6 Great Tips to Make the Most of Your Flying Lessons
I recently met a flying instructor with whom I was talking about how he finds his teaching experience. He told me that 13 years back he started learning aviation and today when he takes a look at the past, he realizes that he could have made the most of his flying lessons then. He shared with me the following tips for those who want to become pilots.
1. Make Use of a Syllabus or TCO (Training Course Outline)
Whether you are learning aviation in a big school or a private CFI, you should make use of a syllabus because it offers a logical order of flight lessons and enables you to track your progress effectively lesson by lesson.
2. Prepare in Advance
After every lesson, you will be assigned specific study items and reading material by your instructor. You can review the correct subject areas beforehand for ground lessons and prepare notes of areas that you can’t understand. For advanced preparation of flight lessons review each maneuver step-by-step and do “armchair” flying i.e. mentally do each task with a list in hand. It would be best if you have a dedicated maneuver guide.
3. Join the Airport Community
Take an active part in the programs of airport community and meet your fellow students and other instructors. This will not only make you more comfortable when you would arrive at each lesson, but also you will get valuable tips from other students and instructors.
4. Eliminate Distractions
If you are being distracted continuously during your ground lessons by the regular activities going on at the airport, ask your instructor to choose a quieter area for training.
5. Organize Your Cockpit
When you would start your flight lessons, remember to organize your cockpit. Have your kneeboard, sectionals, pens, A/FDs, E6B and iPad readily accessible. If you leave A/FD in your bag on the backseat, it could possibly lead to a less positive learning experience upon getting instructions for diverting to a new airport.
6. Get a Video-based Home Course
While you are being trained at the airport for flight lessons, you can also get an additional home training with a video-based course which will enable you to prepare beforehand both for ground as well as flight lessons. These videos are also far more interesting than text books.
Following these tips you can get full satisfaction of being properly trained for your fights and thus will make the most of your flight lessons.
