Learning to fly is exciting, challenging and very rewarding.
For many people, the idea of becoming a pilot starts with a simple thought: “I’d love to learn how to fly.”
But before booking your first lesson, it is worth understanding what flight training actually involves.
Flying is different from many other forms of study. You are developing practical skills, learning a substantial amount of technical knowledge and gradually taking responsibility for operating an aircraft.
At Moorabbin Aviation Services (MAS), we believe students benefit from understanding what they are getting into before they start.
Here are seven things you should know before beginning flight training in Melbourne.
1. You Don’t Need to Know How to Fly Before You Start
This might sound obvious, but it is something many prospective students worry about.
You do not need previous flying experience to begin learning to fly.
Your instructor will teach you from the beginning.
Your first lessons will introduce you to the aircraft, its controls and the basic principles of flight. You will gradually learn how to control the aircraft, communicate by radio, operate safely in the airport environment and understand what is happening around you.
You are not expected to arrive knowing how to:
- Take off
- Land
- Use the radio
- Read an aeronautical chart
- Navigate
- Understand aviation weather
- Calculate aircraft performance
These are skills you will learn during your training.
Your first flight is about starting the learning process, not demonstrating what you already know.
Your first flight is also an opportunity to see if flying suits you
This is why a trial flight can be such a good starting point.
You get to experience the aircraft, meet an instructor and see what flying is actually like before committing to a longer training program.
You may discover that you absolutely love it.
And that’s exactly what you want to find out.
2. Flight Training Is Both Practical and Academic
One of the biggest misconceptions about learning to fly is that it is mainly about sitting in an aircraft.
It isn’t.
Flying the aircraft is obviously a major part of your training, but there is also a significant amount of knowledge that you need to develop.
Depending on the licence you are working towards, you will study subjects such as:
- Aerodynamics
- Aircraft systems
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Aviation law
- Human factors
- Aircraft performance
- Flight planning
- Radio procedures
- Emergency procedures
The further you progress, the more detailed this knowledge becomes.
This combination of practical and theoretical learning is important.
You might learn about aircraft performance in theory, then apply that knowledge when calculating whether an aircraft can safely operate from a particular runway under particular conditions.
You might learn about meteorology, then use an actual weather forecast to decide whether a planned flight should proceed.
You might learn navigation theory, then use those skills to plan and conduct a cross-country flight.
The best pilots understand both how to fly the aircraft and why they are doing what they are doing.
3. There Is No Such Thing as a Typical Training Day
This is one of the most important things to understand before starting.
Flight training does not operate like a normal school timetable where every day follows exactly the same schedule.
One day you might spend several hours flying.
Another day might be primarily theory.
Another might involve a flight in the morning followed by study or flight planning in the afternoon.
You may spend another day preparing for a navigation exercise.
And sometimes you may have planned to fly but the weather simply isn’t suitable.
Your schedule depends on a number of factors, including:
- Your stage of training
- The lessons you need to complete
- Weather
- Aircraft availability
- Instructor availability
- Your own progress
- Theory requirements
- Flight planning and preparation
This flexibility is a normal part of aviation.
Weather can change your plans
You might arrive at the airport ready to fly only to discover that the conditions aren’t suitable.
Perhaps the wind is too strong, visibility is poor or cloud conditions are unsuitable for the planned exercise.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the day is wasted.
You may be able to use the time for:
- Theory
- Flight planning
- Reviewing previous lessons
- Preparing for your next flight
- Self-study
- Instructor briefings
Learning to deal with changing circumstances is actually an important part of becoming a pilot.
4. Your Instructor Is Extremely Important
Your relationship with your flight instructor can have a major influence on your training experience.
A good instructor does much more than demonstrate how to operate an aircraft.
They teach you how to think like a pilot.
Your instructor will help you develop:
- Aircraft handling skills
- Situational awareness
- Good decision-making
- Safe operating habits
- Radio skills
- Navigation skills
- Emergency procedures
- Professional standards
They will also monitor your progress and identify areas where you need more practice.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
You will sometimes make mistakes.
That is part of learning.
You might not understand something the first time it is explained.
You might find one exercise easy while struggling with another.
A good instructor should be able to explain things in different ways and help you understand what you need to improve.
At MAS, we believe the relationship between student and instructor is an important part of successful flight training.
You should feel comfortable asking questions, discussing your progress and talking openly about anything you don’t understand.
5. You Will Need to Put in Work Outside the Aircraft
Your progress isn’t determined solely by how well you perform during a flying lesson.
What you do between lessons matters as well.
You will need to study, revise and prepare.
This might include:
- Reviewing your instructor’s notes
- Studying aviation theory
- Completing practice questions
- Preparing for examinations
- Planning upcoming flights
- Reviewing navigation exercises
- Learning aircraft procedures
- Preparing questions for your next lesson
The more seriously you approach your preparation, the more you can get out of each flying lesson.
