Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area VI, Task A

The Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with pilotage and dead reckoning.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Part 1, Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning:
    0:45
    Part 3, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Risk Management:
    0:15
    Part 4, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Guided Scenario(s):
    0:30
    Part 5, Conclude Lesson:
    0:10
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Research and present a mishap case study:
    • Discuss how the initial conditions developed into an incident/accident/mishap.
    • Relate similar personal experiences of the same type of incident/accident/mishap.
    • Consider incorporating a case study as a guided scenario.

  • Motivator:

    • Flight planning is the process in which a pilot prepares for an upcoming flight
    • It is a descriptive process therefore involving more than one type of navigation.
    • If no wind information is available, plan using statistical winds, make them headwinds to be conservative in your fuel planning
    • Course: is pre-flight
    • Track: is flown
    • Charts are all "true" as in true north and must be compensated to find magnetic north
    • Include the following:
      • Diverts (direction and channels/frequencies)
    • Checkpoints:
      • Check points should be set approximately 10 NM apart
      • Your first checkpoint should be Top of Climb (TOC) and the last should be Top of Descent (TOD)

Help Us Grow

Enjoy CFI Notebook? A one-time donation helps us create more high-quality lessons, quizzes, scenarios, graphics, and interactive tools.

One-Time Donation
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Materials

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Introduce the lesson:
    • Review the lesson plan, including the attention and motivator.
    • Review the airman certification standards.
    • Explain that pilotage and dead reckoning provide independent navigation skills that support sound position awareness and verification of electronic navigation.
  • Part 2, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning:
    • Introduce pilotage and dead reckoning. (CA.VI.A.K1)
    • Explain magnetic compass errors and their effect on navigation. (CA.VI.A.K2)
    • Interpret topography and relate terrain features, obstructions, and charted information to route selection and position verification. (CA.VI.A.K3)
    • Explain selection of an appropriate route, altitude or altitudes, and checkpoints, including terrain, obstacles, airspace, glide capability, weather, and checkpoint visibility. (CA.VI.A.K4, CA.VI.A.K4a, CA.VI.A.K4b, CA.VI.A.K4c)
    • Demonstrate plotting a course, including determining heading, speed, and course; calculating wind-correction angle; estimating time, speed, and distance; and accounting for true airspeed and density altitude. (CA.VI.A.K5, CA.VI.A.K5a, CA.VI.A.K5b, CA.VI.A.K5c, CA.VI.A.K5d)
    • Explain power-setting selection and its relationship to planned performance, groundspeed, time, and fuel consumption. (CA.VI.A.K6)
    • Compare planned calculations with actual flight results and determine the corrections required for wind, groundspeed, elapsed time, course, and fuel consumption. (CA.VI.A.K7)
    • Discuss flight-planning and navigation tools.
    • Discuss common pilotage and dead-reckoning errors.
    • Discuss Pilotage and Dead Reckoning airman certification standards.
    • Discuss case studies.
  • Part 3, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Risk Management:
    • Identify and mitigate collision hazards while navigating by outside visual references, including traffic, terrain, obstacles, and reduced visual scanning during chart or flight-log use. (CA.VI.A.R1)
    • Manage distractions, prioritize tasks, preserve situational awareness, and recognize conditions that may cause disorientation while navigating. (CA.VI.A.R2)
    • Monitor and mitigate unplanned fuel or power consumption by comparing planned values with actual groundspeed, elapsed time, power setting, and fuel used. (CA.VI.A.R3)
  • Part 4, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Guided Scenario(s):
    • Lead the guided scenario.
    • Require the learner to prepare and use a flight log for the planned route. (CA.VI.A.S1)
    • Require the learner to navigate by pilotage using suitable outside visual references. (CA.VI.A.S2)
    • Require the learner to navigate using precomputed headings, groundspeeds, elapsed time, and landmarks or checkpoints. (CA.VI.A.S3)
    • Require the learner to use the magnetic direction indicator in navigation, including turns to headings. (CA.VI.A.S4)
    • Require the learner to verify the airplane’s position within two nautical miles of the flight-planned route. (CA.VI.A.S5)
    • Require the learner to arrive at en route checkpoints within three minutes of the initial or revised estimated time of arrival and provide a destination estimate. (CA.VI.A.S6)
    • Require the learner to maintain the selected altitude within ±100 feet and heading within ±10°. (CA.VI.A.S7)
  • Part 5, Conclude Lesson:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Airman Certification Standards

Knowledge 7 ACS Elements
  • CA.VI.A.K1:
    Pilotage and dead reckoning.
  • CA.VI.A.K2:
    Magnetic compass errors.
  • CA.VI.A.K3:
    Topography.
  • CA.VI.A.K4:
    Selection of appropriate:
    • CA.VI.A.K4a:
      Route.
    • CA.VI.A.K4b:
      Altitude(s).
    • CA.VI.A.K4c:
      Checkpoints.
  • CA.VI.A.K5:
    Plotting a course, including:
  • CA.VI.A.K6:
    Power setting selection.
  • CA.VI.A.K7:
    Planned versus actual flight plan calculations and required corrections.
Risk Management 3 ACS Elements
Skills 7 ACS Elements
  • CA.VI.A.S1:
    Prepare and use a flight log.
  • CA.VI.A.S2:
    Navigate by pilotage.
  • CA.VI.A.S3:
    Navigate by means of pre-computed headings, groundspeeds, elapsed time, and reference to landmarks or checkpoints.
  • CA.VI.A.S4:
    Use the magnetic direction indicator in navigation, including turns to headings.
  • CA.VI.A.S5:
    Verify position within three nautical miles of the flight-planned route.
  • CA.VI.A.S6:
    Arrive at the en route checkpoints within five minutes of the initial or revised estimated time of arrival (ETA) and provide a destination estimate.
  • CA.VI.A.S7:
    Maintain the selected altitude ±100 feet and heading ±10°.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Pilotage and Dead Reckoning connects careful preflight planning with the continuous awareness needed to keep the aircraft, route, fuel, weather, and available alternatives aligned.
    • Using multiple navigation references and verifying position, performance, and changing conditions helps pilots detect errors before they narrow available options.
    • Timely communication, workload management, and a willingness to revise the plan turn navigation knowledge into practical aeronautical decision-making.
    • Further practice with Pilotage and Dead Reckoning prepares commercial pilots for longer, less familiar, and more operationally complex flights.

  • Closure:

    • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides test-taking guidance and test guides on its website.
    • To learn more about preparing for the practical test, visit the checkride page.
    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.