Home schooling

If you took an unofficial poll of student pilots, and probably flight instructors too, and asked them to name the single biggest change in flight training during the past five years, a number of them would say "glass cockpits."

The introduction of advanced avionics into a growing number of training aircraft has not only brought a new level of excitement to personal aviation, it has also changed the way some students are learn to fly. But, there's an arguably even bigger change occurring that can, or will, change the way in which most of us learn to fly. That's the proliferation of high-tech home-study programs.

Aviation magazines contain ads for a variety of DVD, CD-ROM, and online training programs--available for the sport, recreational, and private pilot certificates, as well as the instrument rating and other advanced ratings and certificates. This is a good thing--anything that helps people get off the couch and into the cockpit is great.

To get an idea just how popular home study programs have become, Kevin Murphy, director of safety education for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, said, "In 2005, we had over 60,000 completions of our free full-length online training courses. I'm not just talking about casual browsing; our online courses are serious educational tools." Murphy added that completion of any full-length course is approved by the FAA for the ground training portion of the Wings pilot proficiency program.

What is behind this sudden surge in the popularity of home study programs? Well, according to the folks that develop them, there are two major reasons: First, the technology to deliver this type of information wasn't so readily available before. Second, student pilots are looking for ways to fit their training into their time-starved schedules.

"Everyone's schedule is busier and busier these days," said Eric Radtke, president of Sporty's Academy, Inc. "People want to be able to do things on their time. On their schedules. That flexibility is going to increase the popularity of home study courses."

Another big advantage of a good home study program has over a classroom ground school is that the student can study at his or her best pace. You are free to go ahead or back as you see fit. "It keeps a student engaged in the learning process," explained John King, co-chairman of King Schools in San Diego, California. "The whole idea of flying an airplane is that you are going to be very engaged and very involved. And learning that uses this type of motivation and interactivity is very powerful and efficient."

Which means done right, you'll probably learn faster and better. In fact, while time savings is a major benefit of these new home study programs, Radtke stressed that there is an added advantage beyond just getting you through the dreaded knowledge test--they can be very good mentors throughout your training program and beyond. "Many students purchase a complete course that will take them from start to finish," he noted. "It's going to be there through their ground school and flight school. It's going to be a reference for them after they get their certificate. It will be something they keep and use."

Even if you are taking a structured ground school program, having the home study materials available between lessons can be a real benefit. "[It] gives [students] a chance to review the DVD materials before and after a lesson so it is kind of a quick refresher, rather than trying to remember what you covered during the last classroom session," explained Jerry Blair, marketing director for Aviation Supplies and Academics, Inc. (ASA). "The DVD or CD-ROM is always the same information."

In fact, Blair said that having the materials available actually saved him money when he was working toward his certificate at a Part 61 flight school. "My instructor was working with me, so every day before I went to the airport I could review what I was going to do during the flight," he said. "My instructor would go over it, and if I could demonstrate the knowledge I needed, we would only spend 15 minutes on the ground versus an hour or more for preparation. That saved me a lot of time and money on my flight instruction."

DVD, CD-ROM, or online: Which is right for you?

Selecting the right format for your new home study program is the best first step to ensuring you will get the most benefits. "What really counts more than anything is course content. Is the information there and is it delivered in a clear and engaging way?" King said. "Also, does it take full advantage of the tremendous power of the computer?"

"If you are thinking of a DVD program that's just like watching TV, I don't think that has near the power of a computer-based course," he continued. And that's coming from a man who's spent more than 20 years in front of the camera doing videotape training programs. "We've found that putting the courses on the computer is an order of magnitude improvement for the students," King said. "It's a much more powerful teaching tool." ASA's Blair added, "CD-ROM- and Web-based courses have the advantage of 'volume.' A lot of information can be included in the database and most of it is interconnected."

Blair also said that as the technology matures, he sees a blurring of the dividing lines between the different media. "We are working on something new called Prepware," he said. "What we will be able to do is to give you the product that you can use on your home computer or DVD player and then go online for just the portions that really need some kind of verifications. If you are doing it on your computer you will just have a hotlink to the test you want to take."

"Online programs, at least Air Safety Foundation online programs, tend to have more real interactivity and more in-depth content available," Murphy said. The only potential drawback that Murphy sees to an online program is the user's access to the Internet. "If your Internet connection is of the dial-up variety and very slow, a DVD program might make more sense," he said.

But, no matter how the information is delivered, one of the major advantages is that today's media will keep the student involved. "Most students are very goal-oriented, so this business of keeping track of progress and watching how you are doing is very, very motivating," King explained. "When you can learn something and immediately put it into action--immediately recall and use it--it solidifies the learning right away. Being involved is so much better than being passive."

Home study program tips

No matter which home study program you commit to, there are some basic guidelines to helping ensure that you will get the most knowledge out of every training hour.

Pick the right format. Make sure the format you choose is the one that's best suited to the way you learn. Some people like the no-frills formats of some CD-ROM or online programs; others prefer the TV-like productions found on most DVDs. If you're not sure, just contact the manufacturer and request a sample disc to review.

Commit to it. Just because you are training at home at your own pace, don't think you can slack off. "You have to dedicate the time to concentrate on what you are doing." King said. "If you start a program like this, work on it every day," he stressed.

Review the material as much as you need to. That's one of the real benefits of home study programs. You are free to go over the material as much as you want. "Buying the course will not automatically make you pass the [knowledge] test," Blair said. "You have to commit to learning the information."

Treat it like any classroom lesson. "Take notes and take advantage of additional resources," Murphy said.

Take full advantage of any practice tests. "One thing that really helps is to take multiple practice tests along the way," Blair said. "If you can consistently score above 80 percent, then you are ready to go. If not, it's back to the lesson again."

Read the directions. Each program developer includes some kind of instructions on how to get the most out of the information.

Talk to your instructor. "Many courses provide a student and instructor syllabus for the program," Blair added. "This will help the student follow their progress and help determine where they might need additional information from their instructor."

Make sure the information is up to date. That's not a problem if you buy a DVD or CD-ROM from the major producers, but sometimes students try to save money by buying a used package or borrowing one from a friend. "Nothing is worse for your morale or motivation than studying out-of-date material and not passing the tests," Blair warned.

Your training never stops

Home study programs are wonderful tools for refresher training after you earn your certificate, too. Just pop one in your DVD player or computer and revisit anything, any time you want.

"I talk to people at shows and they all tell me they go back through the program three or four times," King said. "Why? They did that because it is fun and they are very engaged in the process."

That kind of continual learning is especially important and valuable for pilots with new pilot certificates. "If they haven't been to the ASF's online learning center yet at www.asf.org, they need to take a peek," Murphy said. "All pilots could benefit from what's there. But pilots who are still in their earlier stages of their piloting life, the so-called 'aggressive learning phase,' probably get the most benefit."

Murphy said ASF currently has a plethora of great online learning and safety resources for pilots, including a growing number of full-length interactive courses, "mini" (5- to 15-minute) courses, Flash Cards on runway markings, and much more. Not only are these great refreshers that will make you a safer, more knowledgeable pilot, they're also free!

With all they have going for them, there is one drawback to trusting your training to a home study course. "It's sometimes difficult to just watch a DVD course and stay into it," Blair warned. "You are sitting at home on your couch and get comfortable. Pretty soon you doze off." (Not that that has ever happened to anyone in a classroom).

And the beauty of a DVD or CD-ROM is you just have to go back a chapter or two and push the "Play" button again. Try that with a live teacher.

Dale Smith is an aviation journalist living in Jacksonville, Florida. A private pilot, he has been flying since 1976.