Read It, See It, Hear It, Test It. Effective Studying Techniques for Early Flight Training

Learning is Multifaceted

No two individuals learn in exactly the same manner, and no one learns through a single method alone. Over the years, research has largely dispelled the notion of strictly categorizing learners as "visual, auditory, or hands-on." Learning happens through experience, and the way a learner processes that experience, along with their willingness to embrace it, directly influences how much they gain from it. Our minds are designed to receive and analyze information through all senses, and convincing oneself that they are solely a "hands-on" or "visual" learner deprives them of the rich, multifaceted experience that can enhance learning.

The Aviation Instructors Handbook, which details how instructors should apply teaching methods and the FAA's written guide on human factors and psychology related to aviation learning, stresses the importance of incorporating various learning styles into each lesson as much as possible. Although your instructor has been trained with these principles and likely strives to apply them in their lessons with you, these principles could be introduced to students early in their flight training to improve their learning and self-study skills.

Self-study and the self-discipline required for effective studying are often among the most challenging aspects of early flight training for students. Although flight instructors strive to teach and explain everything necessary to pass practical or written exams, the aviation industry is fast-paced and dynamic, offering more than can be covered in weekly one-to-two hour ground sessions. Effective studying relies on a student's ability to independently grow and learn. However, many students, particularly at the start, struggle with the question, "Where do I even begin, and how can I make my studying effective?"

Read It.

Suppose weather is a subject you are unfamiliar with and recognize that you need to dedicate extra time at home to study it independently. Weather is often a challenging and weak area for new students. When you have only fragmented knowledge and lack a comprehensive understanding, it can be confusing to determine how and what to study to bridge the knowledge gap. Initially, this creates the paradox of "you don't know what you don't know." How can we resolve this paradox?

Begin by consulting the rubric and resources that detail the learning standard. In aviation, this typically involves reviewing the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) relevant to the certification being pursued, such as private pilot, instrument, or commercial pilot. Additionally, explore FAA-published resources that pertain to the area of knowledge you are studying. For instance, the Aviation Weather Handbook could be useful for weather-related topics. Collect these materials and examine the table of contents or specific knowledge tasks, highlighting the areas of the table of contents or tasks where you recognize a lack of adequate understanding. If you come across a resource where you find yourself unfamiliar with the entire content, that's acceptable too—just refrain from using your highlighter on the entire document.

Not everyone enjoys reading. Perhaps you were the middle school student who dreaded reading time. Bear with me. Once you've created this list, start by researching and reading about those tasks first. Aim to understand the material thoroughly by familiarizing yourself with available resources, so you know where to turn if you encounter difficulties later. Take notes, highlight, annotate, and re-read as necessary to make the reading and research process interactive and multifaceted. In today's digital age, some prefer digital publications, but I strongly recommend buying or printing physical copies that you can mark up and write in freely. Challenge yourself to make these resources uniquely yours, demonstrating that you've deeply engaged with the content.

Create online quizzes, develop flashcards, and take detailed notes on the subject. By interacting with the written material and familiarizing yourself with its content, you will improve retention through experience at this stage.

See It.

Now that you have finished vandalizing defenseless books with your notes and annotations and you have familiarized yourself with the raw materials and resources, you have primed your mind with knowledge that you can now compliment with more digestible media.

Videos and online digital content have become integral to the learning environment. Their ease of use and widespread availability allow anyone to quickly research and learn something visually. After gaining some knowledge from books, and possibly still having unanswered questions, turning to reliable video sources can help reinforce what you've read. This can boost your confidence as you realize, "I just read that! I understand what's being said!" This "ah-ha" moment strengthens your learning and serves as a mental reward. Even if you still have questions or gaps after reading, watching videos on the topic can provide practical applications and enhance your understanding. Videos can transform basic knowledge into real-world scenarios and practical perspectives, helping to answer questions or apply your knowledge in new ways beyond the fundamental concepts.

Hear It.

Seeing and hearing are distinct experiences. You might think, "I just watched a video on this... I caught everything he said." However, watching someone produce an impressive video on a subject differs from the kind of hearing I'm discussing here. This type of listening involves an interactive way of receiving information from a source, where you can directly ask questions and receive answers.

One approach could involve returning to your flight instructor with a notebook filled with questions you still have on the topic and engaging in a discussion about it. This educated dialogue allows your instructor to reinforce your current understanding and provide personalized answers to your questions, which you can add to your knowledge base. If an instructor isn't readily available, you could ask a fellow flight student to study the topic with you and help each other answer questions, or participate in an online tutoring session with an instructor. Whatever method you choose, ensure you engage in meaningful dialogue to confirm or correct your understanding of the subject matter.

Test It.

So far, you have engaged with the material in nearly every possible manner. You have read and taken notes using thorough and hands-on approaches. You have observed it unfold in scenario-based videos, and you have had your questions addressed or your knowledge confirmed through interactions with those around you. Now, it's time to evaluate your understanding and assess its effectiveness.

Select your preferred test preparation software or at-home study aids, and filter the question bank to focus solely on those that pertain to the specific topics you have reviewed. For instance, in relation to our previous scenario, limit the questions to weather-related subjects. If you lack an online course for this purpose, create flashcards or a free online quiz using the materials from the "Read It" section.

Continuously test yourself with this focused set of questions until you consistently achieve at least 80%. Keep taking the quiz until the questions become easy, and you not only know the answers but also understand why certain answers are correct or incorrect. This will strengthen your knowledge and better prepare you for upcoming stages of your training, such as the written or practical exams. If you find there are aspects you still don't understand or can't pass in the practice quizzes, repeat the process to address those knowledge gaps. Consult your instructor, show them the steps you've taken to improve on your own, and seek their assistance with areas where you still face difficulties.

Summary

The aim of all this is not to replace your instructor, but to enhance your study methods and guide you on where to start independently. Having a strong knowledge base before approaching your instructor with questions or before a ground lesson on a specific topic makes the discussion more engaging, enabling you to leave with more understanding and fewer questions than before, which is the goal. Often, students expect flight training to resemble high school or college, where professors give lengthy lectures on every topic, and attending is enough to pass. However, this is rarely the case, and while instructors may not mind giving long lectures, it is not the most effective way to learn. When beginning flight training, aim to be as engaged in the learning process as possible. The learning-teaching relationship is crucial in this field, and it requires a balance of a good learner and a good teacher for both to achieve the primary goal.