I recently led a discussion at West Valley Flying Club on How to Save Money Using a Flight Sim in Private Pilot Training. The presentation video is attached below, along with some excellent flight sim tips for student pilots shared by attendees.
…4 New Flight Sim Tips for Student Pilots and CFIsRead More »
The theory is pretty simple: the FAA only requires 40 hours of flying the airplane, but a typical private pilot in the Bay Area needs ~80 hours. Could we close that gap and save money using a flight sim? At ~$230/hour for a Cessna 172S, wouldn’t it be nice to shave off an extra 40hr * $230/hr = $9,200?1
I initially wrote about simulators in 2024 (How to Leverage a Simulator for Flight Training). The additional years of teaching have further clarified and generalized those ideas. This post provides a framework for students and instructors to reduce flight hours, optimize instructor time, and avoid future costs.
…How to Save Money Using a Flight Sim in Private Pilot TrainingRead More »
There’s significant debate on how much, or even if, a student pilot should use a simulator for flight training.1 They are a fun and inexpensive way to practice, but they can build bad habits.
This post highlights a few private pilot lessons where a flight sim can be beneficial, and a few areas where it can be problematic.2
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The best time to learn ForeFlight is on the ground. With a bit of practice, you can safely leverage its many features while flying. (And avoid figuring them out in the air!)
This post collects together several resources on how to connect and use ForeFlight with a flight simulator.
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