Practice Flight Program
Get a feel for flight training, before day one.
Book a simulated practice flight from the comfort of home and fly a real training scenario with an FAA certified instructor guiding you the whole way. You are graded on your flight and given written feedback, so you walk into real training already knowing what to expect.
What it is
A low pressure way to try the cockpit
A practice flight is a single hour in a simulated cockpit with an instructor beside you. It is not a checkride and it is not pass or fail. It is a chance to sit in the seat, fly a scenario, and find out what training actually feels like before you commit.
Flown from home
You connect to a home simulator setup, so there is no aircraft to rent and no airport to drive to. All you need is your computer and a quiet hour.
Guided by a certified instructor
An FAA certified instructor flies the session with you, talks you through each step, and answers your questions in real time.
Graded with real feedback
Your instructor grades your flight against clear standards and writes up notes so you know exactly where you stand.
How it works
How a practice flight works
From booking to feedback, the whole thing is built to be simple and welcoming, even if you have never touched a set of controls.
1
Book your session
Pick a time that works for you and reserve your hour. One hour is fifty dollars.
2
Fly the scenario
Connect to the home simulator and fly a real training scenario while your instructor guides you.
3
Get graded
Your instructor evaluates how you flew against clear, consistent standards.
4
Review your feedback
You receive written feedback on what went well and what to work on before real training.
Practice flight lesson plans
Lesson plans by certificate and rating
We offer practice flight tracks for the Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Commercial, and Flight Instructor certificates and ratings. Each track is a structured sequence of graded sessions built around the FAA Airman Certification Standards. Work through the lessons in order: after each flight your instructor marks the session competent or not yet competent and provides written feedback, and you move on once you are ready. Select a track, then expand a lesson to see what a session covers. These practice flights are a preparation and familiarization tool and do not count toward FAA required flight hours.
An introductory session to get comfortable in the cockpit and with the fundamentals of VFR flight before working through the rest of the track.
Session objectives
- Understand the fundamentals of VFR flight and pilot in command responsibility
- Locate systems and use the normal checklist flow
- Maintain straight-and-level flight, climbs, descents, and turns
- Use basic radio phraseology
What you’ll practice
- Aircraft and systems familiarization
- Normal checklist flow
- Straight-and-level, climbs, descents, and turns
- Radio communication basics
ACS reference: Private Pilot Airplane ACS, Areas of Operation I and II (Preflight Preparation and Procedures).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing the VFR traffic pattern and the basics of takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds.
Session objectives
- Fly a correctly sized traffic pattern at pattern altitude
- Perform normal and crosswind takeoffs
- Establish a stabilized approach and land with wind correction
- Execute a go-around from a rejected landing
What you’ll practice
- Normal and crosswind takeoffs
- Traffic pattern legs and spacing
- Normal and crosswind landings
- Go-arounds and rejected landings
ACS reference: Private Pilot Airplane ACS, Area of Operation IV (Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing the core performance and slow-flight maneuvers to standard.
Session objectives
- Perform slow flight and recognize the stall warning
- Enter and recover from power-on and power-off stalls
- Fly steep turns to tolerance
- Fly ground reference maneuvers with wind correction
What you’ll practice
- Maneuvering during slow flight
- Power-on and power-off stalls
- Steep turns
- Ground reference maneuvers
ACS reference: Private Pilot Airplane ACS, Areas of Operation V and VII (Performance and Ground Reference Maneuvers; Slow Flight and Stalls).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing navigation, cross-country procedures, and working with ATC radar services.
Session objectives
- Track a planned route using pilotage and dead reckoning
- Navigate using VOR and GPS
- Request and use ATC flight following
- Execute a diversion using the 5 C’s
What you’ll practice
- Nav log tracking and checkpoints
- VOR and GPS navigation
- Flight following and radar services
- Diversions and lost procedures
ACS reference: Private Pilot Airplane ACS, Area of Operation VI (Navigation).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
A capstone review of the standards needed to pass the Private Pilot practical test.
Session objectives
- Perform all required maneuvers to ACS tolerances
- Apply aeronautical decision-making and risk management
- Manage cockpit workload through a full scenario
- Demonstrate checkride-day readiness
What you’ll practice
- Full maneuver review to ACS tolerances
- Scenario-based decision-making
- Cockpit resource management
- Mock practical run
ACS reference: Private Pilot Airplane ACS, all Areas of Operation.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
An introductory session focused on the instrument scan and basic attitude instrument flying.
