The First Few Hours of Flight Training

The First Few Hours of Flight Training

About a year ago, I decided to pursue my multiengine instructor rating. Although I had obtained my multiengine certificate nearly a decade prior, I hadn’t flown a multiengine aircraft since then. My experience was a stark reminder of how overwhelmed a brand-new student pilot can feel in the cockpit.

There’s a saying that the cockpit is a terrible place to learn, and it’s true—not to mention that it’s an extremely expensive one! Taking on a new training course rekindled my appreciation for what my students feel during their first few flights, and it got me thinking about how we can help them get the most value for their money.

Simulators, or aviation training devices (ATDs), naturally come to mind. However, in my observations, ATDs haven’t been as effective as they could be. Why is that? And is there a remedy for this?

Most flight instructors use ATDs as airplane substitutes rather than customizing training exercises, and rarely do they employ them for the first few lessons. This approach is akin to expecting a new piano student to start out playing Beethoven without first practicing scales.

Students often dislike ATDs because the sims don’t feel like the real airplane. In fact, theyare often much more difficult to fly. These are valid observations, but like the scales/Beethoven analogy, maybe that’s okay. The issue here is setting expectations. Students need to understand that ATD exercises are like wind sprints for football or scales for the piano. These exercises not only help with the building blocks of attitude flying, pitch/power effects, and turning flight but also help them get comfortable with where to find things like the throttle and flaps. Ever driven a rental car and been frustrated trying to find the windshield wipers?

The Air Force Academy Glider ‘Study’

The Glider Airmanship Course at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) incorporated a glider training course using Russell Holtz’s Mach 0.1 simulator running Condor 2 simulation software. Holtz developed a series of exercises to provide building block skills for flight, which dramatically increased the rate of students who soloed during the summer course.

Holtz’s exercises break down a landing into phases and build exercises around each phase. The software places the glider at specific locations and airspeeds to rehearse just that portion of the maneuver. Before attempting a full landing, a student must demonstrate they can maintain a constant airspeed in the simulator, fly along a straight line, fly straight down the runway after touching down, and transition from a descent to a roundout. Essentially, the landing is flown in reverse, step by step, before the full landing sequence is attempted.

What About Airplanes?

I strongly believe that with the right exercises, instructional techniques, and expectations, using an ATD for the first few flights will help students learn to fly airplanes faster and with less frustration than jumping right into the airplane. Not to mention that it will be more cost-effective.

So why don’t more flight schools adopt this approach? I think the reasons can be divided into two main groups:

1. Historical: Most instructors teach as they were taught, using the same methods, sequence, and syllabus. Although variations and some helpful exercises exist, most landings are taught in an airplane by, well, landing, with help, coaching, and usually after learning a few other skills in the air. But mostly landings are taught by a formula—and having the student try over and over.

2. Psychological: A student must be ready to learn and separate their excitement about flying from the hard work of building basic skills first. If they are eager to—and expecting to—get in the air, they may not be as receptive to the mundane ATD exercises you have planned. The student needs to appreciate the benefit of the ATD exercises and understand what they should be getting from them. Letting a student know that training is for developing a sight picture or learning muscle memory may have a very different outcome than if they expect to “fly the simulator” to learn what the airplane feels like.

Conclusion and Recommendations

An approach similar to the glider example can help students maximize their initial learning, whether in airplanes or gliders. Here are some concrete recommendations:

Customize ATD Exercises: Tailor the exercises to build foundational skills step-by-step, rather than using ATDs as mere airplane substitutes.

Set Clear Expectations: Ensure students understand the purpose of ATD exercises and how they contribute to their overall training. Focus on the sight picture and the behaviors, not the ‘feel’ of the controls.

Incorporate ATDs Early: Use ATDs from the very beginning of training to help students acclimate to the cockpit environment and develop essential skills.

By adopting these strategies, flight schools can enhance the learning experience, reduce costs, and help students become proficient pilots more efficiently. Let’s springboard our learning and hit the ground–or air —running!

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