Learning to capture sight picture is an important element for student pilots. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Student pilots should prioritize looking outside the cockpit (90% of the time) to develop situational awareness and a "sight picture," rather than getting distracted by instruments.
"Sight picture" is the skill of using external visual cues like the horizon and landmarks to determine aircraft attitude (climb, descent, straight and level) and is crucial for all flight phases.
Flight instructors guide students to understand and apply sight picture through demonstrations and verbal cues during maneuvers, takeoffs, and landings.
Specific advice for critical phases includes using external references during takeoffs and performing go-arounds for unstable landings rather than trying to salvage them.
To the student pilots out there: Show of hands—how many of you reading this wish you had a dollar for every time your CFI told you to look outside the cockpit? I’m willing to bet the flight instructors who read this are wishing they got a buck as well.
One of the first challenges a student pilot faces is getting your eyes outside the aircraft.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![Learning to capture sight picture is an important element for student pilots. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Sight-Pic-1-Large.jpeg)
