If you want to become a pilot, you will have to sign up for some pilot training courses. With flight training, you will learn to train and fly on many different aircrafts, such as the Piper M500. Then, you will learn how to approach and work with a wide variety of aircraft.
With pilot training, you will learn how to fly a single-engine plane and then larger planes. This type of training is about more than knowing what to do when you are sitting in the control seat; it is about understanding the full function and workings of the plane. As the training is so comprehensive, there are always things you can be doing to be better prepared.
1. Shadow Flight Lessons
One way to get ready for flight training is to ask to shadow a few flight lessons. When you shadow, you get to sit along with the flight instructor and student and listen to how the lesson progresses. As you are not the student in the hot seat, this gives you a chance to see from an outside perspective how a lesson in an aircraft will progress so that when you are experiencing a lesson, you know what to expect.
2. Use a Flight Simulator
There are dozens of advanced flight simulators that you can use to train in various forms. You can use a flight simulator app on your phone to learn about basic flight principles and to learn about basic aerodynamics. Or you can get more into it and purchase a full desktop simulator that will allow you to work with similar equipment that you would find in an aircraft.
With flight simulators, you are exposed to all the inner mechanics of an aircraft. You learn how to use them and how to control the plane. Even professional pilots use flight simulators to hone their craft. It is not a game; working on a flight simulator can translate to real skills in the field.
Be aware that your flight school may have some desktop simulators that you can use as the equipment for that type of simulator can be expensive.
3. Listen to Radio Traffic
Another great way to understand what it is like to be up in the sky is by listing to live air traffic control radio stations. You can listen to radio frequencies at your nearby airport, or there are online sources that allow you to listen to the air traffic controls of busy airports. This is a great way to get a feel for what communicating with air traffic control is like and what type of information is conveyed between pilots and traffic control.
If you want to become a great pilot, you need to immerse yourself in the culture and learn about flying and how the plane works. Use flight simulators to build your skills. Shadow other lessons to understand how to respond better as a student. Listen to air traffic control to understand what it is like up in the air. Take steps to advance your learning outside of your formal flight school training, and take each training class seriously so you will earn the skills and licenses necessary to pilot your own small aircraft. For more information, contact a pilot school, such as RWR Pilot Training, to learn more.