It’s Important to Prepare for Your Flight Lessons

Getting more out of your time as a student pilot is essential.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

There is a difference between checking the experience boxes on a syllabus and creating a pilot. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Student pilots should utilize a flight training syllabus, even if not explicitly provided by their Part 61 school or CFI, as it outlines subjects and tasks in order.
Before each lesson, refer to the syllabus to identify upcoming topics and tasks, then research these in FAA-approved texts like the *Airplane Flying Handbook* or *Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge*.
This structured preparation helps students understand how to execute maneuvers and acquire necessary skills, leading to more effective and purposeful learning.

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Question: I am a student pilot and I want to know the best way to prepare for each flight lesson. The flight school is Part 61, and my CFI said it’s too early to worry about ground school, but he told me to watch aviation videos online. I’m not sure exactly what I am supposed to be taking away from them. Sometimes I feel like I just show up and we goof around for an hour. Is there a better way to approach this?

Answer: You bet there is a better way. Use a syllabus. Many Part 61 schools don’t use them because they aren’t required, or the CFIs have one and they don’t share them with the clients, or they may be using the “folklore” method of training where they teach you how they were taught.