Building Blocks of Proper Pilot Training Can’t Be Skipped

Remember that repetition and pacing are much better than racing.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Flight training [Credit: FLYING Archive/Derek Eckenroth]

Key Takeaways:

Informal flying with a friend can be mistaken for proper flight instruction, leading to a lack of fundamental knowledge, skills, and understanding of structured training.
Repetition is essential for effective learning, skill acquisition, and knowledge retention in flight training, both for practical maneuvers and theoretical concepts.
Successful flight training requires a structured syllabus, clear communication of lesson goals by the instructor, and the learner's understanding of the purpose of repetition and the building-block approach.

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The client came to the flight school saying he had 10 or so hours in a Cessna 172 but hadn’t been allowed to take off or land yet—and he wanted to change that.

On his intro flight, he put two hands on the yoke during taxi and eschewed the checklist for the preflight inspection, claiming his previous instructor—a “buddy” of his—“didn’t make him use it,” and “they just went out and flew.”