This course suits new pilots and already-rated pilots looking to stay proficient. The Ground chapters contain all the knowledge for the course and prepares you for the FAA Airplane Single Engine Land written exam. You can take unlimited practice tests and receive an FAA endorsement once you are proficient. The check ride prep section and mock oral exam prepares you for the actual check ride or any upcoming Flight Review. The Flight chapters contain all the skills needed to pass a checkride, flight review, or maintain proficiency.
This lesson is an introduction to some of the basic aerodynamic concepts you will be examining throughout this chapter.
This lesson covers lift theory and the two types of drag affecting airplanes.
This lesson covers the aerodynamics of a turn and the concept of load factor in more detail.
This lesson covers the three axis of rotation and how the aircraft design achieves stability around them.
Every airplane in steady-state unaccelerated flight has four forces in balance. Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag.
If you don't stall you can't spin. This lesson covers the aerodynamic theory supporting that truth.
Every single engine airplane has a tendency to turn one way or the other. Airplanes manufactured in the United States tend to turn to the left.
Airplane ignition is very different than modern car ignition. Learn the basics of the ignition system and the fuel induction system.
This lesson covers carburetor ice. How it forms, how to detect it, and how to clear it.
Learn about the types of aviation fuels and the tools you have available to control engine temperatures.
The Pitot/Static system uses the air pressure to provide information to your airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. It's important to understand how this simple system works.
The altimeter is an instrument that measures the pressure of the air around you and indicates this as a number that represents altitude.
Airspeed is our lifeblood. This lesson covers how the instrument works, specific "V" speeds, and how to convert some of them for weight.
Although there are some variations in the type, there is always an instrument in the airplane that measures the rate of heading change through the horizon.
There is true north and magnetic north. The compass is an instrument that shows your heading in relation to magnetic north.
The two main types of propeller systems you'll encounter are Fixed Pitch and Constant Speed. It's important to know the difference.
This lesson describes common engine-driven vacuum systems that power some of the airplane's gyroscopic instruments.
In airplanes the electrical system is independent from the ignition system. It is important to understand the basic elements.
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Get Ground SchoolIn the United States, you will encounter two basic types of airports; those that have air traffic control towers and those that do not.
In this lesson, you will learn how airspace is charted and how to know exactly what airspace you're in even if it seems like there is nothing on the chart at all.
Good taxi habits are an important fundamental to develop and a sign of good airmanship. They will also make you a safer pilot.
Signs, Signs, everywhere there are signs. You should know what they mean. We'll try to make it fun.
Understanding traffic patterns is extremely important to expedite the flow of traffic around the airport and to reduce collision hazards.
Special VFR is an air traffic control clearance which allows one aircraft at a time to operate inside of controlled airspace under VFR when the weather conditions IFR.
Flying at night means operating in an entirely different environment. The cues are different, terrain and clouds are often invisible, and your approach to risk management must also be different.
Collision is a risk we all face as pilots and one that has critical consequences. It is important to learn good foundational scanning habits.
Airport lighting is designed to give you the critical information you need to perform certain operations daylight, the dark, or in limited visibility.
It's important that you understand the basic structure of the air traffic control system. There is limited radar service available to VFR pilots.
Every airplane that is producing lift is producing a wake. The turbulence can be hazardous to all aircraft.
The Sectional aeronautical chart and the Terminal Area Chart are the backbones of the VFR charting system in the United States. They share a common legend and are packed with detailed information.
The Chart Supplement is published every 56 days and was formerly called the Airport / Facility Directory, or AFD. This book contains essential information.
Military Training Routes are low altitude routes on which the military flies at speeds in excess of 250 knots. Including, in some cases, with unmanned aircraft.
Determining Latitude and Longitude is an important aeronautical skill for accurate flight planning and position reporting.
This lesson reviews the structure of the regulations that govern aviation in the United States. Understanding this structure will help you when you need to find the answer to a regulation question.
Pilot in Command Authority is one of most important responsibilities you've ever had. It's also one that is very difficult to teach and perhaps why we even measure hours.
This lesson covers the rules surrounding "Basic Med", which is an option for healthy pilots if they've held an aviation medical at any point after July 14, 2006.
ADs are used to notify aircraft owners and other interested persons of unsafe conditions and to specify the conditions under which the product may continue to be operated.
Visibility and Cloud Clearance are central to safe VFR operations and often get confused with basic VFR minimums.
