Aviation for beginners

What you will learn

Aviation from zero, along one flight from Frankfurt to London: what flies, the words pilots use, airports, the radio, weather, rules, instruments, licences and the human side, one small step at a time.

Who this course is for

• Anyone without an aviation background
• Future student pilots before their first lesson
• Flight-sim beginners who want to understand what they hear
• Aviation fans who want to know how flying works

Course content

12 video lections · 48 videos · 1 h 51 min

1. 1

   What flies, and how

   6 videos · 14 min

   Balloons, gliders, helicopters and aeroplanes: how each one stays up and how a pilot steers.

   • Everything that flies Free

     The course opens with the flight that runs through it: an Airbus A320 from Frankfurt to London Heathrow. Then you meet the word aircraft and the two families of everything that flies, from balloons to drones.

     2:13

   • How an aeroplane stays up

     Why a heavy aeroplane stays in the air: the wing makes lift, the engine makes thrust, and four forces balance. You also see what a stall really is, and why it has nothing to do with the engine.

     2:18

   • Helicopters, gliders and balloons

     You see how a helicopter hovers on its rotor, how a glider gets up high and climbs in thermals, and how a hot-air balloon rises on its burner and drifts with the wind.

     2:05

   • How a pilot steers

     The three ways an aeroplane moves and the controls that make them: column, pedals, elevator, ailerons and rudder. You also learn how a turn works, what the throttle and flaps do, and how a helicopter is flown.

     2:39

   • From two-seater to jumbo jet

     The aeroplane family drawn to scale, from an ultralight to the 575-tonne Airbus A380: piston, turboprop and jet, high and low wings, nose and tail wheels. You also see why small aeroplanes keep away from big ones.

     2:43

   • Who flies, and why

     Who flies, and why: commercial air transport like our flight to London, general aviation, aerial work, sport, rescue and the state. You also meet the people: pilots, flight instructors, air traffic controllers and mechanics.

     1:46
2. 2

   Pilot numbers

   2 videos · 4 min

   The units and directions every pilot uses: feet, knots, nautical miles and headings.

   • Feet, knots and nautical miles

     The units pilots use for height, distance, speed and air pressure, and where the odd ones come from. You also see what stays metric, just like at home.

     2:06

   • North, headings and the clock

     How pilots describe directions: a circle of 360 degrees from north, the heading as where the nose points, and the clock code for other aircraft. You hear Linz turn an aircraft onto heading 090 and call out traffic at 2 o'clock.

     1:36
3. 3

   Airports and airfields

   5 videos · 10 min

   Every kind of place an aircraft takes off from, and the runways, taxiways, signs and circuits you find there.

   • Airport, airfield, heliport

     Aerodrome is the one word for every place aircraft take off from, from Vienna airport to a grass strip, a heliport or a mountain altiport. You learn the four-letter codes, LOWL for Linz, and what a tower changes.

     2:12

   • The runway

     What the number at each end of a runway means, such as 08 and 26 at Linz, and how parallel runways get L, C and R. You also read the markings and lights, and learn why aircraft take off and land into the wind.

     2:00

   • Taxiways, apron and signs

     How an aircraft gets from its parking spot to the runway: the apron, the lettered taxiways, the holding point where you stop, and the three kinds of sign. You also learn to read the windsock.

     1:52

   • Where helicopters land

     Helicopters need only a small square: heliports and helipads, the big H and the hospital's red H, the FATO and the touchdown pad, and pads on roofs, rigs and ships. You also see how countries differ on landing anywhere else.

     1:50

   • The traffic circuit

     At small airfields, aeroplanes fly the same racetrack around the runway, so everyone knows where to look. You fly it once, leg by leg, and learn which way it turns and how high it is flown.

     1:47
4. 4

   Who helps pilots

   3 videos · 7 min

   The people on the other end of the radio, the invisible airspace they look after, and how radar sees you.

   • The people on the radio

     Who air traffic control is and what a clearance means. You follow an airliner from the gate through Delivery, Ground, Tower, Approach and Centre, and back down the same chain, then see why at Linz the Tower does it all.

     2:38

   • Invisible roads in the sky

     The sky is divided into blocks of airspace, stacked like the floors of a building, each with its own rules. You learn controlled and uncontrolled airspace, the classes A to G, the control zone around an airport, and the areas to avoid.

     2:20

   • How ATC sees you

     How radar finds an aircraft with a signal and its echo, and what the transponder adds: a four-digit code and the height. You learn what squawk means, the code for flying by sight, and the three emergency codes.