Regular flying is also important
If you fly regularly, each lesson can build naturally on the previous one.
If there is a long gap between lessons, you may spend part of the next lesson simply getting back up to the level you reached previously.
This doesn’t mean that you have to fly every day.
Many students train around work, study and family commitments.
But if you want to make consistent progress, maintaining a reasonably regular training routine is highly beneficial.
6. Flight Training Takes Longer Than the Time You Spend Flying
If your lesson is scheduled for an hour, that doesn’t mean you simply arrive, fly for an hour and leave.
There is usually preparation before the flight and discussion afterwards.
A typical lesson can involve:
Before the flight
- Weather assessment
- Reviewing the lesson
- Aircraft preparation
- Pre-flight inspection
- Flight planning where required
During the flight
- Practical flight training
- Exercises with your instructor
- Practice and assessment
After the flight
- Aircraft shutdown and securing
- Debrief
- Reviewing your performance
- Planning what comes next
As you progress, you will increasingly be responsible for carrying out much of the preparation yourself.
This is particularly important when you begin navigation and more advanced training.
For example, a cross-country flight can involve substantial preparation before you ever start the engine.
You may need to consider the route, weather, airspace, fuel, aircraft performance, navigation and alternatives.
This is all part of being a pilot.
Flying is only one part of flying.
7. Decide What You Ultimately Want From Flying
Before you begin, it is worth thinking about what you actually want to achieve.
Not everyone who learns to fly wants to become an airline pilot.
You might want to:
- Fly recreationally
- Take family and friends flying
- Travel around Australia by air
- Obtain a Private Pilot Licence
- Develop flying as a long-term hobby
- Eventually become a commercial pilot
- Work as a flight instructor
- Pursue an airline career
Your objective will influence the training pathway you choose.
If you want to fly for fun
You may decide that an RPL or PPL is the right goal.
If you want to become a professional pilot
You may eventually progress through your RPL and PPL training towards a CPL, followed by additional qualifications and experience depending on your career objectives.
The important thing is that you don’t necessarily have to make the entire decision on your first day.
You can start by learning to fly and discover how much you enjoy it.
Your goals may become clearer as your training progresses.
A Few More Things Worth Knowing
The seven points above are the big ones, but there are a few other realities worth understanding before you begin.
You will make mistakes
You are learning a complex skill.
You will occasionally make mistakes.
You may struggle with an exercise that your instructor seems to find simple.
That’s normal.
The purpose of training is to identify weaknesses and improve them.
Don’t judge your progress against another student.
Everyone learns at a different rate.
You may need more lessons than you expected
Pilot licences have minimum regulatory training requirements, but minimum hours do not mean that every student will qualify at the minimum.
Some students progress quickly.
Others require additional practice in particular areas.
That is not a failure.
The goal of flight training is to become a safe and competent pilot, not simply to complete a predetermined number of hours.
Weather will sometimes be frustrating
You may be excited about a particular lesson, prepare everything carefully and then discover that the weather prevents you from flying.
It can be frustrating.
But weather is part of aviation.
In fact, learning to make the decision not to fly when conditions are unsuitable is an important part of becoming a responsible pilot.
You will gradually become more independent
One of the most rewarding aspects of flight training is seeing how much responsibility you gradually take on.
At the beginning, your instructor does much of the thinking and decision-making.
Later, you will increasingly be expected to:
- Plan your own flights
- Assess the weather
- Prepare the aircraft
- Manage the flight
- Make decisions
- Identify risks
- Deal with changing circumstances
Eventually, you will sit in the aircraft by yourself and realise just how far you have come.
That first solo flight is one of the great milestones in a pilot’s training.
Is Flight Training Difficult?
It can be challenging.
But challenging does not mean that you need to be exceptionally gifted to become a pilot.
Successful students generally have something more important: commitment, preparation and a willingness to learn.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You need to be prepared to listen, practise, study and improve.
Some aspects of training will come easily.
Others won’t.
The important thing is to keep progressing.
Is Flight Training Worth It?
That depends on what you want from it.
If you simply want a new hobby and the freedom to fly yourself around Australia, obtaining a PPL can be an incredibly rewarding achievement.
If your ambition is to become a professional pilot, the commitment is considerably greater — but so is the potential reward of turning aviation into a career.
Either way, learning to fly is an experience unlike most other forms of education.
You aren’t simply studying something in a classroom.
You are learning a practical skill that gives you the ability to operate an aircraft.
And every lesson brings you a little closer to becoming a pilot.
Ready to Start?
If you are considering learning to fly at Moorabbin Airport, the best place to start is with a conversation.
At Moorabbin Aviation Services, we can discuss your goals, explain the different licence options and help you understand what is involved before you commit to a particular training pathway.
You can start with a trial flight, experience flying for yourself and then decide whether you want to continue.
Whether your goal is recreational flying, a PPL or eventually a CPL and professional aviation career, the first step is the same:
Get in the aircraft and start learning https://mas.vic.edu.au/