Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

A specific number of hours of training are required to meet the outcomes for this course, which will be provided by PCC Flight Instructors using Hillsboro Aero Academy facilities and equipment. 

This class covers all the hours of training in the PCC Part 61 AVS-125 Airplane Private Flight Training Course Outline.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Qualify to take the FAA Private Pilot Airplane knowledge and practical tests.
• Take responsibility as pilot-in-command to competently perform preflight duties and all other procedures necessary for the safe conduct of a flight as an airplane private pilot.
• Draw from a broad base of experience gained from training scenarios to exercise safe judgment  in all flight related decisions.

Students will be evaluated by written (or online) testing, oral testing, and procedure and maneuver demonstration. The completion standards for each lesson in the TCO ensure that successful students progress towards the outcomes.

Course covers all flight and ground stages in the PCC FAA Part 61 Training Course Outline (TCO) for Airplane Private Pilot. Specific skills and subject areas Lesson and course content and completion standards are detailed in the TCO, which is issued to each student. The TCO covers, but is not limited to, the following:

Aeronautical knowledge areas:

(1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;

(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;

(3) Use of the applicable portions of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and FAA advisory circulars;

(4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;

(5) Radio communication procedures;

(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;

(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;

(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;

(9) Weight and balance computations;

(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;

(11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;

(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and

(13) Preflight action that includes—

(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and

(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.

Flight Proficiency in these areas of operation:

(i) Preflight preparation;

(ii) Preflight procedures;

(iii) Airport and seaplane base operations;

(iv) Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds;

(v) Performance maneuvers;

(vi) Ground reference maneuvers;

(vii) Navigation;

(viii) Slow flight and stalls;

(ix) Basic instrument maneuvers;

(x) Emergency operations;

(xi) Night operations, except as provided in §61.110 of this part; and

(xii) Postflight procedures.