This is my private pilot flight training syllabus, designed to help and inform my flight students. Where applicable it will link to specific lesson plans which are keyed to the Private/Commercial Pilot ACS. Where a specific lesson does not have a direct ACS correlation, a description of the lesson will be given.

The sections below are grouped into the broad phases of the students progression through the training syllabus. Only the flight lessons of the syllabus are currently being captured here. It should be understood that the most effective approach to acquiring the ground school knowledge is to take the Private Pilot course from John Hunter. Also, the flight lessons will have some time spent on the ground engaging in a pre-flight briefing. This is to ensure the student is ready for the flight, and that we can make the most of time time spent in the aircraft. Ultimately the student must perform to the minimum standards set forth in the following document.

This private pilot syllabus is based on a number of different sources, adjusted to suit my own preferences and needs. Included are a number of references to study material. These can be references to the ACS, to various articles that are particular relevant to the lesson, or FAA publications. There will be specific references to the "Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge" and the "Airplane Flying Handbook", both available as PDFs from the FAA. References to the PHAK are for version FAA-H-8083-25C, and for the AFH are for version FAA-H-8083-3C. Links to each are included here :

Flight Lessons

As the student progresses to solo the lessons are driven by the requirements of 61.109, which mandates the required pre-solo training.

Pre-Solo Stage

  1. WCFC Introduction and Familiarization

    • Introduction, WCFC procedures, qualification checks, initial orientation flight

  2. Basic Aircraft Operations

    • Preflight prep & procedures, fundamentals of flight

  3. Basic Maneuvers

    • Introduce basic maneuvers, steep turns, slow flight

  4. Basic Maneuvers / Stalls

    • Expand on basic maneuvers including introduction to stalls

  5. Landings

    • At roughly this point in the syllabus we begin working on landings. This will take an unknown number of sessions, and will almost certainly have other lessons interspersed when conditions and circumstances warrant. Landings inevitably take a number of flights to get solid.

  6. Ground Reference Maneuvers

    • Turns about a point, and S-turns over the road

  7. Emergency Procedures

    • ABCDE checklist, forced landing flight strategy, Get DOWN! Emergency descent

It should be understood that getting to solo isn’t a matter of just marching by rote through the lessons detailed above, but will require additional work and flights to be solo-ready. The goal is proficiency, not just to check off progress check boxes.

Solo

  1. Review for Stage Check

    • Preparation for upcoming stage check

  2. Solo Stage Check

    • Stage check flight with Chief Flight Instructor

  3. First Solo

    • This is the first solo, and comes when the instructor deems the time is right

Prior to solo the student must complete, and have reviewed with the instructor, the quizzes required by the FAA as well as the club. The club quiz is regarding SOPs and can be found on the club website (Student SOP Quiz). The FAA requires pre-solo students take a aircraft type-specific quiz, and these can also be found on the club website at Cessna 172 Quiz or Piper Warrior Quiz depending upon in which aircraft the student is flying.

Post-Solo Dual Instruction

The following lessons will be done in no specific order, other than that dual cross-countries will always come before any solo cross-countries.

  1. Performance Takeoffs and Landings

    • Introduce short/soft field takeoffs and landings, as well as forward slips

  2. Second Solo

    • Give the student another opportunity for solo flight

  3. Local Area Solo(s)

    • Experience leaving the traffic pattern, alone

  4. VOR/GPS Introduction

    • Basic introduction to both VOR and GPS use

  5. Dual Instrument

    • Introduction to instrument flight

  6. Class C Operations

    • Introduction to Class C operations

  7. Dual Cross Country

    • "There and Back Again" - JRRT

  8. Night Flying

    • Finding our way in the dark

  9. Dual Night Cross Country

    • There and back again, in the dark.

Solo Cross Country

  1. Solo Cross Countries

    • Out on your own

  2. Long Solo Cross Country

    • Now you’ve gone and done it!

Preparation for Checkride

While there are only two lessons listed here, the number of sessions to accomplish the goals in these lessons is somewhat undefined. Essentially we’ll fly as much as needed to ensure that the private pilot candidate is ready for a checkride.

  1. Maneuvers Practice

    • Prep for checkride, reviewing all flight maneuvers

  2. Pre-Checkride Progress Check

    • Mock checkride with a second set of eyes

  3. Checkride!

    • This is what you have been working for. Good luck!