May is Learn to Fly month so we are putting a focus on how you can better prepare yourself to become a pilot. Whether you are looking to fly recreationally, or want to become a professional pilot, here are five ways you can prepare for training.
- Find out if you enjoy flying
Piloting an aircraft is a different experience than riding in a commercial plane, or even being a passenger. Before enrolling in a program, contact a local flight school to book a Discovery Flight or Introductory Flight. This experience gives you the opportunity to take control of an aircraft with the supervision and support of an instructor for the first time, so you can see what flight training might be like. Most people either love it or they don’t, which helps you in making your choice to train. - Practice with flight simulators
Whether it’s an app on your phone, a desktop home simulator, or a training simulator at a flight school, this is a terrific way to expose yourself to basic flight principals, controls, and aerodynamics. Practicing on your own can help you get a jumpstart on your training, as you’ll be more familiar with the basics, which can keep costs down. - Study on your own
There are several areas you can study on your own, that will give you an advantage when you begin flight lessons. Brushing up on mathematics and physics, learning the phonetic alphabet, studying FAA regulations, and researching the National Aerospace System are just some ideas. There are endless books and study resources available. - Listen to ATC
Flight training can happen at uncontrolled airports but understanding radio communications and the language of pilots and air traffic controllers is a necessity for pilots. You can get a head start on this skillset by listing to live ATC feeds from general aviation airports around the country. - Set your end goal
Before you begin training, consider why you want to become a pilot and use that as motivation. This will affect more than you think, from which school you choose to how often you train. Are you flying for personal reasons? Then your schedule can be more flexible and personally adapted to meet your needs. Are you wanting to become an airline pilot? Then you must go into it with a more disciplined mindset, set schedule and plans for how you will transition from training to a career (don’t worry, schools can help fine tune this with you).
Flight training is an ongoing process and pilots never stop learning – even after they are out of the classroom. Going into this field well-prepared makes you a better pilot. If you are ready to get started, contact us today.
