Image of the Air Force wings with the museum name underneath

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week
FREE Admission & Parking

Welcome to the Introduction to Pilot Program!

Image of student in simulator at introduction to pilot program

This FREE program has been designed to inspire towards, and educate students about a career as an Aviator. 

Intro to Pilot consists of two introductory-level courses, Intro to Pilot 101 and Complex Aircraft 201, which will provide a brief overview of what an actual Flight School could be like.  This program does not provide any level of certification, and cannot be used as a substitution for courses provided by a certified schoolhouse.  It is merely intended to see if the student has the desire and/or capability to become a pilot, without spending any money.  Try it before you buy it.”

See below for information about each course, course schedules, requirements, registration and more.

The Introduction to Becoming a Pilot Program is made possible by generous support from Wright State University through its partnership with the Air Force Museum Foundation. (Federal Endorsement Not Implied)


INTRO PILOT 101 

Syllabus/Learning Objectives
Session 1 - Course Introduction, Taxi and Take-off
Session 2 - Climbs, Descents and Turns
Session 3 - Slow Flight, Stall Recognition and Recovery
Session 4 - Traffic Patterns and Landing Procedures
Session 5 - Navigation and Dead Reckoning
Session 6 - Cross Country Flight

Traditional/After School Courses
This class is designed for local public/private school students, and will consist of six (6) sessions scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of two (2) consecutive weeks. Classes will be from 3:45- 5:15 PM. This time was select based on the dismissal time of the schools in the local area, and when the Museum closes.  Please note that the earlier all six students arrive (earliest possible start time is 3:00 PM), the more flying time will be allowed during the second half of each session. 

 
CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
FULL 2024A Jan. 9-18
FULL 2024C Feb. 20-29
FULL 2024E April 2-11

 


Compressed Schedule
These classes will consist of six (6) sessions, two (2) sessions per day, scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the same week. Classes will be from 9:30 - 2:30 PM, with a one hour lunch break.  Lunch will not be provided.
 
CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
FULL 2024B Jan. 29-31
FULL 2024D March 11-13
FULL 2024F April 22-24

 

 


 

COMPLEX AIRCRAFT 201

This course is designed to transition the student from flying a basic aircraft (Cessna 172) to flying a more complex aircraft (Mooney Bravo), which is a step up in both capability and speed.  This course is still an introductory level course, which will provide a brief overview of what flying a more complex aircraft would consist of.  This course does not provide any level of certification, and cannot be used as a substitution for courses provided by a certified schoolhouse.

Students must have graduated Intro Pilot 101 in order to attend this course 

Syllabus/Learning Objectives
Session 1 - Flight Review, Introduction to Complex Aircraft, Slow Flight and Patterns/Landings
Session 2 - VOR Navigation, Cross-country Flight
Session 3 - GPS Navigation, Autopilot, Cross-country Flight

Traditional/After School Courses
This class is designed for local public/private school students, and will consist of three (3) sessions scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the same week. Classes will be from 3:45 - 5:15 p.m. This time was selected based on the dismissal time of the schools in the local area, and when the Museum closes. Please note that the earlier all six students arrive (earliest possible start time is 3:00 p.m.) the more flying time will be allowed during the second half of each session. 

CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
2024A Feb. 6-8
FULL 2024B March 19-21
FULL 2024C April 30-- May 2

 

Compressed Schedule/Summer Camp
These classes will consist of three (3) sessions all in the same day, scheduled for a Friday. Classes will be from: 9:30-11:30 a.m.; 12:30-2:30 p.m;. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.. Lunch will not be provided. 

CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
Follow here for future class offerings  

 

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH COURSES

Students must:
* be between the ages of 14 and 18, and have an interest in becoming a pilot
* be able to attend all 6/3 sessions
* have their own transportation to and from the Museum, transportation will not be provided
* not have any physical limitations that will prevent safely entering and exiting the simulators

Class Attire
Uniform requirement for this course for the last day of class, is the dress uniform for JROTC and CAP organizations; a class photo will be taken.  For other Youth Organizations, the equivalent dress uniform is appropriate.  All other training days, and for those not in one of these organizations, their clothing needs to be clean, tidy, and “school” appropriate.

Registration
The first 6 qualified respondents will be placed in each class.  An additional 2 students will be placed on a waiting list.  However because the curriculum builds on the previous class session(s), once class starts, the waiting list goes away.

To register, send an email with the subject line “Introduction to Becoming a Pilot” to NMUSAF.MUT.IntroPilot@us.af.mil
Please include:
     1) Student’s Name 
     2) Class Number for requested class
     3) Student's Age
     4) Name of a parent or guardian
     5) Email Address

     6) Phone Number
     7) Student's City and State (not house number or street)
         This information will be used to "pin" the participant's location on a map in the Intro to Pilot classroom. The map is a visual representation of the locations that students travel from to participate in this class. No name or other identifying information will be associated with the pin. 

Image of a map with pins in it showing where students in the intro to pilot class have come from
       

Arrival to Each Class
​Please allow for approximately 10 minutes for entry of the Museum, and walking to the classroom. Each session will consist of approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour of ground school, with the remaining time spent on the simulators applying newly learned concepts. During the simulated flight time, each student will receive one-on-one instruction from a current or former military, commercial or private pilot, or a flight simulation expert (based on the availability of the instructors).

ORGANIZATIONS

If you are a JROTC, CAP, or other youth organization that wishes to schedule 6 students for a specific class, please identify this in your email.  For groups, please e-mail your request at least a month in advance.

Image of Intro to Pilot course participants and instructors from behind as they look at the monitors showing their flight simulations.