Lessons

A lesson, as provided here, covers a specific topic, or a narrow set of related topics. When appropriate, I try to reference government, manufacturer, or respected industry sources to support and enrich the information in each lesson. I also try to provide photos, figures, and diagrams if/as able to make each lesson more interesting and more informative.

Note: You might also want to take a look at my library which has a number of useful references that cover broad topics, or entire areas of knowledge, that may not be covered by the specific lessons provided here. (Note that some but not all items appear in both the Lessons and the Library sections of this site.)

If you are just starting your training for your student pilot / private pilot license, focus initially on just the items marked with a ☆. After your first few lessons, we will discuss when you should add in the other items on this page to your active reading list.

Lessons for All Pilots / Students

• • Pre-flight & Engine Start

    • ☆ The Pre-flight Inspection - A photo tour of real problems found during the pre-flight inspection.

    • ☆ Antennas - A walk around tour of your aircraft explaining all of the different antennas.

    • ☆ Lights - How to manage your exterior lights for safety and to meet the FAR requirements

  • Engine Start & Taxi

    • ☆ Cessna C172SP Start Procedure - One-sheet guide to priming and starting the engine in the C172SP

  • Takeoffs, Landings, and Flying the Pattern

    • Takeoffs and Landings - A great set of videos and references provided by the AOPA Air Safety Institute

    • Flying the Pattern - A guide to flying the pattern in a Cessna C172SP

    • Go-around - how to properly perform this vitally important procedure - For some reason, a great many pilots execute the go-around incorrectly. This lesson explains the right way to do it, and why. Also known as a balked landing, or rejected landing.

    • The options available following an engine failure after takeoff - aka: The Impossible Turn / The Emergency 180 Turn / The Return to the Airport Turn - A great AOPA article by Barry Schiff titled Unconventional Wisdom

    • Operating at a non-towered airport

  • Airspace

    • Airspace Course by FAA Safety (FAASTeam)

    • Know Before You Go, Navigating Today's Airspace - by the AOPA Air Safety Institute (must be an AOPA member)

    • Airspace, Chapter 15 of the PHAK

    • Airspace Flashcards - A great way to test your understanding of airspace, by the AOPA Air Safety Institute

    • Airspace Reference Card

  • Radio Operations - individual lessons for different aspects of radio communications

    • Say It Right - Interactive radio course by the AOPA Air Safety Institute (you may need to be an AOPA member to access this course)

    • Radio - Primer, basic radio communication at towered and non-towered airports

    • Radio - CTAF, UNICOM, and MULTICOM - Understanding non-towered airport communications

    • Radio - Flight Service Station (FSS) communications

  • Collision Avoidance and Clearing Turns - How to prevent a mid-air collision

  • Steep Turns - How to perform a steep turn maneuver

  • Palo Alto's Runway 31 markings - The lead-in area is NOT a displaced threshold

  • Mountain Flying / Mountain Checkout - Learn what you need to know before venturing into the mountains. This is my outline for the ground portion of my mountain flying course.

  • Oxygen - What you need to know about when, and how, to use oxygen, and a pulse oximeter, in flight.

Lessons for the Instrument Student / Pilot

• • Instrument Rating Reading List - Not a single lesson, but a comprehensive list of reading and lessons for the instrument pilot / student