糖心Vlog

糖心Vlog is a career-蹿辞肠耻蝉别诲听flight school providing students with the skills and knowledge they need for a听successful career as a Commercial Airline Pilot.听As such,听AeroGuard’s Pilot Pathway Program focuses on safety, high-quality training and long-term career success.听

While AeroGuard does not offer PPL-only training,听the Private Pilot stage听is a critical听building block听for all听professional听pilots. This page听will explain the AeroGuard听Private Pilot License curriculum听in greater听detail and听explain what makes AeroGuard unique.听

Private Pilot License: Flight Block 1

Flight Block 1听is the first section of听a students’听Private Pilot License flight training听and听begins immediately听following听the听first week of ground school. The objective of this Flight Block is to听introduce听students听to听the basic flying procedures and听fundamental听skills they’ll need for their first solo flight听at听the beginning of Flight Block 2.听Students will听complete approximately 35 hours听within this first block, including听9 hours of听simulator time听to improve their skills in an environment听that can be paused and reset听for maximum effect.

Introduction to Flight

After a week of ground school,听students are eager to fly – and听we听are too!听This听second week of training focuses on getting students familiar with the aircraft, its operating characteristics and cabin controls. First, they’ll learn how to fly the plane visually and aurally with a strong focus on visual attitude control. Students will be taught to recognize “sight pictures” or attitudes of an airplane such as climb, straight flight, descending turn, climbing turn,听roundout听and听more. By the end of this week, students will get an introduction to precision flying and control/performance method of flying. They’ll use pitch and power, undergo aerodynamics demonstrations and will begin practicing landings as time allows.听

For this stage, and the entirety of the PPL course, our students use our Piper Archer planes equipped with听6-pack gauges.听We find that by听using these听gauges students can build a听strong foundation of aircraft skills. Later in the program, students will progress听to our听G-1000, or ‘glass’ cockpits,听that use more听advanced technology.

Building on the Basics

In听their听3rd听week of training, students听begin听to recognize and recover from stalls, practice slow flight and develop their awareness of spins.听Students will听also听be introduced to steep turns and power-off glides as well as elements associated with ground reference maneuvers. Students will continue to practice the maneuvers they’ve learned as well as听landings.听

Safe Introduction to Emergency Procedures

Week听4听of training is听concentrated on emergency procedures听and abnormal scenarios for potential in-flight malfunctions such as engine failures. Students will spend听much of听their time in the simulators听practicing things such as collision avoidance, emergency approach and landings听as well as听go–arounds. Students will听then听have a couple of flights where they听put听these emergency learning into听actual flight practice.听

Getting Ready for the Stage Check

On or about week 5 of training, students are focusing听to听review听everything they’ve learned up to this point in preparation for their first stage听check. They听will听continue to develop stabilized approaches, recognize when go-arounds are required and gain proficiency with landings. Following this听review, students receive their听Stage 1听Mock听Oral in preparation for听their first stage听check听and听to ensure they听are keeping pace with their ground studies.听听

Once the Oral is complete, students will听complete a Stage听Check听1 preparation mission in the simulator as well as a Stage 1 preparation听flight听with their instructor, prior to their actual stage check. The听stage check听Check听Airman听will听evaluate听the student’s ability to safely manage a local solo flight while acting as听Pilot in Command听(PIC).听Upon successful completion, students are听ready to听move on to Stage 2 and听complete听their first solo flight!听

Private Pilot License: Flight Block 2

With Flight Block 1 complete, the听key听objective of Flight Block 2 is听to听build on this knowledge and experience for students to听be听ready to听conduct听their first听cross-country flights.听These听flights require听landing at an airport听other than the point of departure,听50听nautical听miles away or greater,听and the pilot must use听pilotage, dead reckoning and radio navigation.听听

The student will also be instructed in operations within the air traffic control environment under visual flight rule听(VFR)听conditions, as well as听being听introduced to night VFR operations, performance takeoff and landings as well as basic attitude instrument flying.听Students will gain听approximately听21听flight hours听within this second block听– the vast听majority of which is dual instructor given time, with 1 hour of Solo experience听gained from the momentous first solo flight.听

First Solo Flight

A student’s听first mission in Flight Block 2 is to apply their knowledge from all their previous lessons and practice landings without any instructor input听in preparation for their first solo.听On the next听mission, students will complete听two one-hour flight blocks back to back. The first of which is a dual flight with your instructor where your instructor is ensuring you’re ready to conduct a safe solo flight within the traffic pattern.听Once complete and signed off,听you‘ll drop off your听instructor and听take your second hour flight.听Welcome to your first hour of Pilot in Command time听–听your instructor doesn’t need to hold your shirt tail anymore! Be prepared to cut it up and听see it听hung proudly on the听AeroGuard听solo wall!听

