Private Pilot Flight Training Syllabus

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 insure 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.

Private Pilot ACS - Airplane (Change 1) (FAA-S-ACS-6B)

This private pilot syllabus is based on a number of different sources, adjusted to suit my own preferences and needs.

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.

Stage 1 - Pre-Solo Stage

  1. Introduction and Familiarization::

    • Introduction, procedures, qualification checks, initial orientation flight

  2. Basic Aircraft Operations

    • Preflight prep & procedures, takeoffs/landings, fundamentals of flight

  3. Basic Maneuvers

    • Introduce basic maneuvers

  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. Emergency Landing Procedures

    • ABCDE checklist, forced landing flight strategy

  7. Advanced Maneuvers

    • Emergency descents, demonstration stalls

  8. Ground Reference Maneuvers

    • Introduce ground reference maneuvers, turns-abound-a-point, s-turns over a road

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.

Stage 2 - 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

Stage 3 - 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. Dual Night

    • Instruction to the art of night flight

  7. Dual Cross Country

    • "There and Back Again" - JRRT

  8. Dual Night Cross Country

    • There and back again, in the dark.

Stage 4 - Solo Cross Country

  1. Solo Cross Country

    • First time out on your own

  2. Solo Cross Country

    • Flight to an unfamiliar destination

  3. Long Solo Cross Country

    • Now you’ve gone and done it!

Stage 5 - 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 insure 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