Home | Travel | Air Travel

Flying Lessons to Become A Pilot

By: Les Batchelor


Read More About Air Travel

Adventures in challenging environments, such as flying, are exciting but errors can be severely punished.

Lack of knowledge in the early days of aviation led to errors. It was soon realised that, to minimise the dangers, experience considered necessary to be passed on.

Thus was born what we call today ‘ flying lessons’. Pilot guidance has changed. The pilot today requires to know more about the theory of the different elements related with aviation as well as the practical handling of an plane. A specific syllabus, divided into flying lessons, is followed for training. Here we will peek at the flying lessons for a Private Pilot Licence.

Academic instruction consists of the following:
Navigation and radio navigation, Air Law and procedures, Meteorology, Human performance and limitations, Aircraft general including Principles of flight, Communications, Flight performance and planning.

A written assessment is necessary with pass marks at 75% in every subjects. Guidance from the Instructor and self study are used at PPL level.Lectures from Qualified ground instructors are provided at some schools. Simulators are now used in the training programme. Most schools have them and they range from the sophisticated (airline simulators) to simple machines for club use.

Flying lessons can all be beneficially accomplished on such machines. Flying lessons start with an instructor briefing. It covers the detail of what is going to be done in the air and on the ground.

Included in the briefing is the weather, details of the flying lesson, and, where it will take place. The instructor will explain the flying lesson and it’s stages and the safety aspects to consider during transit and during the lesson. Current notices, or warnings, and Air Traffic and Radio requirements are included in the briefing.

Observation and the correct handing over of control procedures will be emphasised by the instructor. It is essential to know who is actually holding the controls and very clear ‘You have control’ followed by ‘I have control’ establishes an exchange from one pilot to the other. This typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Following the briefing the pilots check the paperwork and sign out on the authorisation sheet with the instructor authorising the flight. The subsequent phase of the Flying lesson is the ‘walk round’. The pilots will walk round the plane checking, for oil leaks, damage, fuel and oil levels, operation of controls, tyres, for cuts and inflation, propellers for damage etc. guided by their check lists.

Utilization of the check list ensures nothing is missed. Having completed the checks outside the pilots enter the cockpit, strap in and, with the check list, complete the internal checks. Taxy clearance is obtained from Air Traffic Control after the checks have been finished and the engine warmed.
The plane will be taken via the taxiway to the holding point with a brake and instrument check made on the way. Pre take-off checks will be carried out at the holding point with the aircraft facing into wind

When the pilots are ready they call for take off clearance and, when granted, they move onto the runway for the take-off. Flying lessons are recorded in the students personal log book and in the authorisation documents.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Les Batchelor is a retired RAF Pilot, with over 20 years experience in training commercial pilots. If you are interested in plane flying lessons , then get more information on airline pilot courses by clinking the link.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Air Travel Articles Via RSS!

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard