The Flying Syllabus

The content of these exercises is typically taught in combination with other lessons rather than as separate lessons in their own right

This will usually be the first time you take control of the aircraft.  Primary and secondary effects of the main flying controls, how air speed and power effect control, effect of  flaps, use of engine controls

Since every flight involves taxiing, you'll be taught how to taxi safely at the start and end of each flying lesson, building up knowledge and experience until you are doing all the taxiing during every flying lesson

It sounds simple, but flying the aircraft straight (without changing direction) and level (without changing altitude) is a fundamental skill which, when well learned, will make all of your subsequent flying much easier

These two exercises are taught together for obvious practical reasons.  You'll learn how to manage the controls to climb and descend smoothly and safely at different speeds and configurations and to level out at a chosen altitude

Learn how to change direction while maintaining level balanced flight, or at the same time as climbing and descending.  Use a visual reference or the compass to turn onto a selected heading

Flying at deliberately slow speeds is not only a useful skill, but something you must be familiar with so you can recognize and recover from when unintentional.  You'll learn how to recover from full and incipient stalls in different configurations

Spin recovery is no longer taught, instead the focus is on avoiding spins in the first place by recognizing an incipient spin and recovering before it becomes fully developed

Learn to take off and land by flying circuits with touch-and-go's, including emergency and abnormal procedures such as flapless landings, glide approaches, and engine failure after take-off (EFATO)

The only lesson guaranteed to appear only once in your logbook!  Once you show your instructor you are sufficiently competent, you will fly for the first time on your own, completing a single take-off, circuit and landing

Turning at bank angles of 45 degrees or more; recovery from spiral dive

Usually referred to as "PFL's" (practice forced landings) - this covers the procedures for landing safely off-airport after an engine failure

This single exercise comes in many parts and will make up a third or more of all your flying training, covering many lessons.  It covers pre-flight planning, procedures for departure, en-route and arrival,  diversions, low level navigation, and use of radio navigation aids

As part of your training you are required to complete a solo cross-country flight 

You'll spend time flying "under the hood" to learn some basic handling on instruments only