Learning to capture sight picture is an important element for student pilots. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Student pilots must prioritize looking outside the cockpit (90% of the time) to develop situational awareness and a "sight picture" of the aircraft's attitude, rather than solely relying on instruments.
Developing a "sight picture" involves using external visual cues like the horizon and ground references to understand the aircraft's attitude (climb, descent, straight and level), making instruments secondary for these assessments.
Flight instructors teach the critical skill of "sight picture" through maneuvers, takeoffs, and landings, emphasizing external references to help students quickly assess and apply the correct aircraft attitude.
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)