The meaning of Category and Class depends on whether we are talking about "airmen" or "aircraft".
14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 61 is the law that governs certification. What you must do to earn a certificate or rating, for example.
These are the general rules from part 91 which govern the operation of aircraft in the United States.
NTSB 830 are the rules that govern when and how to file reports if you are involved in an accident or an incident
These are the flight rules that must be adhered to while operating an aircraft in the United States.
If you see a regulation that is in the 91.200's, it's about equipment.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this lesson, you should take in some basics about the atmosphere as we prepare to take a closer look at some of the details, which is always where the devil lives.
All weather created can be divided into two basic systems, high pressure and low pressure. In this lesson, we learn how the fronts of those air masses interact with each other.
The stability of the atmosphere is important to pilots because it determines the types and severity of the weather.
Relative Humidity and Dew Point are important concepts in understanding water in the atmosphere and how and when it condenses into clouds and fog.
Learning to read the clouds is an important skill for a pilot. In this lesson, you begin to develop that skill by learning different cloud types and which types of systems they are associated with.
Temperature Inversions are anomalies that occur in the atmosphere and create some unique and predictable weather conditions.
Understanding where and when fog might form will help you make better weather decisions. It's pretty simple. In this lesson, you learn the different types of fog and how they form.
Thunderstorms are one of the biggest weather hazards to pilots. How they form is quite simple. Understanding this process will help you avoid them.
Low-level windshear has been identified as a contributing factor in several significant incidents, as documented by flight data recorders. Windshear is characterized as a shift in wind direction and/or speed occurring over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere.
The air moves in predictable ways around the coast, onshore during the day and offshore during the night. In this lesson, we learn about the sea breeze and the land breeze.
Weather services are the products designed to give you a better picture of the weather so that you can safely plan and execute your flight.
It is important that you understand the symbology used on graphic weather products.
In this lesson, you will learn to decode hourly routine aviation weather reports known as METARs (said "MEE-TAR").
In this lesson, you will learn to decode hourly routine aviation 24-hour weather forecasts known as Terminal Area Forecast or TAF.
Radar can provide valuable information. It is critical, however, that you understand it's limitations.
It is important that you know how to interpret in-flight weather warnings. This lesson covers the four types you might encounter.
Winds Aloft play a critical role in determining the distance we can fly. It's important to make sure you understand how to read that information.
Establishing a ritual around gathering weather information is critical to your safety. In this lesson, we review the 3 types of briefings.
NOTAMs are a systematic way of getting very important information to the pilot in command of a flight. It is critical you understand them and get them systematically.
In this lesson you will learn to decode pilot weather reports, called PIREPs.
The lesson provides an overview of the flight planning process, regardless of whether you are planning on paper or glass.
Calculating Weight and Balance is a critical step to understand in the flight planning process.
VFR Flight Plans provide search and rescue, are free in the United States, and take only minutes to file. If you know how.
VFR Flight Following helps provide separation from other airplanes and can sometimes add to the safety of your flight.
It is important to understand how to predict the performance of your aircraft using the performance charts from the pilots operating handbook.
Leaning the engine properly is critical and to do so you need to have a basic understanding of the different types of lean settings.
Flying at high, hot, and humid airfields greatly affects takeoff and landing distances and performance. In this lesson, we'll dive into the charts as we explore the regime of high-altitude flying.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this lesson, you will review some of the basics of aeronautical navigation. These nautical principles have been the backbone of navigation since airplanes began to fly.
The Very High OmniRange still accounts for a large part of the low altitude and high altitude airway structure.
For aircraft that do not carry GPS or DME, the FAA is retaining a limited network of VORs, called the VOR Minimum Operational Network, to provide a basic conventional navigation service for operators to use if GNSS becomes unavailable.
Global Positioning System is a revolutionary satellite-based navigation system that has transformed the way pilots navigate in the sky. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of GPS; let's get started...
The magnetic compass is arguably the most reliable instrument in the airplane. Understanding its abilities and limitations is a wise undertaking.
In this lesson, we look at a few of the basic E6B calculations that will provide value to you while flying. These are the building blocks of electronic navigation systems and are required knowledge by most CFIs.
In this lesson you will learn about one of the hardest and most important parts of good airmanship, aeronautical decision making. ADM.
In this lesson you will begin to learn how to mitigate the risks associated with you, the pilot.
