Mastering Stick And Rudder Flying is designed to improve your stick and rudder skills, so that you can reduce your chances of an accident. This is no "sit-and-watch" video: this is interactive, computer-based training, consisting of over six hours of "cut-to-the-chase" stick and rudder "enlightenment." You'll find amazing 3D graphics and interaction, straight-talking "how to" guidance, practical tips, and engaging stories—all related to stick and rudder flying.  

Around 30% of GA pilots now fly aircraft with complex computerized cockpit instrumentation (i.e., glass cockpits). As a pilot, you either fly one of these aircraft currently, or you'll do so in the near future. The FAA commissioned a study and found that many aviators have difficulty manually flying the airplane. Our newfound reliance on automation and computerized technology has found its way into the most basic of GA aircraft. And, pilots are using that technology as a crutch—they're failing to maintain (and even abandoning) their stick and rudder skills due to lack of use and insufficient training. The study also found that when pilots hand-fly the aircraft, they become confused and disoriented, partly due to their reliance on watching the automation do the flying. And, they found that pilots have inadequate stick and rudder technique during rare and unexpected emergency circumstances.  

Even the most basic of stick and rudder flying is a problem. Consider crosswind landings. Do you really know how to perform a crosswind landing correctly? Do you really know the factors involved in using aileron, rudder, and elevator and the various forces that occur during a tough crosswind landing? Or, take the power curve. Do you fully understand it? Do you know how mismanagement of thrust and drag can get you into an accident? Mastering Stick And Rudder Flying will describe these topics and more—step by step. It contains 20 such focused lessons to help you improve your technique.

Learn about stick and rudder thoroughly, without wasting time.  You're busy—everyone's busy. But, your life, and the lives of your passengers, depend on your stick and rudder skills. This training gets right to the point, by focusing on the immediate information that you'll need in flight, during actual situations. Each module will only take around 20 minutes, which you can complete at your convenience, on your schedule.

It's an investment in your piloting skills.  When it comes to your aircraft, you maintain the systems and comply with all required inspections. Why shouldn't you maintain your flying skills with the same commitment? This training helps you stay committed and focused—especially if your flying skills are rusty. It's an investment you must make—in yourself, as a pilot.

Actual accident data is weaved into each lesson.  This training is more than "step 1, step 2..." It ties the "how-to" of stick and rudder technique to the "why" and "what happened" aspects of actual accidents. You'll have a clear advantage by studying the mistakes of others, so that you can perfect your flying.

It's technique-oriented.  One of the most effective ways pilots learn is to describe what NOT to do. It's the other side of knowing what TO do. This training contains a lot of do's (i.e., you'll need less right rudder during takeoff if you've got a right crosswind)... and don'ts (i.e., don't bring the flaps up before you add power). A great deal of positive guidance is provided, while describing traps to avoid.

It provides common mistakes, great tips, and student/instructor perspectives.  The Hangar Time™ feature guides you through multiple examples and tips. You'll find these Hangar Time "sidebar" topics interspersed throughout the training, as they relate to the topic being taught. Plus, there are many tips that make you think critically—especially in ways that you might never have thought otherwise.

It's interactive.  Again,  Want to see what happens to drag and stall speed when aircraft weight increases? Drag the slider. Want to see why banked wings are essential during a crosswind landing? Use the ailerons to bank into the wind to find out. You don't need any special yoke hardware, and you don't need special computer skills. Everything is easily controlled with your mouse. Ultimately, you'll understand concepts better because of the interaction.

It's short, fun, and structured.  The 3D graphics are amazing, and the consistent use of voice narration, color, visuals, animations, and logical flow keep you engaged. Each section is like "a story that you just can't wait to see how it ends." It's that compelling. Unlike other training, you'll find yourself "glued" to the content, having that "Wow... so that's how it works" moment at the end!

It's a tool that you'll come back to, during your entire lifetime of flying.  This isn't training that you'll complete once and then forget about. It's a great reference tool for future use—being very robust, it's ideal for all pilots, ranging from minimum flight time to highly experienced. As your flight experience expands, you'll find yourself coming back to review and revisit what you've learned. You won't find this training collecting dust.

It asks you questions.  Each section contains quizzes that test your knowledge. Don't worry... they're not too hard—after all, the training did a great job teaching in the first place. Each question is designed to ensure that you remember the main points of safety, so that your time isn't wasted with meaningless facts that you'll never use.

Get FAA WINGS credit.  If you make this investment in your training, you'll have the opportunity to reward yourself with FAA WINGS credit. By taking the 50-question Final Exam at the end of the training, you'll receive your score and be credited for your hard work.

Yes, it's designed for YOUR experience level.  Whether you've got 50 or 5,000 hours, this training is designed to sharpen your stick and rudder skills. Even the 5,000-hour pilot might not have been trained thoroughly on these topics, or in the easy-to-understand manner that these topics are taught. One highly-experienced pilot completed the ground effect section and commented, "I never knew that it worked that way!" That's a true story. The bottom line is that a chalkboard, a magazine article, or even a simple slideshow can't convey these important subjects as easily, interactively, and intuitively as this training.

Includes these lessons:
• How To Get The Most From This Training
• NTSB Statistics
• Cockpit Management
• Night Flight
• Traffic Patterns 101
• Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
• Ground Effect
• Crosswind Takeoffs
• Soft-Field Takeoffs
• Short-Field Takeoffs
• Stabilized Approaches
• Crosswind Landings
• Short-Field Landings
• Soft-Field Landings
• Forward Slip To A Landing
• Go-Arounds/Rejected Landings
• The Power Curve
• Slow Flight
• Stall Basics
• Power-Off Stalls
• Power-On Stalls
• Final Exam