Wings Over the Rockies is a Colorado-based, nonprofit organization that supports educational programming at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.

This year’s scholarship winners will receive $12,000 for the pursuit of a private pilot certificate in either a single-engine airplane or a glider. The awards are made possible by the Ray Foundation, an organization that “provides grants for programs and educational organizations primarily in aviation that develop life skills such as honesty, worth ethic, self-confidence, and self-discipline.”

Scholarship applicants were subjected to a rigorous evaluation and interview process conducted by representatives from Wings Over the Rockies, the Captain Jeppesen Foundation, and other partner organizations, including Daedalian Flight 18, the Colorado Pilots Association, and the Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA).

This year 119 students applied, and more than 50 made it to the interview process. Each scholarship recipient was assigned a mentor to guide them through the training process, which included both flight time and a thorough study regime to help them reach certification.

“Our future is bright with the up and coming students who want to pursue a career in aviation,” said retired U.S. Air Force Major General John Barry, president and CEO of Wings Over the Rockies. “We hope to continue to expand this scholarship program in the future and are incredibly grateful to the Ray Foundation for making this scholarship program available to Colorado’s future pilots.”

Since the program was launched in 2019, 150 high school students in Colorado ages 15 to 19 have received more than $1.3 million in scholarship awards. 

The post 26 Colorado High School Students Awarded Flight Training Scholarships appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Development of Confidence

The learner’s confidence often comes from their trust of the instructor.

Does your instructor inspire confidence? Do they have a vested interest in your training? Do they get excited for you when you reach a milestone like your first solo? Do they come up with creative ways of teaching when you are having difficulty? Or do they become frustrated when you’re not getting it and complain that they are “too good” to “still be a CFI?” 

• READ MORE: How Do You Obtain a Student Pilot Certificate After a Break in Training?

While you don’t necessarily have to like your instructor, you do need to respect them, and they need to respect you for learning to take place. If respect is not present, the best thing to do is change instructors.

Practice and Drill

“Why are we doing this again?” the learner asked when the CFI asked for a demonstration of ground reference maneuvers. 

The answer is because practice and drill increase proficiency, and proficiency results in confidence. A good portion of your flight training will be reviewed to make sure you consistently meet the airman certification standards (ACS).

On the ground drill can mean taking practice knowledge tests—as few as 10 questions at a time —until the material is learned, or going through practice check ride oral exams until the material is understood, not just delivered by rote.

What Hurts Confidence

Confidence is shaken if the learner gets the impression the CFI is making up answers to questions or if the CFI puts the learner into dangerous situations, like flying in a thunderstorm or icing conditions.

Some CFIs make excuses, like the CFI who flew into a closed airport twice (two different airports) with a learner because he didn’t check the NOTAMs. I asked the CFI why he didn’t check the NOTAMs before the flight and was told “that’s the student’s job.” Riiiiiight. Apparently he hadn’t taught his learner how to check NOTAMs because no one taught him.

• READ MORE: When Flight Training Stalls

If a flight is going poorly, the worst thing an instructor can do is tell the learner “just sit back, I’ll take us back to the airport.” It’s much better if the CFI engages the learner, if at all possible. If they don’t physically want to fly, have them run the radios, do navigation—all the while asking them to take the controls again.

The exception to this is when the learner does something willfully dangerous, like attempting to buzz something on the ground or not listening to the CFI when they tell the learner to go around. If the CFI has to take the controls to prevent a crash because the learner cannot follow directions, remove them from training.

Disengaged CFI

If the instructor views teaching as a chore, or complains how they want to move on, the learner can start to wonder if they are truly getting an education or simply paying for someone else to pad their logbook. This erodes learner confidence.

I wish I had a dollar for all the times I have heard pilot candidates remark they weren’t sure if they learned anything from their CFI because the flights were pretty much the CFI just sitting there. There was no feedback, good or bad.

A lack of communication can make a learner doubt themselves. I tell my learners if I am quiet in the cockpit, they are doing a good job. I learned to say this because a rather anxious young man was worried I was upset with him as his father had warned him, “It’s never good when a woman is quiet.”

Identifying What Makes You Anxious

If there is something that makes you anxious about flying, let your CFI know what it is. A good CFI will help you deconstruct the issue and come up with a workable solution for improving your confidence.

For example, if you are worried about getting lost, plan a dual cross-country flight using only pilotage and dead reckoning. Cover up the magnetic compass and make the GPS and VOR off-limits for this exercise.

The CFI might even toss in a divert. On the next flight add in a VOR (if available) and have the learner triangulate their position. Once you have that down cold, add in the GPS as a backup measure during cross-country flights.

Landings

Landings can cause anxiety. The ground is rushing up at you, and if you don’t have good airspeed control or there’s a crosswind that is taxing your capability, it’s easy to scare yourself.