The DECIDE and PAVE acronyms are designed to help you during stressful situations by giving you a specific device to help you process the information.
In this lesson we go over the symptoms of hyperventilation and dehydration both the traditional solutions and the practical realities of these two potential problems.
This chapter deals with some of the more common visual illusions you'll encounter in the flight environment.
Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen in the brain. Most hypoxia is due to reduced partial pressures at altitude but there is more to the story than that. It's important that you understand.
It's important to understand how the sinuses and inner ear work as you fly through various altitudes and flight conditions.
As the pilot you must do everything you can to predict and prevent spatial disorientation from occurring. That starts with you knowing a bit about how it works.
This lesson covers the basic procedures used in VHF radio communications including the phonetic alphabet used to help prevent miscommunication while using radio technology.
In this lesson, we learn to communicate at airports that do not have an operating control tower. Communications at non-towered airports rely on pilots communicating with each other.
In this lesson, we cover the communications procedures used when departed and arriving class D airspace.
This lesson will review Single Pilot Resource Management and help ensure that you are operating at your prime every time you fly. Over the years, I've researched how to distill procedures that work for commercial aviators into procedures that will work in general aviation. We call what we've learned "Bracketing Safety"
This lesson suggests some practical ways to apply the alphabet soup of acronyms we learn in training such as PAVE, IMSAFE, AROW, and more.
Professional pilots all perform a briefing of the taxi route before the airplane is moved. This is an opportunity to review the hot spots and the airport diagram for any potential hazards.
Standardizing your taxi operation can add safety to your flying and allow you to detect critical instrument errors before the airplane leaves the ground.
I often tell students that if you can't get in front of the airplane before it even starts moving, we've got problems. The pre-takeoff briefing is an opportunity to do just that. This lesson will teach you to standardize the process.
Takeoff callouts are a way to bring redundancy to a single pilot environment and tie your actions during takeoff directly to the briefing you just performed. This lesson teaches you standard takeoff callouts used by professional operators.
For every flying problem in an airplane, there is a solution called "where you look and when you look there". There is no visual reference in a Cessna more powerful than the area I've dubbed "The Lindbergh Reference".
This lesson teaches the difference between checklists and do-lists and how to establish redundancy in a single pilot environment.
Collision with other airplanes is a risk we all have to mitigate, no matter how skilled or experienced we are. Good solid clearing habits are the starting point to making sure you don't collide with another airplane.
G.U.M.P.S is a mnemonic device that covers the critical elements in the before landing checklist. It should be performed twice before landing.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this lesson you learn a standard procedure for all of the airplanes you fly, during which you check the cabin for safety, proper failure indications, and legal compliance.
In this lesson you identify the most critical items on the tail section. Learn to identify details such as turnbuckles, static ties, counterweights, and so much more.
Come around the rear of the airplane and remember to get a good view of the upper wing surface from behind. Back up each section with a written checklist.
The nose section houses the engine and it's related systems. As you fly different airplanes you'll notice that many aircraft house a similar engine. Learn your engine.
Here we cover the left wing and highlight the differences from the right wing. We introduce the final walk around, a very important part of the preflight.
There is a "black hole" under your seat. If you drop something, you won't likely see it until landing. The lesson will cover the basic concepts of cockpit organization.
In this lesson we learn how to start a light airplane. Items such as preserving the life of the starter, assuring the propeller area is clear, avoiding excessive power, and more are covered here.
In this lesson we cover how to adopt solid single pilot procedures for excellence during the taxi. Learn to preserve your brakes, avoid ground fires, avoid runway incursions, check your instruments, and much more.
The "run up" is done short of the runway and is the last chance to find an issue with the flight control system, the charging system, the avionics, and the engine before we head out.
Straight and Level flight is not as easy as it sounds. In this lesson we learn to "aim small" and find the sight pictures and visual references that give you straight and level performance.
It is important to know where to look to get information on both pitch and bank when the wings aren't level. A good pilot fixes small mistakes before other pilots notice they exist.
Develop redundancy in your foundation. Make sure you're building solid habits and performing the flow check and backing it up for each and every climb entry and level off.
A critical safety item often missed in descents is mixture management. It's not enough to do or flow or read a list alone, but they're powerful when combined.
In this lesson, we learn the proper way to safely position the aircraft for takeoff. Learn runway incursion avoidance, safe standard operating procedure, and mnemonic devices critical to the safety of flight.