For the students’ safety in the air,听AeroGuard听deploys strict restrictions for solo听flights听regarding听local听weather and听air听traffic, as well as听utilizing a听Duty CFI听to observe and monitor all solo flight operations. The Duty CFI is a highly qualified CFI on the ground, continually monitoring soloing students. They track the flights on a radar system and analyze situations relevant to weather, navigational aids, airport restrictions, airspace and environmental circumstances relevant to the student’s flight mission. In this role, Duty CFIs have direct communication with Air Traffic Control to get messages to their pilots and can modify or cancel flights as needed if any safety concerns arise.听

Introducing Instrument and Cross-Country Flying

Following the first solo flight, students will begin their introduction to controlling their aircraft solely by instrument听in preparation for听cross-country flying.听This introduction to instruments听allows for increased situational awareness and decision making in the event of inadvertent flight into听IFR听conditions. Students will also gain an introduction to short-field and soft-field takeoffs and landings,听preparing听for airports they听may听soon be flying to.听听

Around听their听8th听week听of training, students are learning the necessary information and processes听required to plan and execute a cross-country flight out of the local training area. They听will听become familiar with integrating the skills of pilotage, dead reckoning and the use of navigational systems. During this phase of the Private Pilot License curriculum, students will conduct two different cross-country flights with their instructor during the day.听

Introducing Night Operations

About听halfway听through Flight Block 2, students will be introduced to听the academic fundamentals of night operations. Students will learn to plan and conduct听Night VFR cross-country flights and听will听conduct two different听night flights with their instructor. During听these flights,听they听will gain proficiency in night operations with a focus on airport operations听as well as听takeoffs and landings. Students will complete a minimum of 1 cross-country night flight, 3 total hours of night flight and a听total of听10 night听takeoffs and landings听to a full stop听–听fulfilling听this听PPL听checkride听criteria.听

After these missions, students will begin additional preparations for their second stage check听completing听a Stage 2 Mock Oral听that reviews听information on performance and limitations, NOTAMs, cross-country flight planning, chart supplement and听more. Students will then perform their Stage 2 mock flight in preparation for their听stage听check听and lastly the听Stage 2 stage听check听itself. This stage听check will evaluate the student’s ability to safely and legally act as听Pilot in听Command during a day solo cross-country flight, and听upon successful completion, students will begin Flight Block 3 where they’ll听conduct听solo cross-country flights to earn听the remaining 9 hours of solo flight needed to take the Private Pilot听checkride.

Private Pilot License: Flight Block 3

By this time, students should have a strong foundation听of training听to be able to complete flight missions听all听on their own听and students are about a month away from completing their Private Pilot License听checkride听with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. The objective of this Flight Block is to gain solo experience while executing solo local and cross-country flights听to听meet the remainder of their FAA听PPL听minimum听requirements, and students will gain a听further 20 flight hours with 9 of that being solo PIC time听within this Flight Block.听

Gaining Solo Experience

Initially, Flight Block 3 will start with a review flight practicing maneuvers in preparation for the local solo flight students will take into the听nearby听practice area, which they will then perform on their own a day or two later.听The听next mission听is听another daytime dual cross-country flight with their instructor听–听the last cross-country flight with their instructor.听Now,听it’s time to go off alone! Students will听then听conduct two different daytime solo cross-country flights of 3.5 hours each.

Preparing for the Checkride

This is it. The time has almost come to take the听checkride听and earn your Private Pilot License. Following the student’s last solo cross-country, they will complete two more flights focusing on honing their skills and proficiency for the Private Pilot Practical Test. Students will take their Stage 3 mock oral focusing on pilot qualifications, airworthiness requirements, human factors, night operations and more. From there,听students will complete their Stage 3 mock flight in preparation for their听stage听check. Lastly, students will conduct their last PPL stage check听with a Check Airman. The Airman will evaluate the student to determine they possess the required skill and level of proficiency to meet FAA standards of the Private Pilot Certificate for Airplane Single Engine Land. Upon successful completion, their听checkride听is scheduled听with the FAA!听

Ensuring Your Own Success

AeroGuard’s听Private Pilot License curriculum is built for student success, with the goal that by the time students reach their PPL听checkride, they have already had听3 Stage checks, including 3 additional mock听checkrides, plus a wide range of flying and听experience.听听

However, it’s听challenging, and students will be required to听study diligently ensuring听all听assignments听are completed on time听in the ground school – not just in听flight.听AeroGuard听puts a strong focus on theory and ground school education that is intended to support our students through this accelerated program.听听

At听AeroGuard, we provide students with many resources to be used for student proficiency and success. Students have access to unlimited flight simulator time, the option to backseat flights and attend ground schools from听our on-going听Part 141 classes. Students听can听also attend academic advisor workshops听regularly held on听specific areas of the courses where others have struggled. It’s essential to use these resources wisely in order to succeed in not only the Private Pilot License course, but throughout the program in its entirety.听

If you’d like to听learn more about the Pilot Pathway Program,听fill out the form below听to听get connected with听an Enrollment Advisor.听