Break down the process to identify the items that are giving you the issue: Is it staying ahead of the airplane? Run the checklist to get a better grasp on the procedures and “chair fly” the pattern, identifying what speeds and altitudes you are at on each leg.

• READ MORE: The Art of Ground School

If you are having trouble determining when to flare, have your CFI demonstrate how to fly 6 inches over the runway in the landing attitude, then do a go-around. The learner repeats this maneuver until they get comfortable.

Crosswinds

Since we can’t control the weather, an aviation training device (ATD) is excellent for learning how to handle crosswinds.

Start with crosswinds at 30 degrees and work up to 90 degrees and increase velocity. The learner gains muscle memory in the sim that can be replicated in the aircraft. Then make it a point to fly on wind days to get real-world experience.

You will be surprised at how much more confident you feel

Check Ride Oral Exam

It is often said that check ride failures most often happen during the oral exam rather than the flying portion.

If you have test anxiety, ask your CFI to set up mock oral exams for you. These need to be more than just reading out of the oral exam guide. Have another CFI put you through your paces. 

Understand that the purpose of the mock oral exams is to find the soft spots so that they can be reinforced before the actual check ride.

Overconfidence

The opposite end of the spectrum is the overconfident pilot who resents instruction.

If the learner has flown with another CFI who didn’t do preflight and post-flight briefings, or didn’t use a syllabus or emphasize checklist use, the learner can become resentful of the replacement CFI, suggesting they are trying to undermine the learner’s confidence by showing them what they don’t know. That’s the wrong attitude for a learner to take.

Every time you fly with a different CFI, anticipate you will learn something, just as CFIs pick up something from each learner they fly with.

CFIs need to be careful not to criticize the previous instructor, or say things like, “I can’t believe you don’t know this.” That can be a challenge sometimes, like when the learner doesn’t do clearing turns or use the rudders in flight.

“My other instructor told me not to do that,” or “my other instructor never made me do that,” are red flag phrases which usually translate to “something was lost in translation.”

If a learner is successful in another aspect of life, like their career, they can be of the mind that learning to fly will be very easy for them. When it isn’t, that can be a challenge to their self esteem.

The CFI can help the learner by pointing out that learning is a process, and anything as skill and knowledge dependent as flying is going to take time and practice and patience. Both the learner and CFI need to recognize this so that learning can take place.

The post The Confidence Factor in Learning to Fly appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This year I met several newly minted flight instructors and flight instructors in training who wish to do more than build their hours from the right seat. They want to be good teachers of flight. I really hope they meant what they said.

Training the Trainers

One of my great joys is working with CFI applicants who share the mindset that instruction is important and not just a way to build hours.

I will train teachers, not time builders. To do otherwise would be a disservice to future pilots.

The Problem With Shortcuts

We compared notes about applicants we’d encountered who had gone through accelerated training programs for CFIs.

While there are people who do very well with “quick ticket” training,  the fact is a few day courses don’t really teach you how to be a teacher. The only thing that does this is experience.

We all start out green. Time and practice is the only way to achieve seasoning.

Nearly everyone had a story to tell about the CFI applicant who wanted to take shortcuts just to pass the check ride.

They didn’t know how to organize a lesson, create a lesson plan, or offer a critique, but they had memorized the check ride. They parroted things they read off the internet. The mindset was “you’ll learn to teach after you get the ticket.”

This is unfair to the person who you are supposed to be teaching. They are paying for instruction, and you should be able to deliver. If you cannot do that, get out of the right seat.

Options to Improve CFI Training

Ideas were floated on improving the quality of flight instruction in the U.S.

The top suggestion was to increase CFI pay to entice them to stay on the job for more than one year. That’s the average time spent teaching for the pilot who is building their hours toward ATP minimums.

The theory is that spending more time as a CFI would enable these people to become better teachers. More experience doing something does tend to improve your performance. I submit, however, that unless that person really wants to be a CFI, this amounts to putting lipstick on a pig. 

If the candidate thinks flight instruction is beneath them—and there are some who do—no amount of money in the world is going to change that. Often their attitude comes across in the cockpit and the classroom.

Also, many smaller flight schools don’t have the revenue to support this business model, or they see all CFIs easily replaceable, saying their lack of experience justifies the low pay.

In many cases, working full-time as a CFI is too financially challenging. And even though they are good teachers and enjoy the job, many CFIs leave the profession for higher paying careers in other industries. 

Quality Over Quantity

Another suggestion was to create a training metric for CFIs, such as a set number of hours logged as dual instruction received post-commercial certificate to qualify for the CFI check ride, or be paired up with a CFI with more experience in a mentoring relationship before you are permitted to endorse anyone for a check ride. For example, the newly minted CFI would need 100 hours dual before they can sign off a client. 

These are intriguing ideas, but I am reasonably certain that in the U.S. with the pilot shortage and the “hurry up” mentality of so many flight students, any FAA rule changes would go over like a skunk on the dance floor at prom. Frankly, it would be too cumbersome and limiting in the training environment we have today.

