What to Expect about Taking Flying Lessons for Career Pilots
Do you aspire to become a professional pilot and wondering what it takes to become one? If so, then the first thing you ought to know is that aviation is a very challenging field. Even the smallest errors can have disastrous consequences and punished accordingly. To reduce the dangers of flying, the experience must be handed to future generations. This is where flying lessons come in!
Pilot training has altered throughout the years, and the pilot today requires to understand more about the theory of the different components associated with air travel in addition to training on how to control an aeroplane.
There is a syllabus that needs to be followed for training career pilots. The latter is divided into two areas — academics and the actual flying itself.
On the academic side, students can expect to learn the following:
1. Principles of Flight, Aerodynamics, radio navigation as well as civil air laws.
2. Students need to pass a written test by scoring above 75% on all subjects to obtain a Private Pilot License (PPL). Most of the lessons involve self-study with the guidance of an instructor.
3. Flying schools have qualified ground instructors who can offer students advice and lectures.
4. Simulators are now a part of the academic training programme for career pilots. These simulators vary from large cabin-enclosed simulators often used by airline companies to small portable computers.
As for the flying lesson itself, students can expect the following:
1. Flying lessons begin with a full briefing by instructors. The information of what is going to be performed in the air and on the ground is covered. The weather condition and the area in which the Flying lesson will be included in the briefing as well.
2. Any notifications or warnings that might be current for the day and the Air Traffic and Radio requirements will be covered. The instructor demonstrates observation and the right handing of aircraft controls. This is followed by an exchange of control from instructor to pilot. It is necessary to know who is holding the controls. The introductory part of the flight lessons generally takes up to half an hour.
3. Following the briefing, the pilots inspect the documentation before moving on to the next phase which is the aircraft “walkaround”. As the latter implies, both pilot and instructor systematically walk around the plane to visually check the aeroplanes’ systems, including oil levels, propellers, tire pressure, fuel levels and the like.
4. A checklist is used to ensure that nothing is missed during the preflight checks. Once done, students can then start the engine and await permission to “taxi” along the runway in preparation for launch at the holding point. Once approval is obtained, the aeroplane is then positioned against the wind and accelerated to take-off speed.
So there you have it — a few things that beginners can expect about taking flying lessons to become a career pilot. Such insights can prove invaluable considering the high cost of flying lessons nowadays.
As you have surely realized, it’s a challenging yet beautiful experience and one that will take you towards the first few steps towards building a rewarding career in aviation.