In this lesson we learn the proper way to apply power, accelerate down the runway, develop redundancy, rotate, and begin the initial climb.
The initial climb is one of the most critical parts of the flight. This lesson covers getting the airplane to an altitude of 1000' AGL and the critical parts of the Initial Climb.
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Get Ground SchoolMinimum controllable airspeed is a skill-building exercise that will develop your ability to manage the left-turning tendencies while operating at the lowest edge of the flight envelope.
Slow flight is any speed less than normal cruise airspeed. Learn to control the airplane and manage the left turning tendency of the engine at this edge of the envelope.
In this lesson you begin to get familiar with the stall characteristics of the airplane. You will learn the necessary reference points to maintain control of the airplane through the stall.
A power-off stall is meant to simulate getting slow on a landing approach. You must recognize the warnings and the onset of the stall and initiate a prompt and appropriate recovery.
A power-on stall is typically tested in one of two ways. One simulates an over-rotation on takeoff and the other simulates trying to clear terrain on departure.
Any time the airplane stalls at a speed above the published, wings level, stall speed it is known as an accelerated stall.
Sometimes you'll be asked to demonstrate stalls in a bank. This is true of both Power On and Power Off stalls. This lesson teaches you how to leverage the over banking tendency and avoid common errors.
Practicing airspeed changes reinforces the basic principle of pitch plus power equals performance. This is a basic principle of flying that will occur in countless ways during your flying.
Steep turns are turns that use more than 30º of bank. This lesson teaches you how to balance the increased load factor, overbanking tendency, and speed during 45º bank turns.
Learning how much rudder to apply and when to apply it is part of the art of flying. Coordination exercises will help you master rudder control as it is used to offset adverse aileron yaw.
The Lazy Eight is a maneuver from the commercial pilot ACS which is valuable for all pilots to know and practice. It teaches the secondary effects of the controls and, in particular, the over-banking tendency in slowing turns.
In this lesson you will learn to control the airplane over a point on the ground.
In this lesson you will learn how to control the airplane to fly an S pattern over a linear ground reference.
In this lesson you will learn how to correct for the effects of wind to fly a rectangular course similar to a traffic pattern.
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Get Ground SchoolLandings should be thought of in 5 distinct phases: the approach, the roundout, the flare, the touchdown, and the rollout. In this lesson you will see the whole process before we break it down into each phase.
A stabilized approach will provide consistent conditions to set up a proper round out and subsequent landing technique. In this lesson you will learn the specifics of how to achieve this and the common errors I see on the flight line.
The round out timing and technique is one of the more dynamic parts of the landing. In this lesson you will learn how to identify the perfect time to to start the roundout and some of the common errors I typically see.
The flare is the process of transferring the weight of the airplane from the wings to the main wheels. Without a proper flare you will not properly protect the nose wheel of the airplane.
The proper touchdown has the longitudinal axis of the airplane aligned with and over the centerline of the runway. It's the touchdown that will take you from the flare to roll-out in a safe and controlled manner
In the rollout it is important to keep your corrections in until a safe taxi speed and then transition to taxi. In flying there is an 'old school" saying: "you should fly the airplane all the way to the touchdown.
As you get ready to fly you will want to make sure you are fit and that you have a solid plan for the day's operation.
Approach the flight as a skeptic, prove to yourself that the airplane is safe to fly.
After the preflight is complete, you need to start the airplane, get to the runway, and complete the before takeoff checks.
This is your first complete solo flight. You've worked hard to get here, now let's see what you've got!
There is a saying in flying, "fly it all the way to the tie-down". The flight isn't over until you are back at the tie down with the engine and airplane secured.
On your next solo mission you head out from a non towered airport to a class C airport to practice pattern work at a towered airport.
In this scenario there are ground operations at your departure airport and at the destination.
The two airports of operation in this scenario couldn't be more different. You are departing from a non-towered airport and flying to a class C airport. There will be a lot to consider.
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Get Ground SchoolLanding in a crosswind takes a number of techniques: crabs, slips, and constant analysis of your aimpoint, drift, and alignment.
It is very important to be able to accurately glide to a known spot on the ground. This is important for every landing and will also condition your understanding of your airplanes power out capabilities.
