Flight Training Syllabus

[minitour]

141 schools are run this way everywhere. You dont write your own, you follow the schools syllabus, right?

Yes. One that, hopefully, the chief flight instructor wrote. I refused to use a commercially available syllabus (even though it would have gotten us our 141 certificate probably 6 months sooner). I wanted to write something relevant to our students and our operation.

The hard part isn't writing the syllabus, it's writing the lesson plans. I assume you've got those.

Here's what I'd recommend (what I did).

Just go sit down tonight with a legal pad and part 61. Write down everything required to be taught for Part 61. Label the "pre solo" items separately. Now tape that piece of paper to your wall.

Now, start jotting down notes on the legal pad as to what you think should be taught first. As you write something down, you put a check mark next to it on the "required to be taught" sheet. You can repeat items as you wish, but you have to have AT LEAST the items/subject areas required by part 61.

Once you've done that, assign times for each lesson. "Lesson 1 should take an hour. Lesson 2, maybe 1.5..."

After that, total up your times. Make sure your instrument, night, cross country, etc. all equal or exceed those required by Part 61.

Double check it to make sure it's in the order you think it should be and staple it together (each "lesson" should have been a different sheet on the legal pad). Now, go to kinkos and have them make you 5 copies of the whole thing and staple it together.

You've now got a master copy and a bunch of other copies. Once you go through it a few times with a student, you'll see where it needs changed. Make the changes on the master copy and/or consider typing it out.

Rinse, repeat.

If you really want to have a good time, you can then dig into Part 141 and see if your syllabus fits the requirements of Part 141. If it does, when you're asked to do a 141 for someone...you're good to go! Just write up the TCO, add a few room diagrams, some safety procedures (which you should make for your students anyway...assuming your school doesn't have an SOP book for students), tail numbers and instructor qualifications and submit. Bada bing.

-mini

 

[Zero1Niner]

Yes. One that, hopefully, the chief flight instructor wrote. I refused to use a commercially available syllabus (even though it would have gotten us our 141 certificate probably 6 months sooner). I wanted to write something relevant to our students and our operation.

The hard part isn't writing the syllabus, it's writing the lesson plans. I assume you've got those.

Here's what I'd recommend (what I did).

Just go sit down tonight with a legal pad and part 61. Write down everything required to be taught for Part 61. Label the "pre solo" items separately. Now tape that piece of paper to your wall.

Now, start jotting down notes on the legal pad as to what you think should be taught first. As you write something down, you put a check mark next to it on the "required to be taught" sheet. You can repeat items as you wish, but you have to have AT LEAST the items/subject areas required by part 61.

Once you've done that, assign times for each lesson. "Lesson 1 should take an hour. Lesson 2, maybe 1.5..."

After that, total up your times. Make sure your instrument, night, cross country, etc. all equal or exceed those required by Part 61.

Double check it to make sure it's in the order you think it should be and staple it together (each "lesson" should have been a different sheet on the legal pad). Now, go to kinkos and have them make you 5 copies of the whole thing and staple it together.

You've now got a master copy and a bunch of other copies. Once you go through it a few times with a student, you'll see where it needs changed. Make the changes on the master copy and/or consider typing it out.

Rinse, repeat.

If you really want to have a good time, you can then dig into Part 141 and see if your syllabus fits the requirements of Part 141. If it does, when you're asked to do a 141 for someone...you're good to go! Just write up the TCO, add a few room diagrams, some safety procedures (which you should make for your students anyway...assuming your school doesn't have an SOP book for students), tail numbers and instructor qualifications and submit. Bada bing.

-mini

You rock Mini! That is some great advice. You are one of the guys I am talking about when I mentioned the experience hanging around this board.

Greatly appreciated.

 

[PGT]

For what it's worth, my part 61 FBO decided to use the Jepp syllabus...let's just say that it ticked off a lot of people, including myself.

 

[minitour]

For what it's worth, my part 61 FBO decided to use the Jepp syllabus...let's just say that it ticked off a lot of people, including myself.

What did you dislike about it?

-mini

 

[shdw]

What did you dislike about it?