CFI Responsibility 

There were also discussions about stressing the role of the CFI as a teacher and a coach.

Our job is to guide the learner in all facets of training air and ground. The learners don’t know what they don’t know, and no CFI or flight school should take advantage of their lack of experience.

There was a particularly painful story about a private pilot candidate who was at a school that provided both Part 141 and Part 61 training. The learner was flying under Part 61 and limited to flying just once a week, although they had the money and time to fly more frequently. 

According to the learner, as they compared flying lessons to music lessons, which are often just once a week, they didn’t know that flying more frequently would accelerate the learning process.

The CFIs—there were several—were fine with the once-a-week lesson, and according to the learner, never suggested an increase in lesson frequency. The learner allegedly spent thousands of dollars and several months “taking rides with multiple CFIs” but never soloed. 

If a CFI determines they cannot teach a particular client, the ethical thing to do is terminate the relationship. If you’re both frustrated, it’s in both of your best interests. It is far better if your CFI says, “I am not the right instructor for you,” than for them to keep showing up and taking your time and money. Often this breeds resentment.

Flight Training Is a Partnership

Sometimes CFIs encounter pilot applicants who have a participation trophy mindset when it comes to flight training.

Just showing up and going through the motions is not enough in aviation. We need to be clear that both the CFI and learner need to apply themselves and be accountable for their performance.

For learners who are successful in other aspects of their lives, this self-reflection can be painful at times. If you don’t meet performance standards as put forth in the ACS, it doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means you need more practice or a different approach to learning.

You won’t enjoy every part of your training— there will be days it seems tedious and difficult. There will be the dreaded learning plateaus that will make you question your life choices. There will also be those days with “aha!” moments, where the stars align, and the knowledge and skill come together.

You will get a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that a relatively few in the human population achieve. This is particularly true when the designated pilot examiner (DPE) hands you your temporary certificate.

But to get there you need to work with your CFI—and they need to work with you.

The post Improving CFI Training Remains a Never-Ending Goal appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

• Best of Florida: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Best of Georgia: Aero Atlanta Flight Center
• Best of South Carolina: Stratos Aviation
• Best of North Carolina: Blue Line Aviation
• Best of other Southeastern states: ATP Flight School

5 Flight Schools in the Southeast U.S.

The Southeast U.S. is a prime location for flight training due to its great weather, abundance of airports, and high aviation industry presence.

As a result, the Southeast offers a diverse range of top-tier flight schools catering to various pilot aspirations.

Whether your dream is to obtain a private pilot certificate or to get into the cockpit of a major airline jet, there is a flight school for everyone.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Best of: Florida

Florida is home to many high-quality flight schools. With its great weather year-round and wealth of airports, many aspiring pilots come to this state in pursuit of their flying dreams.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), for example, is renowned for its aviation programs. ERAU is an accredited and FAA Part 141-certified institution, meaning it offers structured, syllabus-led programs that produce professional-level pilots with bachelor’s degrees.

Check out other top flight schools and reasons to choose to conduct flight training in Florida.

Location: Daytona Beach

Tuition and Fees: $65,738 per academic year (fall/spring) plus $23,000-$33,000 per year for flight fees for the first two years and $10,000-$15,000 for the third year of flight training

• Private Pilot ASEL: $33,503
• Instrument: $16,924
• Commercial Pilot ASEL: $23,468
• Commercial Pilot AMEL Add-On: $15,137
• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL: $16,508
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII): $8,299
• Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): $7,390

Financial Assistance: Yes; private loans and financial aid are available.

Accreditation: Yes

Program Length: 3-4 years

Endorsements: Private Pilot ASEL, Instrument, Commercial Pilot ASEL, Commercial Pilot AMEL Add-On, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL, Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII), Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI), ATP-CTP

Fleet: Cessna 172, Diamond DA42-VI

Job Placement: Yes

Virtual Learning: No

Aero Atlanta Flight Center

Best of: Georgia

With more than 800 aviation and aerospace companies based in Georgia, the state is one of the largest hubs for the industry.

As a result, companies such as Aero Atlanta Flight Center are based here, boasting state-of-the-art facilities and a modern fleet of aircraft. As one of the fastest-growing Platinum Cirrus Training Centers nationwide, Aero Atlanta Flight Center trains confident pilots capable of operating high-performance and technically advanced aircraft.

Check out other top flight schools and reasons to choose to conduct flight training in the state of Georgia.

Location: Atlanta and Kennesaw, Georgia

Tuition and Fees:

• Private Pilot ASEL: $31,604-$42,575
• Instrument: $28,000-$36,850

Financial Assistance: No

Accreditation: No

Program Length: 3-4 months per rating

Endorsements: Private Pilot ASEL, Instrument

Fleet: Cirrus SR-20, Cessna 172

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: Yes, for certain portions of ground school offered by companies such as Pilot Institute

Stratos Aviation

Best of: South Carolina

Most of the flight training in South Carolina is conducted by experienced instructors in modern aircraft.