A forward slip is an uncoordinated flight maneuver that exposes more form drag to the relative wind as the airplane moves forward along the flight path. Forward slips are used to lose altitude more rapidly without gaining airspeed.
A go around, or rejected landing, is an alternative to any landing and should be considered the default. It's very difficult to salvage a bad landing, just go around. This lesson covers that procedure.
When performing takeoffs and climbs from fields where the takeoff area is short or the available takeoff area is restricted by obstructions, the pilot should operate the airplane at the maximum limit of its takeoff performance capabilities.
Short flied approaches and landings require the use of procedures for approaches and landings at fields with a relatively short landing area or where an approach is made over obstacles that limit the available landing area.
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Get Ground SchoolTakeoffs and climbs from soft fields require the use of operational techniques for getting the airplane airborne as quickly as possible to eliminate the drag caused by tall grass, soft sand, mud, and snow, and may require climbing over an obstacle.
Landing on fields that are rough or have soft surfaces, such as snow, sand, mud, or tall grass, require unique procedures. When landing on such surfaces, the objective is to touch down as smooth as possible and at the slowest possible landing speed.
The three risks we carry with us in a light airplane are Fire, Failure, and Collision. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can't get rid of these three possibilities. The good news is that you can be prepared. This lesson covers engine failures.
There are a few different reasons one might want to lose altitude as rapidly as possible. In this lesson, we cover the two accepted techniques typically used in a cabin fire.
During Private training, you are required to obtain at least 3 hours of night training. In this chapter, we cover some of the basics of night flying to introduce you to some of the important concepts you'll need to know.
in this section, we cover the procedures specific to Night Takeoffs and Landings. This includes airport lighting and techniques for flying traffic patterns at night.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this lesson, we look at straight-and-level flight by reference to instruments, which includes maintaining control with basic instrument scan techniques.
Learning to turn to headings and execute a 180º turn out of bad weather is a critical skill to help avoid continued VFR into IMC flight.
The ability to fly pitch and power to achieve a desired airspeed is a critical skill to instrument flying.
In this chapter we cover basic upset recovery procedures in the event you begin to lose control of the airplane.
In this lesson, we cover the operational procedures related to your departure on a Cross Country flight.
In this lesson, we cover the operational procedures related to the cruise portion of a cross-country flight.
In this lesson, we cover the operational procedures related to the Arrival portion of a Cross Country flight.
One critical part of flight training that is often overlooked is fueling your aircraft. This often comes up during the cross country portion of the training and is covered here in this lesson.
As you travel from airport to airport you will start to encounter different Fixed Base Operators, "FBOs". In this lesson, you will learn the basics of communicating with FBOs.
Every cross-country flight starts with route selection. In this lesson, we review some of the basics of route selection as we introduce the concept of cross-country scenarios.
Calculating performance is an important part of cross-country flying. From takeoff and landing distances to ground speeds and fuel burns en route you will need know how the airplane is going to perform before you go.
Once airborne, you will need to accurately track your route and performance to be sure that the flight is proceeding as you planned.
Arrival at an unfamiliar airport is part of the cross-country flying experience. We teach a systematic way for you to be sure you do not miss anything in a more stressful, unfamiliar environment.
In flying we plan for the worst and expect the best. It is important to be prepared for all possibilities. In this lesson, we will review some of the contingency planning that goes into a basic cross-country flight like this.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this first lesson, we pick up a cross country flight as it approaches the San Francisco Bay Area airspace from the east. Learn to find the best reporting points to communicate with ATC.
Learn to find the best reporting points to communicate with ATC when operating VFR in complex airspace.
Initially, we don't get a response from air traffic control and we must trouble shoot this problem.
Let's explore the different ways you might traverse this complex airspace when inbound from the east.
This time we get ahold of ATC. Learn what this means. Which type of airspace are we allowed to traverse now that we are talking to TRACON?
In this lesson we discuss how to stay out of the bravo and delta while traversing the Oakland arrival corridor.
We successfully get handed off to the tower and complete our flight inbound to San Carlos. There are few unique aspects to consider about this flight.
It is important to have a strategy that is a fundamental part of the way you train from the beginning. You can't patch certain holes this late in the game.
Here is a string of video insights from FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, Jim Pitman. These are in no particular order but work your way through to avoid making any of these mistakes on a checkride.
Here is a string of video insights from FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, John Ewing. These are in no particular order but work your way through to avoid making any of these mistakes on a checkride.
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