Session objectives
- Maintain altitude, heading, and airspeed by reference to instruments
- Perform turns, climbs, and descents on instruments
- Develop an effective instrument cross-check
- Recognize and recover from unusual attitudes
What you’ll practice
- Full and partial panel straight-and-level
- Turns, climbs, and descents on instruments
- Instrument cross-check discipline
- Unusual attitude recovery
ACS reference: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS, Area of Operation IV (Flight by Reference to Instruments).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing instrument flight, holding entries and procedures, and ATC communication.
Session objectives
- Copy and read back an IFR clearance
- Determine and fly the correct holding entry
- Maintain holding timing and airspeed
- Comply with ATC instructions in the IFR system
What you’ll practice
- IFR clearances and readbacks
- Direct, parallel, and teardrop holding entries
- Holding timing and expect-further-clearance
- ATC communication
ACS reference: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS, Area of Operation III (Air Traffic Control Clearances and Procedures).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing navigation systems and departure, en route, and arrival operations.
Session objectives
- Intercept and track courses using VOR, GPS, and RNAV
- Fly departure procedures and standard terminal arrivals
- Interpret low en route chart symbology
- Manage the flight through each phase
What you’ll practice
- VOR, GPS, and RNAV intercept and tracking
- SIDs, STARs, and ODPs
- En route chart interpretation
- Phase-of-flight management
ACS reference: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS, Area of Operation V (Navigation Systems).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing precision and non-precision instrument approaches.
Session objectives
- Brief and fly precision and non-precision approaches
- Identify DA and MDA and make the continue-or-go decision
- Execute a missed approach
- Fly a circling approach
What you’ll practice
- ILS and LPV approaches
- VOR and LNAV approaches
- Missed approach procedures
- Circling approaches
ACS reference: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS, Area of Operation VI (Instrument Approach Procedures).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
A capstone review of the standards needed to pass the Instrument Rating practical test.
Session objectives
- Fly all required approaches and procedures to ACS tolerances
- Manage an IFR flight from clearance to landing
- Handle a partial-panel or system failure
- Demonstrate checkride-day readiness
What you’ll practice
- Full procedure review to ACS tolerances
- End-to-end IFR flight
- Partial-panel and failure handling
- Mock practical run
ACS reference: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS, all Areas of Operation.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
An introductory session familiarizing you with multi-engine flight, systems, and control concepts.
Session objectives
- Explain multi-engine aerodynamics and the concept of Vmc
- Operate the aircraft systems using the checklist
- Perform normal takeoffs, cruise, and landings
- Maintain precise aircraft control
What you’ll practice
- Multi-engine systems familiarization
- Normal takeoffs, cruise, and landings
- Vmc awareness
- Checklist discipline
ACS reference: Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS, Areas of Operation I and II, and multiengine operations.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing the basics of takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds in a multi-engine aircraft.
Session objectives
- Perform normal and crosswind takeoffs in a multi-engine aircraft
- Fly a stabilized approach and land to commercial tolerances
- Execute a go-around with both engines operating
- Maintain directional control throughout
What you’ll practice
- Normal and crosswind takeoffs
- Stabilized approaches and landings
- Go-arounds
- Directional control
ACS reference: Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS, Area of Operation IV (Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing engine failure and emergency operations in a multi-engine aircraft.
Session objectives
- Identify, verify, and feather a failed engine
- Fly the engine-out profile and maintain control near Vmc
- Perform an emergency descent
- Work the emergency checklist while flying the aircraft
What you’ll practice
- Engine failure during takeoff and in flight
- Identify, verify, feather sequence
- Vmc awareness and recovery
- Emergency descent and checklist flow
ACS reference: Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS, Areas of Operation IX and X (Emergency and Multiengine Operations).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing single-engine operations and maneuvering in a multi-engine aircraft.
Session objectives
- Maintain control and best performance with one engine inoperative
- Maneuver and navigate on a single engine
- Fly a single-engine approach and landing
- Evaluate single-engine go-around considerations
What you’ll practice
- One-engine-inoperative control and performance
- Single-engine maneuvering
- Single-engine approach and landing
- Go-around considerations
ACS reference: Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS, Area of Operation X (Multiengine Operations).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
A capstone review of the standards needed to pass the Commercial practical test.
Session objectives
- Perform all required maneuvers to commercial ACS tolerances
- Manage normal and emergency multi-engine operations
- Apply sound aeronautical decision-making
- Demonstrate checkride-day readiness
What you’ll practice
- Full maneuver review to ACS tolerances
- Normal and emergency operations
- Aeronautical decision-making
- Mock practical run
ACS reference: Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS, all Areas of Operation.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
An introductory session on the teaching foundations that underpin every instructional flight.
