Introduction to Aviation
Course Overview:
Introduction to Aviation will give students a broad overview of the knowledge required for pilots. We will learn about weather, aerodynamics, maps/charts/navigation, engines and mechanical components, radio communications, and more. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the course material by creating videos, presentations, discussions and completing test questions from the written Private Pilots Knowledge Test by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In our weather unit, students will learn how to interpret weather data from METARS, other online sources, and visual data. In our aerodynamics unit, students will experiment with different designs of paper airplanes and optimize their designs for distance and other flight maneuvers. In our navigation unit, students will create and share flight plans, taking into account current weather, fuel and gross weight of the aircraft, and other relevant information found on aeronautical charts. Students will also be asked to plan for diversions and calculate dead reckoning during their presentation of their flight plans. In our aircraft systems unit, students will identify and explain the function of various aircraft components including internal combustion engines, carburetors, and electrical systems. In our communications unit, students will learn how to use radios for communication by analyzing live air traffic conversations and practicing in class. Students will complete asynchronous work on our LMS utilizing Padlets, Flipgrids, EdPuzzles, discussion boards and tests. We will meet once per week for 90 minute live sessions on our via video conferencing software.
Course Content
Unit 1
The first unit in this course focuses on aircraft and how they can fly and maneuver through the air. Throughout this unit, students will create a variety of paper airplanes to demonstrate the effect of different control surface changes and will have their planes perform a list of maneuvers. They will share their results and design notes with the class by creating videos and posting them to our learning management system. Students will read chapters from their textbook and will take quizzes based on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) written exam for private pilots. Students will create presentations (PowerPoints, infographics, videos) to show their understanding of the topics in their texts and will present them during our live sessions. In class we will discuss the texts and demonstrate concepts with flight simulator software. At the end of the unit, students should be able to identify the structural and control surfaces of an aircraft and understand how they interact with the air around the aircraft. Students will also examine aircraft accidents related to stalls and density altitude and will discuss why they happened and ways to avoid such accidents. Students will work asynchronously throughout the week on their quizzes, readings, discussions, and assignments hosted on our learning management system. Students will meet once a week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions, share presentations, and participate in a variety of activities.
Unit 2
The second unit in this course focuses on aircraft systems and flight instruments. At the end of this unit, students will be able to differentiate between the types of powerplants used on aircraft; explain the four cycles of a reciprocating engine; understand the function of a carburetor and the fuel system; understand the pitot-static system and electrical system and how they power their corresponding instruments; and how to read and set instruments from a standard “6-pack” (altimeter, airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, vertical speed indicator, heading indicator, turn coordinator). Students will read from their texts, watch videos, and take quizzes based on the FAA’s written exam for private pilots. Students will read the instruments in a flight simulator (FlightGear 2020) and describe the airplanes airspeed, altitude, heading, attitude, vertical speed in a variety of situations during live sessions. Students will complete asynchronous written assignments describing a variety of instrument failure conditions and how to respond to them and will demonstrate their mastery during live sessions by analyzing an aircraft instrument panel (with random failures) during a flight simulation. Students will complete all quizzes and readings asynchronously on our learning management system. Students will meet once a week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions and participate in a variety of activities.
Unit 3
The third unit in this course focuses on flight planning and navigation. Throughout this unit, students will read from their texts, watch videos, and take quizzes based on the FAA’s written exam for private pilots. At the end of this unit, students will be able to use aeronautical charts to create flight plans and include calculations based on time, distance, and speed. Students will demonstrate their understanding of pilotage and dead reckoning in their flight plans by referencing landmarks as well as referencing their time, distance, and heading calculations. Students will also analyze flight scenarios and determine an aircraft’s actual position depending on weather conditions or determine wind direction and speed based on actual aircraft position. Students will work asynchronously through the week on their quizzes, readings, and assignments on our learning management system. Students will meet once per week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions, share presentations, and participate in a variety of activities.
Unit 4
The fourth unit of this course focuses on airports and airspace. Students will learn about the different types of airspace; be able to read their sectional chart to determine a class of airspace at any given location/altitude; and will learn to identify and interpret airport markings, airport lighting systems, and airport signage. Students will read from their text, watch videos, and take quizzes based on the FAA’s written exam for private pilots. By the end of the unit, students will be able to navigate through an airport based on the runway markings and airport signage, as well as interpret airport terminal maps and identify taxiways, runways, hold short lines, and the movement/non movement areas of an airport. Students will work asynchronously through the week on their readings, videos, assignments, and quizzes hosted on our learning management system. Students will meet once a week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions, share presentations, and participate in a variety of activities.
Unit 5
In this unit, students will learn about the causes of weather, the weather patterns associated with warm and cold fronts, hazards associated with thunderstorms, cloud types and weather associated with each, and how to interpret aviation weather products like METARS and TAFS using an online decoding tool. Students will read from their text, watch videos, create video weather presentations to share on our learning management system, and take quizzes based on the FAA’s written exam for private pilots. At the end of this unit, students will know the impact of weather on flights and flight planning, as well as be able to interpret aviation weather forecasts to make safe decisions in their flying. Students will also be able to identify potential unforeseen weather conditions based on cloud formations and instrument readings. Students will examine aircraft accidents related to weather and inadvertent IMC flight and will discuss ways to avoid such accidents. Students will work asynchronously throughout the week on their quizzes, readings, discussions, and assignments hosted on our learning management system. Students will meet once a week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions, share presentations, and participate in a variety of activities.
Unit 6
The sixth unit of this course focuses on communication and radio procedures. Students will learn correct radio phraseology and techniques for communicating with Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other aircraft. Students will read from their text, watch videos, listen to live ATC communications, and take quizzes based on the FAA’s written exam for private pilots. At the end of this unit, students will be able to correctly communicate with ATC and other pilots on a sample flight from start to finish. Students will listen to live ATC communications available on the internet and will interpret the meaning and context of the conversation. Students will work asynchronously throughout the week on their quizzes, readings, discussions, and assignments hosted on our learning management system. Students will meet once a week for a 90-minute live session via our video conferencing software, where they will engage in discussions, share presentations, and participate in a variety of activities.