 One of those flight schools, Stratos Aviation, offers comprehensive flight training programs in a safe and modern learning environment. It focuses on equipping new pilots with the skills needed for confidence, proficiency, and safety in aviation. It also instills a deep sense of respect for flight and risk management in their students.

Location: Greenville and West Columbia

Tuition and Fees: Catered to each student’s needs. Call the Greenville location at 864-272-6268 or the Columbia location at 803-998-2200.

Financial Assistance: No

Accreditation: No

Program Length: 3-4 months per rating

Endorsements: Private Pilot ASEL, Instrument, Commercial Pilot ASEL, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL, Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII)

Fleet: Cirrus SR-20, Cessna 172, Piper PA-28

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: Yes, for certain portions of ground school offered by companies such as Sporty’s

Blue Line Aviation

Best of: North Carolina

FLYING’s Flight School Guide is a tool to help students find a flight school, aviation college, or university that’s right for them.

Per the guide, Blue Line Aviation is considered to be one of the top flight schools in the country. It is the perfect fit for student pilots looking to be immersed in training from day one.

Its short, accelerated training schedule gives life to a new career in months. The flight school’s Career Pilot Program takes students from zero time to a MEI in just five and a half months for $115,000.

Location: Smithfield

Tuition and Fees:

• Private Pilot ASEL: $17,500
• Instrument: $16,000
• Commercial Pilot ASEL: $45,500
• Commercial Pilot AMEL Add-On: $7,500- $20,500
• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL: $16,000
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII): $8,000
• Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): $18,000

Financial Assistance: Yes

Accreditation: No

Program Length:

• Private Pilot ASEL: 6 weeks
• Instrument: 4 weeks
• Commercial Pilot ASEL: 6 weeks
• Commercial Pilot AMEL Add-On: 3-10 days
• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL: 10 days
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII): 5 days
• Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): 1-2 weeks

Endorsements: Private Pilot ASEL, Instrument, Commercial Pilot ASEL, Commercial Pilot AMEL Add-On, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL, Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII), Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)

Fleet: Diamond DA42-VI, Diamond DA40, Diamond DA20, Piper Archer

Job Placement: No

Virtual Learning: Yes, for certain portions of ground school offered by companies such as Gold Seal

ATP Flight School

Best of: Other Southeastern states

ATP Flight School is the largest flight training establishment in the U.S.. Its nationwide network of 78 training centers located in 33 states allows for more efficient scheduling and instructor/examiner availability.

ATP’s Airline Career Pilot Program is one of the fastest professional pilot programs in the country, with a completion time of as little as nine months. If a student is considering becoming a professional airline pilot, this may be the most efficient path to reach that goal.

Locations: Birmingham, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Leesburg, Virginia; Manassas, Virginia;, Norfolk, Virginia;; and Richmond, Virginia

Tuition and Fees:

• Airline Direct Track: $185,000
• Airline Career Pilot Program: $86,995- $108,995 (depending on previous experience)
• ATP-CTP: $4,295

Financial Assistance: Yes

Accreditation: Yes

Program Length:

• Airline Direct Track: 11 months
• Airline Career Pilot Program: 6-9 months (depending on previous experience)
• ATP-CTP: 7 days

Endorsements: Private Pilot ASEL, Instrument, Commercial Pilot ASEL, Commercial Pilot AMEL, Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ASEL, Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII), Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI), ATP-CTP

Fleet: Cessna 172, Piper Archer, Piper Seminole

Job Placement: Yes, pathways to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and more with ATP’s 38 airline partnerships

Virtual Learning: Yes, for certain portions of ground school offered by companies such as Angle of Attack

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Flight School

There are several factors that should be a requirement to consider before committing to a flight school. Let’s explore some of the most important ones.

Location and Weather Conditions

Flight training locations with good weather year-round allow for more flight time, resulting in accelerated training. Choosing a flight school in the Southeast U.S. allows pilots to take advantage of flight training regardless of the season.

Curriculum and Certification Programs

Understanding the curriculum and certification programs offered by the different flight schools allows students to stay focused on their goals as they progress through flight training. Some schools specialize in specific areas, such as obtaining a private pilot certificate and instrument rating, while others are in business to train and develop commercial pilots.

Aircraft Fleet and Maintenance

Learning about each school’s aircraft fleet (i.e., age, size, type) and maintenance program allows students to understand fleet availability. Larger fleets, modern airplanes, and in-house maintenance programs provide for better fleet availability, resulting in accelerated flight training.

Flight Instructor Qualifications and Experience

The quality of flight instructors significantly impacts a student’s learning progress and their ability to complete flight training on schedule. Researching the reputation and qualifications of the instructors at each flight school can provide valuable insights into the learning environment a student can expect.

