EAA Chapter 17 Young Eagles Ground School Outline

1. Acknowledge sponsors: EAA 17, Host airport, etc.
2. State purpose: To give some idea of what to expect and what's going on.
3. Double-check everyone is registered.

1. Stay clear of the propeller! If magneto switch is broken, aircraft engines will run.
2. Touch... but be gentle. Aircraft are delicate and lovable creatures.

1. Science
2. Math
3. Map Reading Skills
4. English

1. Lighter-Than-Air
2. Airships
3. Gliders
4. Rotorcraft
5. Airplanes
6. Powered Lift

1. Sport Pilot: 17 years old, no medical certificate required (use drivers license), minimum of 20 hours of flight training to obtain the certificate, VFR only, carry no more than 1 passenger, may not receive compensation. Aircraft speed, size, and weight restrictions apply. e.g. Fly for fun.
2. Recreational Pilot: 17 years old, minimum of 30 hours of flight training to obtain the certificate, limited to a 50 nautical mile range, VFR only, carry no more than 1 passenger, may not receive compensation. Other restrictions apply. e.g. Fly for fun
3. Private Pilot: 17 years old, minimum of 40 hours of logged flight training to obtain the certificate, VFR only, may not receive compensation. Other restrictions apply. e.g. Personal use in good weather.
4. Instrument Rating: Private license required with a minimum of 125 hours of logged flight time. At least 50 hours of flight time must be cross-country time (not a local flight). Other restrictions apply. e.g. Fly in bad weather.
5. Commercial Pilot: 18 years old, Private license required with a minimum of 250 hours of logged flight time. Can fly for compensation or hire. Instrument rating not required, but restricts what you can do. e.g. Charter pilots
6. ATP (Airline Transport Pilot): Commercial license with instrument rating required, minimum of 1250 hours of logged flight time, 50 actual IMC. Can fly for compensation or hire. e.g. Airline pilots

1. What are the physical differences between an airplane and a car?
2. Airplane has wings; car doesn't
3. Different controls (controls enable the operator to change the state of the machine)
• Basic controls - car: steering wheel, gas pedal, brake pedal
• Basic controls - airplane: yoke/stick, throttle, rudder pedals
• What physical change does each control make?
4. Different instruments (instruments give the operator information about the state of the machine)
• Basic instruments - car: speedometer, water temp, oil pressure...
• Basic instruments - airplane flight: airspeed, altimeter, compass, turn & bank...
• Basic instruments - airplane engine: tachometer, oil temp, oil pressure...
5. What makes an airplane fly? (wing plus airspeed)
6. Why does a wing look like it does? (maximize lift, minimize drag.)
7. What does the pilot need to control? (speed, direction, altitude.)
8. How does the pilot control speed? (S/He uses the fore/aft motion of the stick. Forward makes the airplane go faster; backward makes it go slower.)
9. How does the pilot turn the airplane? (S/He uses the right left motion of the stick; this works because lift is always perpendicular to the wing -- Notice, birds do not have rudders. The rudder on an airplane compensates for bad wing aerodynamics and to steer the airplane on the ground.)
10. How does the pilot make the airplane go up and down? (S/He uses the throttle. -- Remember, the stick controls speed, not altitude! Compare to a car. If you want to go up a hill and maintain your speed, what must you do? If you want to go down a hill and not speed up, what must you do?)

1. Pre-flight inspection - SAFETY is always #1!
2. Get in airplane -- Do not get near propeller and fasten seat belt!
3. Engine run up -- check controls and engine function
4. Taxi and line up with runway
5. Full power... airplane accelerates to flying speed
6. Lift off at approximately 60 mph
7. Pilot uses stick to adjust climb speed (approx 80 mph)
8. At altitude pilot pushes forward on stick to speed aircraft up to cruise speed (approx 100-120 mph) and cuts back on power to stop climb
9. Pilot uses stick to change airplane's direction
10. To prepare for landing, pilot pulls back on stick to slow aircraft down (approx 80 mph) and reduces power to begin decent. Note: Stick goes back but airplane goes down
11. As aircraft gets closer to runway, pilot slows plane down more and more so that touchdown occurs at approx 60 mph
12. Taxi to ramp; shut down engine; remove seat belt; get out of airplane
13. Thank your pilot!

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