Prepare for: Discovery Flight and First Lesson
Your first time at the controls: what happens, what to bring, and the paperwork to start on.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- Meet your instructor and walk around the airplane together on the preflight.
- Taxi and, usually, take off with your instructor helping on the controls.
- Try the four fundamentals in the air: straight-and-level, turns, climbs and descents.
- Your instructor lands, or helps you land, and you debrief what you felt.
- Ask your instructor to log it. Time with a CFI counts toward your certificate if it's logged as dual instruction.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
There's no ACS task for this lesson. It's covered by 14 CFR and your instructor's syllabus.
Prepare the night before
- Get a logbook (paper or digital) before the flight.
- Read how you become a private pilot so you know the path ahead.
- Ask about the student pilot certificate (applied for through IACRA with your instructor) and the medical you'll need before you solo.
Common mistakes
- Worrying about doing it 'right'. The first flight is for getting a feel for the airplane.
- Not asking your instructor to log the flight.
Questions to ask your instructor
- Can you log this flight as dual instruction?
- What does your training plan look like from here to solo?
- When should I apply for my student pilot certificate and medical?
Check yourself
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