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 actively use a syllabus to guide their preparation for each flight lesson, as it outlines subjects and tasks in a structured order.
Before each lesson, refer to the syllabus to identify specific topics and maneuvers that will be covered.
Research these identified syllabus topics in FAA-approved texts, such as the *Airplane Flying Handbook* or *Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge*, to understand how to execute maneuvers and the skills involved.
This structured preparation method is more effective for learning and maximizing flight lesson time compared to passively watching general online aviation videos.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.