![An instructor and a student preflight a Cessna 152 before a lesson. [Credit: Richard Steiger]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/httpswww.flyingmag.comsitesflyingmag.comfilesimages201804pilot_attitude_in_training_image_1-1.jpeg)
There is something exciting and a little intimidating about flight training. You are (likely) working in a new environment for you as a student pilot, and often it may have been years since you did any organized learning.
Add to that the training is mental and physical, and that’s a bit of a challenge. Then there is that risk factor of leaving the ground.
In short, there is a lot going on, and despite what you have seen in the movies or on TV or experienced with a video game, learning to fly will take time and effort, and the more you know about what to expect, the better your experience will be. Here are some things you should expect.
Your first preflight inspection could take 30 minutes—or longer—and that’s OK.
The first lesson is foundational. You will learn how to use a checklist for the inspection, engine start, taxi, and run-up. Let it take as long as it takes. Note that with practice comes precision, and the time it takes to perform a good preflight will be reduced.
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Expect to find things that you are not sure about—is that damage or not? Always err on the side of caution and show it to a mechanic or your CFI before takeoff to be sure it’s not an issue.
On your first flight you will likely spend more time on the ground than in the air. Part of that is the preflight, and the flight itself will be about half an hour at first. The noise, vibration, and task saturation can be very fatiguing—and you need to build up endurance.
When you get tired, you can’t learn as well. Your CFI should be able to pick up on your “tells” by about the third lesson and suggest you return for landing. Each lesson will increase in length to approximately an hour, perhaps a bit longer as your endurance improves.
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You will learn most everything on the ground and practice it in the air. Each flight lesson begins and ends with a briefing. This is a short discussion about what the lesson will cover, what you will be taught, how it will be taught, what the CFI will do, what you will do, and why you are learning this.
The CFI should use a syllabus and you should have a copy of it—professional instructors make this happen. The briefing will match each lesson. A commercially prepared syllabus like Sporty’s or Jeppesen includes references for further study, such as the Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (FAR/AIM), Airplane Flying Handbook, or a maneuvers guide, so you can get an idea of what you will be doing before you get to the airport.
Bring something to take notes with. You won’t be using it in the airplane, but you will use it on the ground during the pre-brief and after the lesson in the post-brief. That’s where we discuss what went well, what could use improvement, how to do that, and what you will do on the next flight.
Every flight should begin with a check of the weather. You will be learning how to access and interpret a weather report. Don’t try to hide behind the “I will only fly on good days” excuse.
Weather theory is important, as temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind all have an effect on aircraft performance, so knowing how to interpret them is a big part of the safety of flight. There will be days when the ceiling and visibility are too low and the winds too high for a primary lesson. As your experience increases, the weather limitations will change.
Maneuvers in Practice Area
Your first few hours will likely consist of short flights to the school’s designated practice area for climbs, turns, descents, and level flight.
You will learn how to use the rudders, ailerons, and elevator, and how to do clearing turns and how to trim the aircraft along with appropriate altitudes for each maneuver. You will learn about minimum controllable airspeed, “slow flight”, and stalls. Note that the latter has nothing to do with the engine quitting—it is a temporary reduction in lift exercise.
By lesson two, parts of each lesson will be review and performance of a previously learned skill. Practice and drill are necessary to achieve mastery. With each learned skill you are getting a piece of the performance puzzle.
The FAR/AIM has the requirements for first solo listed under cFAR 61.87. Learning emergency procedures is part of the training required before the first solo. You may never use them, but you need to know what to do if there is an uncommanded loss of engine power or the oil pressure drops, etc.
By the fifth lesson, expect to be doing multiple takeoffs and landings in the pattern. You are likely halfway to solo at this point. The pattern is a busy place, so most CFIs don’t start your training there, as that would be like teaching someone how to drive a stick shift in rush-hour traffic. The practice area is more like the church parking lot on a Saturday.
Understand that making mistakes is part of learning, and your CFI expects you to make some. They will likely warn you about the common errors so you can guard against them. The CFI is tasked with the safety of the flight, so their job is to keep you from doing anything dangerous.
Don’t expect yourself to “get it” right away. Learning takes time. Be patient with yourself.
