An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

100th Anniversary Logo with the 100 in large letters and the museum logo
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.”

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


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 2023G 11 Apr - 20 Apr 2023

 


Compressed Schedule/Summer Camp
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 9:30-11:30 AM and 12:30-2:30 PM.  Lunch will not be provided.
 
CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
FULL 2023E 13-15 Mar 2023
FULL 2023H 1-3 May 2023
FULL 2023J 19-21 Jun 2023
FULL 2023K 26-28 Jun 2023
FULL 2023L 10-12 Jul 2023
FULL 2023M 17-19 Jul 2023
FULL 2023N 31 Jul - 2 Aug 2023
FULL 2023O 7-9 Aug 2023

 

Weekend Courses
These classes consist of six (6) sessions, held on Saturday and Sunday, with three (3) sessions each day, 9:30-11:30 AM, 12:30-2:30 PM, and 2:30-4:30 PM. This class is intended for out of town/state students, enabling their parents to schedule a weekend trip to the Dayton area. Lunch will not be provided.

 CLASS NUMBER CLASS DATES
FULL 2023F 18-19 Mar 2023
FULL 2023I 6-7 May 2023

 


 

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
FULL 2023B 28-30 Mar 2023
2023C 16-18 May 2023

 

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
2023D (201) 23 Jun 2023
FULL 2023E (201) 14 Jul 2023
FULL 2023F (201) 4 Aug 2023
FULL 2023G (201) 11 Aug 2023

 

 

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.