In 2015 AOPA launched the tremendously successful You Can Fly initiative. Primary among the goals was to encourage and support individuals and groups with an interest in forming flying clubs.
Somewhere in our flight training there is a lesson planned that many student pilots find intimidating: emergency procedures—specifically, an engine failure in flight.
Learning to fly is thoroughly enjoyable, even exhilarating. But at times, learning to perform the various tasks necessary to earn a pilot certificate can feel overwhelming.
That first flight lesson is a memorable experience, even inducing some nervousness in many student pilots. But the butterflies pass quickly, replaced by the joy of controlling an aircraft in flight.
Ground reference maneuvers can rank high on the list of challenges student pilots face. One day the maneuvers are a piece of cake, another day they are nearly impossible to perform.
Many primary flight students struggle at some point with the definition of what a cross-country flight is, how it relates to meeting the requirements of the private pilot certificate, and whether it is already documented in their logbook or still needs to be met.