Learning to capture sight picture is an important element for student pilots. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Student pilots are urged to spend 90 percent of their flight time looking outside the cockpit to develop situational awareness, rather than being distracted by instruments.
A crucial skill to develop is the "sight picture," which means understanding the aircraft's attitude (climbing, descending, turning, straight and level) by observing external visual cues like the horizon and ground references.
This external visual focus is essential for mastering flight maneuvers, takeoffs, and landings, with instructors guiding students on using outside references for critical phases of flight.
During landings, the article stresses the importance of recognizing and correcting errors, such as coming in too fast, and prioritizing safety by performing a go-around rather than attempting to salvage an unstable approach.
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)
