarks and areas to avoid.
    • Learn about magnetic and true courses.
  2. Learn About Aviation Weather
    • Learn about weather hazards.
    • Learn about sources of weather information.
  3. Cross Country Flight Planning Steps
    • Route Selection - This involves deciding whether to fly direct to your destination or make a detour around things like congested arispece or restricted areas.
    • Waypoint Selection - Selecting things on the ground along your route of flight that you know you will be able to see. These will allow you to maintain constant awareness of your location.
    • Electronic Navigation Aids - learn to use the graund=based and GPS navigation systems in the training airplane.
    • Flight - Actually fly the flight you planned using only a compass and chart for navigation. (With those electronic navigation systems available if needed.)
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