Cost and Financial Aid Options

The overall cost of flight training, including tuition, flight hours, and additional fees is steep and should be thoroughly considered before choosing a flight school. Students should also investigate which financial aid options, scholarships, and payment plans are available to relieve some of the stress of paying for flight training.

Job Placement Assistance

A strong network and partnership programs can help students connect with career opportunities soon after graduation. Promptly finding a job after completing flight training can help alleviate the stress of accrued flight training costs.

Kick-Start Your Flight Training Today

If your dream is to fly, one of the first steps any aspiring pilot must take is to choose the flight school that will guide them on the path to achieving this dream. Whether it is to obtain a private pilot license (PPL) or become an airline pilot, there is a flight school for everyone.

We hope you enjoyed this curated list of the best flight schools in the Southeast U.S.. We encourage you to apply for an exploration flight and discover for yourself what each flight school has to offer.

FAQ

Which state in the Southeast has the best flight schools?

Florida is home to many high-quality flight schools. With its great weather year-round and abundance of airports, many aspiring pilots come to this state in pursuit of their flying dreams.

What is the best school of aviation in the Southeastern U.S.?

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is renowned for its school of aviation in the U.S.

Where is Florida Flyers Flight Academy ranked?

Florida Flyers Flight Academy is ranked No. 1 among the best flight schools in the Southeast U.S.

The post Best Flight Schools in the Southeastern U.S. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Thirty years later, as I have racked up thousands of hours flying business jets, fulfilling my cloud-popping dreams, I get to do the same on my home flight sim thanks to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020).

In the four years since MSFS2020’s release, so many improvements and features have been added to make its visual world more realistic. The weather modeling seems to improve almost daily. 

• READ MORE: Launch Date Set for ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’

MSFS2020’s live weather feature has always been fabulous and seemingly accurate. Yet with all its improvements, I still have an affinity for manually setting up the sky. I call this “skyscapes.”

Creating Skyscapes

I make my own skyscapes all the time now—and you can too. Or you can download them from others. It’s easy to do, tons of fun, and has become an artistic way of enjoying the sim.

It’s perfect for making coffee-table-perfect screenshots and also allowing overriding the live weather in case it’s interfering with your plans on that day. 

I enjoy modeling convection. The visuals of the cumulus clouds against a deep blue sky is intoxicating to me. Up until recently the cumulous model or thunderstorm was dead, with little or no turbulence. I would have to turn to X-Plane 12 storm modeling to be challenged. 

X-Plane has always done a superior job in convective modeling. But in the last two months until now I have noticed something in MSFS2020 has changed. 

Recently, I took a sim flight around Thailand testing out the new incredible PMDG 777-300 (pmdg.com), using my self made tropical skyscape. I programmed cumulus clouds with tops exceeding 30,000 feet, which suddenly started to upset the mega airliner as I flew traffic patterns. 

Near the cumulous, there were sudden upheavals, airspeed changes, and shear. It was rough. Some clouds did nothing, while others had winds gusting to over 50 knots in spots, varying on the direction, creating shear and moderate turbulence.

I tried numerous circuits around the area, with some 30 miles around the airport intentionally penetrating and circumnavigating the cumulous, some of which had grown to thunderstorms with lightning bolts. Adjusting the manual slider for customization I increased the lightning percentage and rainfall rates. The visual effect was spectacular, with visible rain shafts, downbursts, and rainbows.

Creating Sim Weather Themes

Creating your own weather themes is a breeze.

To get started, just untoggle the live weather button then manually tweak clouds, wind, visability, and temperature. Use the little icon to the upper-right corner to give it a unique name. That’s it, and it is saved forever for recall or to share online with others. I have started making many, based on real-world location and with the typical weather. 

Using manual weather offers the ability to deepen the blue sky to accurately represent areas that don’t have pollution, like the Pacific Islands or the Rocky Mountains in the U.S.

To do this, drag the humidity slider fully to the left. Moving it to the right creates more humidity, leading to a reduction in visibility or even fog if you keep going full right into a zero/zero type of world.

Temperature is self explanatory. Lightning is fun to tinker with, as is precipitation. By having high bases and no precipitation, you can simulate typical high altitude Rocky Mountain-style convection.

Throw in gusty winds in varying degrees with altitude or shear to simulate a day filled with thermals and convective winds. Dry base storms in the Rockies can be deadly, even without any precipitation falling. By adding a lot of precipitation you’ll get intense rain shafts and flooding.

By lowering clouds to under 3,000 feet msl, reducing visibility, and having intense rains, you’ll be creating a typical tropical-style setup. Make the winds light. The combinations are endless. 

The PMDG 777 is the epitome of a realistic, study-level aircraft. I am currently using an Asus ROG 18 (i9, GeForce 4090) laptop for all my flight simming sessions. 

