Certified flight instructor lesson plans

ADVANCE FLYING ACADEMY

Creating Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) lesson plans is essential for teaching students effectively. Lesson plans help instructors organize and deliver a structured, progressive learning experience that ensures students grasp the necessary concepts and skills to become competent pilots. Below are some general guidelines and examples of lesson plans, followed by a few specific lesson plan templates for common flight training maneuvers and topics.

Components of a CFI Lesson Plan

Each lesson plan should ideally include the following components:

Lesson Title: Clear and concise title that defines the subject matter (e.g., "Straight and Level Flight").
Objective: The goal of the lesson. What should the student be able to accomplish by the end of the lesson?
Materials Needed: Items required for the lesson, such as aircraft, simulator, charts, checklists, or any other instructional tools.
Lesson Overview: A brief summary of what will be covered in the lesson.
Preflight Briefing: Key concepts, terminology, and procedures that will be discussed before flight. This ensures the student is aware of the objectives and the procedures for the flight.
Flight Maneuver or Task: Detailed steps on how the flight maneuver or task will be conducted, including:
- Safety considerations.
- Explanation of the maneuver.
- Student Actions: What the student will do, what they should look for, and how to correct mistakes.
Post-Flight Review: A debrief to assess what went well and areas that need improvement. Discuss the student’s performance and reinforce key learning points.
Teaching Aids: Diagrams, checklists, videos, or other materials that will assist in explaining the topic.
Evaluation Criteria: The standards or criteria used to assess whether the student has successfully performed the maneuver or task.
Logbook Endorsements: Ensure that appropriate logbook entries are made, including endorsements for maneuvers, training, and flight hours.

Example Lesson Plan Templates

1. Lesson Plan: Straight and Level Flight

Objective: The student will demonstrate the ability to fly straight and level flight, maintaining altitude and heading.
Materials Needed: Aircraft, sectional charts, flight simulator (optional), instructor notes, checklist.
Lesson Overview: This lesson focuses on achieving and maintaining straight and level flight, the foundation for all other flight maneuvers. It helps students develop control coordination and feel for the aircraft's flight characteristics.
Preflight Briefing:
- Discuss the importance of keeping the aircraft in a stable, level flight path.
- Introduce the primary flight controls: ailerons, elevator, and rudder.
- Review the attitude indicator, altimeter, and heading indicator.
Flight Maneuver:
1. Takeoff, climb to cruise altitude.
2. Set trim to relieve control pressures.
3. Using small control inputs, adjust the aircraft’s attitude for straight and level flight.
4. Emphasize the importance of maintaining constant altitude and heading.
5. Monitor the flight instruments continuously.
6. Perform a few turns to simulate how the aircraft’s controls change in different flight regimes.
Post-Flight Review:
- Discuss how well the student maintained straight and level flight.
- Emphasize the need for smooth, coordinated inputs to avoid overcorrecting.
- Review the instruments used and how they indicate proper straight and level flight.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Altitude maintained within +/- 100 feet.
- Heading maintained within +/- 10 degrees.
- Smooth and coordinated use of controls.
- Proper understanding and use of flight instruments.

2. Lesson Plan: Turns Around a Point

Objective: The student will learn how to perform a "turn around a point," maintaining a constant radius and altitude while turning around a stationary point on the ground.
Materials Needed: Aircraft, sectional charts, E6B flight computer, wind correction chart.
Lesson Overview: This maneuver teaches the student how to coordinate turns in the presence of wind and maintain altitude and a constant radius during a turn around a fixed point on the ground.
Preflight Briefing:
- Discuss the importance of selecting a suitable point for the maneuver (e.g., a large field or intersection).
- Explain the effects of wind on the aircraft and the need for constant attention to aircraft attitude and bank angle.
- Introduce the concept of “wind correction angle” to maintain the correct radius of the turn.
Flight Maneuver:
1. Identify a suitable point on the ground (e.g., a building or intersection).
2. Start the maneuver by flying around the point in a continuous turn, maintaining a constant altitude and radius.
3. Adjust the bank angle as necessary to compensate for wind and maintain a constant radius.
4. Complete the maneuver in both directions, taking into account wind correction.
Post-Flight Review:
- Discuss the challenges of keeping the turn coordinated and maintaining altitude.
- Emphasize the importance of applying small corrections to prevent overbanking or underbanking.
- Evaluate the student's use of wind correction and their ability to maintain the appropriate bank angle.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Maintain altitude within +/- 100 feet.
- Constant radius of the turn (no significant variation).
- Smooth, coordinated turns with minimal control inputs.
- Ability to adjust for wind direction and velocity.

3. Lesson Plan: Power On Stalls

Objective: The student will learn how to recognize, recover from, and avoid a power-on stall.
Materials Needed: Aircraft, sectional charts, stall recovery procedures card, instructor notes.
Lesson Overview: This lesson focuses on understanding and recovering from power-on stalls, an essential maneuver for flight safety.
Preflight Briefing:
- Define a power-on stall and why it might occur (e.g., in climb when the aircraft exceeds critical angle of attack).
- Explain the importance of recognizing the onset of a stall and understanding the proper recovery technique (reduce angle of attack, increase power).
Flight Maneuver:
1. Perform a normal climb, then increase the angle of attack gradually until the stall is imminent.
2. Demonstrate the onset of a stall and discuss the warning signs (e.g., buffeting, loss of lift).
3. Recover by reducing the angle of attack, adding full power, and gently leveling the wings.
4. Repeat the maneuver, emphasizing smooth, coordinated control input during recovery.
Post-Flight Review:
- Discuss how well the student recognized the onset of the stall and how they reacted during recovery.
- Review the importance of avoiding high angles of attack at low airspeeds.
- Emphasize the proper sequence of recovery actions (lower nose, add power, level wings).
Evaluation Criteria:
- Stall is recognized and recovered in a timely manner.
- Recovery is smooth, with minimal altitude loss.
- Proper technique applied throughout, with coordinated use of the controls.

Conclusion

Lesson plans are critical tools for Certified Flight Instructors to ensure that students receive structured and effective training. Well-organized lesson plans help instructors maintain focus, provide consistent teaching, and ensure that key concepts are thoroughly covered during training flights. The key to a successful lesson is clear objectives, a detailed explanation of maneuvers, and consistent post-flight feedback.

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