At first glance the main changes in the new Cessna Recreational/Private Pilot Training Course appear to be the fact that it’s now an online course and that the course includes specific videos and graphics pertaining to the new Cessna SkyCatcher. But while those features are significant, they are not the biggest or most significant improvements in Cessna’s training approach or materials.
Cessna’s official pilot course materials are produced by John and Martha King of King Schools. Both the original course (which included a briefcase full of DVDs, a textbook, a test prep book and a Cessna 172 manual) and the new revised course are designed to be an integrated curriculum that matches each book lesson with the parallel flight training lesson a student would be receiving. By contrast, the King Schools courses are organized by subject matter (e.g. aerodynamics, weight and balance, regulations).