As I fly the heavy jumbo, which in itself is a task, I wondered how the effects would affect a Cessna type aircraft. I booted up a brand new late model  Carenado Cessna 182T and flew over the intermountain western U.S. for testing using a similar weather model but raising the CU bases to about 7,000 agl and tops to near FL 400. 

It’s a random occurrence, but climbing near the bases resulted in some light chop and shear, though not as much as expected. After adding in more lightning and rainfall, I experienced some massive vertical spikes with winds gusting to almost 50 knots while in cruise at some places near clouds.

In preparing this article, I used a recently released add-on called SimFx by Parallel 42. It is available here, and includes other visual aircraft effects like wing fogging, tire spray, rubber trails, dirt, and much more. Some pretty cool premade “skyscapes” are included as well. 

Your home sim may not be able to replicate everything, but the amount it can do is staggering. The lack of motion is really about the only thing that stands out. Visuals are better than FAA-level D sims—and sound better too.

Hopefully you too will try making some of your own “skyscapes” in MSFS2020 and discover the fun of doing so as I have.

The post Skyscapes for Simmers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Although it is common for learners to imprint on their instructors, the fact of the matter is that the training connection is a business relationship. There needs to be communication about goals, how to achieve them, progress made, what has been accomplished, and what needs to be done. 

When you are a novice pilot, it can be a challenge to determine if progress is being made. When it becomes clear that it isn’t, it is time to make a change.

Flying Once a Week—Or Less

To make progress you need to fly on a consistent basis. This can be a challenge given limitations on instructor availability, airplane availability, learner availability, or finances.

There is no way anyone can make progress when you fly just once a week or a few times a month. You need a minimum of two lessons per week, three would be better, for learning to take place.

If you don’t have the money or time to fly at least twice a week, now may not be the time to pursue flight training. Save up the money and carve out the time to train. 

Flight Lessons Longer Than Two Hours

Just as flying too little hampers learning, so does flying too much.

Flying is fatiguing both mentally and physically. The cognitive demands, noise, and vibration of the aircraft can wear you out. Learning will not take place if you are tired.

It is not uncommon for pre-solo novice pilots to book five-hour lessons in the aircraft thinking they can knock out huge chunks of training in one lesson. This usually doesn’t work due to the fatigue factor.

You will need to build up endurance in the cockpit just like you do when learning to play a sport. For flights out to the practice area and back, two hours of flight time might be on the ragged edge.

While the FBOs gladly take your money and the CFIs will rack up the hours, you probably won’t get much out of it after about an hour in the air. Flying is too expensive to become self-loading ballast, so consider keeping the pre-solo flights to the practice area and in the pattern no longer than 1.3 hours. When your endurance increases, lengthen the lessons.

Too Early for Ground School?

It is never too early. Most of what you do in the airplane is best taught on the ground in a classroom than practiced in the air. The rules, regulations, and airspace are best taught on the ground as aircraft make terrible classrooms. 

If the CFI doesn’t recommend ground school, insists you self-study, and/or doesn’t make time to review what you have learned, ask why they are reluctant. If you’re not sure about a concept or an aircraft system or how to use a piece of equipment like ForeFlight or the E6-B, and your CFI can’t show you, find someone else to work with.

The CFI Doesn’t Use a Syllabus

A syllabus is the best way to keep a learner on track as it lists the tasks to be performed for certification and the order the tasks are to be learned.

Flight instructors train their clients as they were trained, and sadly many CFIs don’t use a syllabus because the person who trained them didn’t. “No one here uses one,” is a tepid excuse and unprofessional.

Minimal Preflight and Post-Flight Briefings 

“Did you check the weather?” and “See you next week,” are not pre- and post-flight briefings.

The preflight briefing consists of what the planned lesson is, how it will be conducted, and completion standards. The post-flight briefing consists of how you performed on the flight, ways to improve if required, and what will be done on the next flight.

Reluctance to Teach Basic Navigation

If your CFI is all about GPS, and says that no one uses the VORs, magnetic compass, pilotage or ded reckoning anymore, know that this is not accurate.

The basic method of navigation is using outside visual references. You also need to be able to determine time, speed and distance calculations using the E6-B—either analog or electronic—rather than relying on an app to do the work. 

For your check ride, you will need to know how to perform a divert in midair, and it is likely the examiner will disable the electronic devices to test your skills.

Reluctance to Use Paper Charts

While the electronic flight bag is a marvelous tool and reduces cockpit clutter, it can overheat, run out of power, or disappear from your flight bag or airplane.

Learn to use paper as backup. Also, you may find it more expedient to use paper for certain operations, such as looking up an airport tower frequency.

Instead of tapping on multiple tabs, a quick glance at paper gives you the information you seek.

No Introduction to the FAR/AIM

The Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (FAR/AIM) spells out the knowledge and experience required for every certificate and rating. Your CFI should tell you about this book on day one of your training and demonstrate how to use it. 

The FAR/AIM is a tool to be used to “trust but verify.” There are far too many learners going on flights that are more for the benefit of the CFI building their hours.

