Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Sport Pilot (Airplane) • PTS Area VII, Task A

The Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage And Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan covers the knowledge and skills required by FAA-S-8081-29A.

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Flight Planning Fundamentals:
    0:10
    Part 3, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning:
    0:10
    Part 4, Charts and Topography:
    0:10
    Part 5, Navigation Considerations:
    0:10
    Part 6, Navigation Calculations:
    0:10
    Part 7, Flight Log:
    0:10
    Part 8, Complete Cross-Country:
    0:10
    Part 9, Piloage and Dead Reckoning Risk Management:
    0:20
    Part 10, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Guided Scenario(s):
    0:05
    Part 11, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    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 (nautical miles) apart.
      • Your first checkpoint should be Top of Climb (TOC) and the last should be Top of Descent (TOD).

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Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Materials

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    • If not previously discussed, provide expectations on time to train, ground instruction vs. flight instruction, and instructor/student availability.
    • Review the lesson plan, including the attention and motivator.
    • Review the airman certification standards.
  • Part 2, Flight Planning Fundamentals:
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply flight planning.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply Discuss determining headings/courses/tracks.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply relationship between planning and actual flight path
  • Part 3, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning:
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply pilotage (visual navigation) vs dead reckoning (time, distance, heading).
    • Compare strengths and limitations of each.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain why both are used together.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply determining route/choosing checkpoints.
    • Discuss differences between planned vs actual conditions.
      • Effect of wind.
      • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply drift correction techniques.
      • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply time correciton techniques.
  • Part 4, Charts & Topography:
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply chart orientation (true vs magnetic).
    • Discuss terrain, landmarks, and feature identification.
      • Emphasize difference between chart and cockpit identification.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply VFR (Visual Flight Rules) checkpoint usage.
  • Part 5, Navigation Considerations:
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply types and navigation.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply flight planning and Navigation Tools.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply route selection considerations: Terrain, Airspace, Distance.
  • Part 6, Navigation Calculations:
    • Heading calculations (course, heading, track).
    • Groundspeed calculations.
    • Wind correction angle calculations.
    • Time/distance calculations.
  • Part 7, Flight Log:
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of flight log structure.
    • Discuss how to use in flight.
      • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain impacts of not updating log.
      • Use retrieval questioning to have the learner explain risks of fixating inside the cockpit.
  • Part 8, Complete Cross-Country
    • Follow guided scenario in flight.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of radio calls to flight service station.
  • Part 9, Risk Management:
    • Loss of situational awareness.
    • Collision hazards.
    • Fuel miscalculation.
    • Have the learner identify risk triggers.
    • Mitigate using planning and in-flight adjustments.
    • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply Pilotage and Dead Reckoning common errors.
  • Required teaching coverage:
    • Assess whether the learner exhibits knowledge of the elements related to pilotage and dead reckoning, as appropriate. (SP.1)
    • Have the learner follow the planned course by landmarks, verify position within three nautical miles, update fuel and select an alternate plan when needed, and maintain the PTS (Practical Test Standards) altitude and heading standards. (SP.2) (SP.3) (SP.4) (SP.5) (SP.6)
  • Part 10, Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Guided Scenario(s):
  • Part 11, Lesson Conclusion:
    • 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 the instructor log and student progress. Select the student and sign off completed objectives. If the student does not have a connected account, record the update manually in the instructor log and student training record.
Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Plan a flight
  • For each leg, discuss:
    • What is the topography?
    • What checkpoints are there?
    • What is an appropriate altitude? Why?
  • Discuss topography across route
  • Explain: Checkpoints, Headings, Timing, Correction strategy.
  • Student briefs: Route, Checkpoints, Headings and timing.
  • Complete sample time/distance calculations.
  • Describe checkpoint identification.
  • Monitor scan and fixation risks.
  • Identify landmarks along route.
  • Require time tracking between checkpoints.
  • Require the student to compare planned versus actual times.
  • Monitor heading and altitude control.
  • Challenge: "Where are you right now?"
  • Apply heading/time corrections.
  • Related scenarios:
Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Pilotage & Dead Reckoning Practical Test Standards

  • Source: FAA-S-8081-29A, Section 1 - Sport Pilot Airplane.
  • Task: PILOTAGE AND DEAD RECKONING (ASEL and ASES).
  • References: FAA-H-8083-25.
  • Objective: To determine that the applicant:
Objective Elements 6 PTS Elements
  • SP.1:
    Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to pilotage and dead reckoning, as appropriate.
  • SP.2:
    Follows the preplanned course by reference to landmarks.
  • SP.3:
    Identifies landmarks by relating surface features to chart symbols.
  • SP.4:
    Verifies the airplane’s position within 3 nautical miles of the flight-planned route.
  • SP.5:
    Determines there is sufficient fuel to complete the flight. If not, develops an alternate plan.
  • SP.6:
    Maintains the appropriate altitude, ±200 feet and headings, ±15°.
Sport 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 sport pilots for longer, less familiar, and more operationally complex flights.

  • Closure:

    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.