A Pilot Should Never Stop Learning

Posted on Nov 21, 2009

Even though I’ve been license to fly for about 1.5 years, I still feel like there’s so much yet still to learn. And given that I don’t fly more than about 2-4 hrs/month…it’s important to keep some basic information fresh. Every now and then, when I have a spare 30-60 minutes, I pop into the Aviation Safety Foundation (ASF) web site to take a short course.

Recently, I’ve taken short courses in Engines & Propellers, the Airspace System, and Aerodynamics. Now while these courses won’t provide you with college credit or deep scientific knowledge of these principles, it is taught in a fun way that maximizes the practical knowledge of the pilot. The illustrations, short video clips, and interactive models, all help to make it an active learning experience (as much as it can be for web-based learning).

In addition to the short courses, they also have a section for Real Pilot Stories. These are powerful stories that provide pilots with real life experiences spoken by real-life pilots. I recently listened to story about an power loss during takeoff and another about a pilot experiencing an engine failure at night. Though some of these stories are difficult to listen to at first, it’s even more remarkable that they’ve survived and are able to share their lessons learned with the entire pilot community. And that’s a community that I’m so proud to be part of to this day.

Even if you’re a student pilot, these short courses and real pilot stories, will help you learn the basics and practical knowledge for your flights. Check them out if you’ve haven’t already and I urge all pilots to review from time to time. It helps keeps us fresh and hopefully flying safer – which at the end of the day, will provide the best experience for our passengers.

Until next time…”keep the dirty side down.”