How many times have you heard about a low-time, pre-solo private pilot candidate doing an IFR flight or night cross counties at the insistence of their instructor? 

Remember this is your training, and it’s supposed to benefit you. If you ever feel like that has not happened, you are well within your rights to make a change.

The post When Flight Training Stalls appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Regardless of the program of study, Central Missouri students are exposed to all aspects of the aviation industry. 

Matthew Furedy, a 1999 graduate from university, returned to the school in fall 2015 as an assistant professor. Furedy presently teaches a variety of courses, with a focus on those  that are a part of the department’s airport management degree. 

Courses in the program range from airport planning and design to corporate aviation management, all of which prepare students to sit for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Certified Member (CM) exam. 

“I think that preparing our students and having them take this exam is a good thing,” Furedy said. “I know some other programs have that as an option, rather than a requirement, and I’m not sure how many actively make it part of the degree. [One of the other benefits of our structure] is we also require that students complete an internship. The more hands-on experience you can get, the better off you’ll be. So, I tell students that, if they can, to do an internship every summer that they’re here.” 

Presently, around 70 students are enrolled in Central Missouri’s undergraduate airport management program —which is the second largest in the department of aviation. While many students pursue careers as airport managers following graduation, alumni are employed in many different aviation disciplines.

“We have students that go through this program in order to go on and be an air traffic controller,” Furedy said. “Then we have those that work in airport ops or in management, at FBOs, working for the government, or as consultants. We even have some that go on to work at [OEMs]. There’s a very wide variety of jobs that students go off and do.”

Andy Multer began instructing at Central Missouri in spring 2020. During this semester, Multer passed the CM exam. This was an inspiration for a new program that he helped to create at the school, the airport management MBA. 

This online program was first offered in fall 2021 and currently has about 15 students. GMAT scores are not required for entrance into the MBA program, which costs less than $20,000 on average to complete. Most courses are eight weeks long, meaning that there are five start dates throughout the year. 

“The program is designed for junior- to mid-level airport employees that are looking to advance in their career,” Multer said. “You get well rounded airport management training with this degree, which is the only (AACSB accredited) airport management MBA in the world. We anticipate students to take two years to complete the MBA program because we really try to push it towards people that are working at an airport. We want this because experience is the most important part, and this program is to help you grow.

“Earning this graduate degree [in conjunction with three years of work experience] will ensure you meet all the requirements to take the AAAE’s AAE [Accredited Airport Executive] exam. Plus, students get their CM and two ACE [airport certified employee] certificates.” 

Both undergraduate and graduate students at Central Missouri are encouraged to be involved in a number of organizations to further their education. Some popular aviation groups include the school’s AAAE chapter, the Missouri Airport Managers Association, Women in Aviation International, and Alpha Eta Rho. Additionally, the department of aviation has an emphasis toward connecting students with opportunities to apply their coursework in the real world. 

“We own and operate our airport [Skyhaven Airport, (KRCM)] here,” Furedy said. “So, students have the ability to work at the airport, mainly in-line service, and we do offer internships, where they can shadow the airport manager at. That’s something that’s unique about the program, to be able to get out of the book and see the airport.

“In our airport certification class, we do go visit an airport and do an actual Part 139 inspection. We try to make it as real as possible and have been to a lot of different commercial services airports doing that. We’ve been to O’Hare [International Airport (KORD)] up in Chicago, Omaha [Airport (KOMA) in] Nebraska, Memphis [International Airport (KMEM) in Tennessee], Springfield-Branson National Airport (KSGF) south of us [in Missouri], and St. Louis Lambert International (KSTL).

“The big saying for the airport world is ‘if you’ve seen one airport, you’ve seen one airport,’ because even though there are standards on how to do things, each one does things a little bit differently.”  

The post University of Central Missouri Offers Multiple Aviation Career Destinations appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The training provider also introduced two new free courses—Drone Part 107 Regulations and Private Pilot Ground Reference Maneuvers— in addition to a new YouTube playlist, How to Become a Pilot.

“It has been a great privilege to play a part in people’s lives when they are learning to do something so important to them, learning to fly,” said King Schools co-founder Martha King.

“Learning to fly changes who you are and how you think about yourself,” said Kings Schools co-founder John King. “We want to encourage as many people as possible to embark on this fun, exciting, and life-changing activity.”

In addition to the discounts, King Schools also announced it will offer two scholarships for flight instructors—the Women in Aviation International Martha King Scholarship for Female Flight Instructors and the National Association of Flight Instructors/King Schools Scholarship for Flight Instructors. Both scholarships are valued at $15,000 plus an additional $5,000 in cash.

A revamp of King Schools’ Cessna Sport/Private Pilot Course, featuring over 130 new videos designed to be clearer, more concise, informative, and entertaining, was also announced during the news conference.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post King Schools Marks 50 Years of Flight Training appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Salinas, California-based aviation nonprofit focuses on inspiring at-risk youth to  engage in STEM education. The program has a Cessna 152 and Redbird Flight Simulations FMX AATD, which allow students to pursue a private pilot certificate. 

