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:

The article cautions against informal "flight lessons" from uncertified individuals, illustrating how a student mistakenly believed passenger flights constituted proper training, leading to a lack of fundamental skills and documentation.
Proper flight training requires a structured, syllabus-based approach with clear objectives, ensuring methodical skill progression and shared understanding between the instructor and student.
Repetition is an essential element of effective learning in aviation, crucial for both solidifying theoretical knowledge and developing precise practical flight skills.

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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.”