The first part of your lesson involves some basic “ground” training. Here you will learn fundamental aerodynamic principles of flight and go over safety procedures. Your instructor will answer any preliminary questions you may have at this time. Prior to flight, your instructor will walk you through a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft to give you an idea of the process the pilot goes through before each and every flight. Among other things, you will check the wings or rotor blades, lights, oil, and fuel during this inspection.

Once the aircraft has passed the pre-flight inspection, you will climb inside with your instructor and he/she will explain the flight controls, including the yoke, throttle, and rudder pedals or the collective, cyclic and anti-torque pedals and how to use them to control the aircraft.

With the ground portion of the lesson completed, it will be time to take to the skies. The flying portion of the lesson is a full hands-on experience that allows you to actually fly the aircraft with assistance from your instructor. You will learn how to turn, climb, descend, and other basic maneuvers. During the flight, the student can choose to fly the aircraft as much or as little as they would like, depending on their level of comfort.

Once you return, your instructor can answer any questions that may have come to mind during your flight. In most cases, this experience will spark an interest in aviation and leave you eager to begin flight training. If this is the case, your instructor will be able to provide you with all the necessary information that will enable you to begin your training as soon as you are ready.