• READ MORE: Paying It Forward

The program also offers students an opportunity at completing ground school utilizing the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) high school curriculum.

The foundation’s $1.5 million donation, which was funded by Tom Siebel, Craig McCaw, and David Leushchen, also includes operational support for the aircraft and guaranteed job interviews for program graduates with industry partners Cirrus, CubCrafters, and Game Composites.

• READ MORE: Bob Hoover Academy Gets Redbird Simulator

“This donation is about providing hope and tangible opportunities for a better future,” Siebel said in a statement. “Salinas is a city where many young people face daunting challenges daily. We are honored to support the Bob Hoover Academy led by impassioned aviator Sean D. Tucker. They are changing lives through the magic of aviation combined with a solid education.” 

The post Donation to Expand Bob Hoover Academy Fleet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

They will drop out of flight training when they run out of money or when life gets in the way. It can also happen with ground school—they miss a class here or there or don’t have time to study. More often than not, it is more of a slow goodbye when they become overwhelmed. 

It is a learning plateau of sorts, and a good CFI will be watching for this and be ready to reel the learner back in.

Instructor Attitude Sets the Tone

It starts with attitude. If the instructor doesn’t want to be there, neither will the learners.

To the CFIs: Ground school shouldn’t be treated like a chore or a necessary evil. 

To the learners: Yes, it will help you pass the knowledge test, but it is also there to prepare you for your time in the air. Put some effort into it, and with the help of your instructor, do flight lessons that help you better understand the concepts you learn about in class.

To the flight schools: Find a CFI who excels at and enjoys teaching ground school. Nothing turns off a learner quicker than a lazy CFI who reads slides off a screen or passages out of a book and tries to call that teaching. They need to be engaged in the delivery—and that needs to be memorable for learning to take place.

Some flight schools pay their CFIs to create and teach a 10-week course with the caveat that the participants who miss a class can drop in on that particular class in the next 10-week course for free. Give the participants a six-month window to do these makeup classes.

This works best when the ground schools are run several times a year, provided they have enough learners to make it economically feasible for the flight school. I have taught classes with as few as five and as many as 12 learners.

The pace of the class should be to accommodate the slowest learner. It will take the CFI about two weeks to determine who that is.

To the CFI: Be ready to give that person extra assistance (privately) if needed, as there are fewer worse feelings than being left behind academically. Understand that talking is not teaching any more than throwing food at someone is getting them to eat.

Ask questions of the learners to see if the message delivered is the one received. If it isn’t, be ready to rephrase

Train the trainers 

It can be beneficial for CFI candidates to shadow the lead CFI, and open this opportunity to the inexperienced CFIs or even a commercial soon-to-be CFI candidate.

The CFI who is leading the course assigns the student-teacher a topic—for example, weight and balance or hazardous weather. The leading CFI is still in charge and will oversee the lesson to make sure all the elements are addressed, but it is a great opportunity for an up-and-comer to gain teaching experience.

Take the Initiative to Teach Ground

If your flight school does not have an established face-to-face ground school class, perhaps you can take the initiative and create one?

You don’t have to hold a CFI certificate to do this. You can become a ground instructor by passing the advanced ground instructor (AGI) knowledge test.

There is a basic ground instructor certificate, but if you want to pursue Gold Seal certification (the FAA’s way of saying you know your stuff), you will need to have an AGI, so why not get it now? The material on these tests is similar to that required of the private pilot and commercial pilot candidates. Once you pass the AGI exam, you can begin teaching ground school.

This nugget of knowledge comes from Greg Brown’s The Savvy Flight Instructor. Brown was flight instructor of the year in 2000 and inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2021.

Brown became my mentor after I heard him speak at a convention. His book is required reading for all the CFI candidates I work with, because it provides guidance on how to achieve professionalism and to market and prepare yourself to be an aviation educator. If you are on the instructor track, read this book.

Initiative: Master Level

When you don’t have a CFI certificate or experience as a teacher, it can be difficult to find a location that will hire you as a ground instructor. Don’t let that stop you.

Have some business cards made and market yourself as a tutor for those in pursuit of their flight review. The ground portion can often be very daunting if it has been a few years since they were involved in aviation.

This is how I started my instructor career. I began tutoring a friend in a Starbucks on Saturday mornings. I carried a small whiteboard, a sectional, an E6-B, etc. Another customer who recognized the tools of the trade asked if I would tutor him for his flight review.

This continued, and soon I had a small ground school going in the corner on Saturday mornings. I would tip the baristas in advance, and everyone would order coffee for the two hours we were together. It helped pay for my CFI flying lessons and develop my teaching skills.

The post The Art of Ground School appeared first on FLYING Magazine.