Session objectives
- Explain the learning process and human behavior in learning
- Apply teaching methods and the building-block approach
- Develop a lesson plan and course of training
- Deliver an effective assessment and critique
What you’ll practice
- Learning and teaching fundamentals
- Lesson planning
- Building-block instruction
- Assessment and critique
ACS reference: Flight Instructor Airplane ACS, Area of Operation I (Fundamentals of Instructing).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing instruction on the technical subjects a CFI is expected to teach.
Session objectives
- Instruct on aeromedical factors and aeronautical decision-making
- Teach aerodynamics, performance, and aircraft systems
- Explain regulations, airspace, and weather
- Use clear visual aids and examples
What you’ll practice
- Aeromedical factors and ADM instruction
- Aerodynamics and systems instruction
- Regulations, airspace, and weather
- Use of visual aids
ACS reference: Flight Instructor Airplane ACS, Area of Operation II (Technical Subject Areas).
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing the preflight ground lesson a CFI delivers before demonstrating a maneuver.
Session objectives
- Present a complete preflight lesson on an assigned maneuver
- Explain the what, why, and how of the maneuver
- Identify common errors and their corrections
- Confirm student understanding before flight
What you’ll practice
- Preflight lesson delivery
- Explanation of maneuver purpose and technique
- Common-error identification
- Checking for understanding
ACS reference: Flight Instructor Airplane ACS, Preflight Lesson on a Maneuver to be Performed in Flight.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
Practicing demonstrating and teaching flight maneuvers from the right seat.
Session objectives
- Demonstrate maneuvers while explaining them from the instructor’s seat
- Detect and correct simulated student errors
- Manage the flight and maintain safe control
- Teach pattern work, performance maneuvers, stalls, and emergencies
What you’ll practice
- Right-seat maneuver demonstrations
- Detecting and correcting student errors
- Traffic pattern and performance maneuvers
- Stalls and emergency instruction
ACS reference: Flight Instructor Airplane ACS, flight Areas of Operation taught from the instructor’s seat.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
A capstone review of the standards needed to pass the Flight Instructor practical test.
Session objectives
- Instruct and demonstrate all required tasks to ACS standards
- Integrate risk management into every lesson
- Manage a complete instructional scenario
- Demonstrate checkride-day readiness
What you’ll practice
- Full task review to ACS standards
- Risk management instruction
- Instructional scenario management
- Mock practical run
ACS reference: Flight Instructor Airplane ACS, all Areas of Operation.
Graded: competent or not yet competent, with written feedback and a session summary after each flight.
What you get
What every session includes
Realistic training scenarios
Fly the kind of departures, patterns, and maneuvers a student sees early in real training.
Live instructor guidance
A certified instructor talks with you throughout, so you are never left guessing.
Performance grading
Clear grading shows how your flight measured up against real standards.
Written feedback
Take away notes you can actually use, in writing, after every session.
Flexible scheduling
Book the hour that fits your day. No travel and no aircraft rental required.
Fifty dollars an hour
Straightforward pricing with no membership and no long term commitment.
Good to know
These practice flights are a preparation and familiarization tool. They do not count toward the flight hours the FAA requires for a certificate or rating. Think of them as a comfortable way to build confidence and understand what training is like before your formal lessons begin.
Pricing
Simple, honest pricing
One flat rate for a full hour of instructor led practice. No membership, no packages, and no pressure to sign up for anything else.
- A full hour with an FAA certified instructor
- A complete training scenario flown start to finish
- A performance grade for your flight
- Written feedback you keep
Questions
Common questions
No. Practice flights are a familiarization and preparation tool. They do not count toward the flight time the FAA requires for a certificate or rating. They are meant to help you get comfortable before real training begins.
You fly on a home simulator setup. When you book, we will walk you through exactly what you need to connect so you are ready for your session.
Every session is run by an FAA certified instructor who guides you through the flight, answers your questions, and grades your performance.
You receive a grade for your flight along with written feedback describing what went well and what to focus on next.
Yes. Practice flights are built to give brand new students a relaxed feel for what training is like, at a pace that suits you.
Use any of the booking buttons on this page to reach our contact form, and we will schedule your hour.
Ready to try the cockpit?
Book a simulated practice flight and find out what training feels like, with a certified instructor right there with you.