Flight Training
Program of Instruction
A typical training schedule for the beginning pilot

Below is a typical, hour by hour, training schedule.  It is an outline, used for standardization. Every one is different, with different needs, abilities, learning curves, in other words, this schedule is adapted to the individual. While some people will require more practice in coordinated flight, others may need more landing practice. Whatever your individual needs, the instructor will adjust the schedule to suit you. As you look through the schedule, you may ask yourself;

Learn to fly,.... How can I possibly learn this????

Well, a simple comparison might be like the first time someone learns to ride a motorcycle.

At first coordinating balance and hand and foot movements seems difficult.  It surprises you how the bike reacts when you let out the clutch to quickly. If you have too much throttle applied, the bike will jerk forward, too little throttle and the motor dies.

What it does when only the front brake is applied on dry concrete as opposed to sand or wet pavement. and many other coordinated movements required to operate a motorcycle.

But then, after a few hours riding, everything becomes automatic, habit, and you can accelerate smoothly from a dead stop, brake efficiently whether on dry or wet pavement, operate the turn signals, throttle, clutch without looking for the controls and you know how the bike will respond if you lean to the side.

You have "learned" to ride the motorcycle.

The same learning process can be applied to learning to fly ultralights. At first all the required coordination between hands, feet, ears and eyes can seem overwhelming. But it's simply a matter of practice and learning. Soon you will know how the aircraft will react given a certain control movement and everything falls into place.

All 5 senses are used in the learning process....

Sight.... Most important... what you see causes you to react, maybe not correctly at first, everything happens all at once... 'the nose is coming up, airspeed dropping a little, RPM is a little low,  check the tach, oooops, now the nose is too low, airspeed is climbing, RPM... where the heck is that Tach???? But soon corrections become automatic..

Sound.... A whole chorus of sounds assault your ears... Engine noise at different RPM's, wind rushing by, instructor screaming (again), many different sounds for your brain to categorize and react to...

Touch.... You feel the aircraft respond.. Updraft, feel pressed into the seat, oops, now a slight downdraft... feel light, turning, sliding, you've never felt this many different sensations all at once.... it feels... goood.

Smell and Taste.... The feeling of flight is so powerful, you can taste the excitement, smell the freedom, it's a feeling that can't be described, it must be experienced...

During the learning process you will encounter many new feelings and sensations that will soon become a part of you.

Your instructor will guide you through this process.  You may question many things at first....as he makes seemingly random "suggestions" during the flight....

"Bring the nose down"  What nose, you think, we ARE the nose......

"Forced landing" That sounds bad, no one can "force" you to do anything you don't want...

Why does it have to be a "coordinated" turn, why can't I just turn and go over there???

"Keep your eyes outside, scan" What "outside" you think, we are already as "outside" as we can get........

"Correct traffic pattern".. What pattern, it's just a few turns and we are landing again, and everyone quit flying when we took off, so there's no "traffic"... Hmmmmmmmm...

Scan, Clear, Check instruments, Airspeed, Trim, Fuel, Attitude, Scan..... do everything again.....  when does the flying part start??????

But everything WILL come together.....and soon you will be soaring effortlessly...

 
 
Training Schedule
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FLIGHT SYLLABUS

The following flight syllabus is the best case scenario.  Most people without any prior flight experience may not be quite ready with the minimum depicted.  More time may be required on some maneuvers than is shown in the following training schedule.  However, your training will follow this as closely as possible. Other instructors may have a different approach to training.

 HOUR 1    Maneuvers (Explain controls and functions)

 Straight and level flight
 Level 90 degree turns
 Rectangular patterns at altitude

 Objectives

 Attitude control (Altitude)
 Airspeed control (Constant)
 Power control    (As required for maintaining Alt)
 Ground track     (Wind effect on ground track)    (Crabbing to maintain straight track)
 Collision avoidance
 Scanning techniques

 HOUR 2    Maneuvers

 Climbs to level off
 Descents to level off
 Climbing 90 degree turn
 Descending 90 degree turn
 Rectangular patterns with climbs and descents
 Follow through on take-off and landings

 Objectives

 Throttle management
 Airspeed and attitude management
 Coordination maneuvers
 Collision avoidance
 Scanning techniques

 HOUR 3    Maneuvers

 Stalls (Take-off power, power off, turns)
 Slow flight
 Slow flight turns
 Landing procedures

  Objectives

 Recognizing stall warnings
 Stall recovery
 First landing practice, pattern entry, low passes, glide  to full power climb, effects of turbulence near the ground

 HOUR 4    Maneuvers

 Taxi to runway
 Traffic Pattern
 Engine failure (at altitude, cruise speed and power,  no turns, into the wind, showing proper glide attitude with no power)
 Crosswind landings (winds permitting)

Objectives

 Touchdown landing practice (IP assisted)
 Engine failure procedures
 Crosswind landing techniques

 HOUR 5    Maneuvers

 Stall procedures and practice (power on and off)
 Engine failure (Take-off conditions at altitude, straight ahead and with turns into the wind)
 Full Stall landings

Objectives

 Importance of stall recovery procedures
 Landing practice (IP assisted)
 Engine failure procedures (extreme conditions)
 Crosswind landing techniques

 HOUR 6    Maneuvers

 Traffic pattern
 Engine failure (Take-off, downwind with 180 degree turn into the wind, approach)
 Power off landings (engine at idle and IP assisted)

 Objectives

 Landing practice (IP assisted as required)
 Engine failure procedures (all conditions)
 Crosswind landing techniques

 HOUR 7    Maneuvers

 Flight to and landing at nearby airport
 Instructor assisted review in preparation for supervised
 solo.  Maneuvers as required by the instructor.
 Unassisted landings

Objectives

 Procedures for determining landing direction
 Insure all maneuvers are satisfactory

 HOUR 8    Maneuvers  Supervised Solo  (without instructor assistance unless required)

 Pre-Solo Test
 Normal take-off
 Departure from traffic pattern
 Flight to point as briefed by instructor
 Re-enter traffic pattern
 Conduct landings and take-off
 Repeat departure and re-entry of traffic pattern

Objectives

 Supervised solo

 HOUR 9    Maneuvers  (without instructor assistance unless  required)

 Normal take-off
 Departure from traffic pattern
 Slow flight to point as briefed by instructor
 Re-enter traffic pattern
 Conduct landings and take-off

 Objectives

 Supervised solo

 HOUR 10    Maneuvers  (without instructor assistance unless  required)

 Normal take-off
 Departure from traffic pattern
 Flight to nearby airport, land and return
 Re-enter traffic pattern
 Conduct landings and take-off

 Objectives

 Supervised solo

GROUND SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
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The following ground school classes are the minimum required for my training requirements.
 
1.  Flight Service weather briefing services and effects of weather on flying.

2.  Aerodynamics and control functions.

3.  Aerodynamics in a turn and compensation required.

4.  Lift, weight, thrust and drag correlation as forces acting on the aircraft at all gross weights.

5.  Minimum airspeed, stall indications, entry and recovery.

6.  Wind shear, gusts, thermals, mechanical turbulence.

7.  Wing tip vortices.

8.  Wind direction indicators, operations into the wind, and downwind  maneuvers.

9.  Aeronautical chart, symbols and airspace class definitions.

10. Traffic patterns and tower light signals.

11. FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) part 103 requirements for ultra-lights.

12. Pre-solo test review.

13. Pre-pilot test review.
 

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