-mini

Lets start with page 1 and end with the whatever the last page was. It is a wonderful copy of the FARs though, got to give them credit they have incredible copying skills. Basically it copied a few requirements into a lesson and then gave common sense topics that needed to be covered with no backing of how. The book topics didn't line up well with the lessons as they over covered what one could possibly do in a lesson outside of 141. Finally the lessons themselves were so far beyond anything capable, tasks wise, for a 61 student and I question their effectiveness in a 141 environment.

As for your method, I like it and it makes perfect sense but it was not the one I followed. I chose to do 2 months of reading research before ever sitting down to write my own syllabus. This included the two rereads of the FOI I have mentioned in previous posts.

Than I sat down and started working and haven't stopped for the past 10 months almost. Taken about 1.5 months break from it in total in that time, but I am not on the same time crunch as you may be. On your short schedule I would just stick with what exists and make small changes to that. I can tell you everyone here will see a post and have full access to my work, for free hopefully by years end for the Beta release. I do hope many of you give I a shot and help me work through it, it is intended to grow based on the help of many and not the viewing/testing of one.

 

[PGT]

What did you dislike about it?

-mini

More flying than is necessary, which can add up when you're paying $250/hr.

 

[minitour]

More flying than is necessary, which can add up when you're paying $250/hr.

I'll admit, I haven't opened a Jepp syllabus since I started writing my own but isn't it based on 141 minimums (for a "standard" course)?

-mini

 

[at1024]

More flying than is necessary, which can add up when you're paying $250/hr.

But 141 minimums with the Jepp syllabus would be less than 61. I don't get where you're coming from???

 

[PGT]

Regular jepp syllabus, never said 141 syllabus.

Yes my university is trying to switch our flight training to 141 and it's making a mess of things, student satisfaction has gone down the drain in the past few months. That is a story for NJC and won't be shared on this board.

 

[minitour]

Regular jepp syllabus, never said 141 syllabus.

Jepp's syllabus is a 141 syllabus.

-mini

 

[at1024]

Regular jepp syllabus, never said 141 syllabus.

Yes my university is trying to switch our flight training to 141 and it's making a mess of things, student satisfaction has gone down the drain in the past few months. That is a story for NJC and won't be shared on this board.

How so? Can you give us a specific example?

 

[PGT]

How so? Can you give us a specific example?

There are better examples but this one is bad. Instrument students were required to have 15-20 hours of Frasca time to get University credit for the instrument, now that has gone up. It's crap because simulator time with instructor is about $40 cheaper BUT does not count toward TT. I got most of my 15.1 hours when the wx was bad for actual flying.

Oh yea, my friend is going through it, has been working on his instrument for 2 months and just started shooting approaches. It was all flying defined courses in the simulator.

There's a lot more I want to say but will keep it in.

 

[poser765]

There are better examples but this one is bad. Instrument students were required to have 15-20 hours of Frasca time to get University credit for the instrument, now that has gone up. It's crap because simulator time with instructor is about $40 cheaper BUT does not count toward TT. I got most of my 15.1 hours when the wx was bad for actual flying.

Oh yea, my friend is going through it, has been working on his instrument for 2 months and just started shooting approaches. It was all flying defined courses in the simulator.

There's a lot more I want to say but will keep it in.

Wait, sim time doesn't count as total time?

 

[minitour]

Wait, sim time doesn't count as total time?

A Frasca is most likely not a "simulator" but rather an "FTD" (Flight Training Device), so no.

-mini

 

[poser765]

A Frasca is most likely not a "simulator" but rather an "FTD" (Flight Training Device), so no.

-mini

ohhh a FRASCA...dang I am just full of all sorts of crap today.

What chris you have to land for it to count as xc for ATP?
What chris, you think a Frasca counts as total time.

The day is NOT mine.

 

[at1024]

The day is NOT mine.

There's always tomorrow!

 

[at1024]

There are better examples but this one is bad. Instrument students were required to have 15-20 hours of Frasca time to get University credit for the instrument, now that has gone up. It's crap because simulator time with instructor is about $40 cheaper BUT does not count toward TT. I got most of my 15.1 hours when the wx was bad for actual flying.

Oh yea, my friend is going through it, has been working on his instrument for 2 months and just started shooting approaches. It was all flying defined courses in the simulator.

There's a lot more I want to say but will keep it in.

I have the option of doing my CFII 141 or 61, and I'm going the 61 route because there are no minimum times.

 

[minitour]

The day is NOT mine.

I have that feeling frequently. You get used to it.

-mini