     1:49
5. 5

   The radio

   4 videos · 8 min

   The aircraft radio and its frequencies, the spelling alphabet, how numbers are said, and how aircraft are called.

   • The radio and its frequencies

     How the aircraft radio works: each station on its own frequency in the airband from 118 to 137 MHz, press to talk, and one voice at a time. You learn why you listen first, and which frequency is for emergencies everywhere.

     2:15

   • The ICAO alphabet

     The spelling alphabet pilots use on the radio, from Alfa to Zulu. You hear all 26 code words, why Alfa and Juliett are spelled that way, and the three digits that sound different on the radio.

     1:25

   • Saying numbers the radio way

     How pilots say numbers on the radio so nothing gets misheard: digit by digit, tree, fife and niner, heights in thousands and hundreds, and decimal for the dot in a frequency.

     1:59

   • Callsigns: who is who on the radio

     The registration is an aircraft's number plate, with the country letters first. You learn how it is spelled as a callsign, how an airline flight like DLH123 becomes Lufthansa one two tree on the radio, and when a callsign may get shorter.

     2:28
6. 6

   Talking on the radio

   3 videos · 10 min

   How a radio call is built, the words everybody uses, and one traffic circuit at Linz to listen along.

   • How a radio call is built

     Every first radio call has the same four parts, just like a phone call. You hear D-EFGH ask Linz Tower for taxi, and learn how the answer comes back and what you read back.

     2:20

   • Roger, wilco and friends

     The handful of fixed radio words every pilot uses, each with exactly one meaning: roger, wilco, affirm, negative, say again, standby and correction. You also learn why cleared belongs to ATC, and why nobody says over and out.

     2:51

   • Listen along: a short flight

     Listen along as D-EFGH flies one traffic circuit at Linz: the ATIS, the taxi call, the holding point, take-off, the circuit reports, the landing clearance, vacating the runway and the taxi back. Every call is explained in plain words as it happens.

     4:42
7. 7

   Weather

   6 videos · 13 min

   Air, pressure and wind, clouds and visibility, how the wind picks the runway, where pilots get the weather and which weather keeps them on the ground.

   • Air, pressure and wind

     Weather starts with the air: air pressure, highs and lows, why the wind blows and how its direction is named. You also see how much colder it gets higher up, and how the dew point makes clouds.

     2:49

   • Clouds and visibility

     The four cloud families, the cloud base, how much of the sky is covered in eighths, and how far you can see. For pilots who fly by looking outside, these decide whether a flight can go.

     2:03

   • Wind and the runway

     Why a headwind helps and a tailwind hurts, and how the wind picks the runway: at Linz, 26 or 08. You also learn crosswind and gusts, read the windsock, and hear the wind the way Tower says it.

     2:32

   • UTC and Zulu time

     Why every time in aviation is given in UTC, what the Z in a weather report means, and how to turn Zulu time into local time in Frankfurt, in summer and in winter.

     1:02

   • Weather reports made simple

     The METAR is the weather now, the TAF the forecast, and the ATIS reads it out at the airport. You decode a METAR from Linz piece by piece, and learn where pilots find them.

     2:26

   • Weather that keeps you on the ground

     The weather that keeps every pilot on the ground: thunderstorms, icing, low cloud and fog, turbulence and mountain wind. You learn why each one is dangerous, and the golden rule: when in doubt, stay on the ground.

     2:14
8. 8

   Rules of the air

   4 videos · 10 min

   Why your senses fail in cloud, flying by sight or by instruments, who gives way to whom, and how high is high.

   • When your senses lie

     Why your body can fool you in flight: the inner ear only feels changes, so in cloud you can bank without noticing. You see the leans, take-off and runway illusions, and a test that shows why pilots trust the instruments.

     2:42

   • Flying by sight or by instruments

     Every flight follows one of two sets of rules: VFR, flying by looking outside, or IFR, flying by the instruments, also in cloud. You see the weather VFR needs in Europe, and that airliners almost always fly IFR.

     2:06

   • Who gives way

     When two aircraft meet, the rules say who gives way: head-on, converging and overtaking, seen from above. You learn to read the navigation lights at night, and why landing aircraft and balloons go first.

     2:25

   • How high am I?

     How the altimeter turns air pressure into feet, height versus altitude, and the QNH setting. You learn flight levels, the transition altitude that differs between Austria and Germany, and how low a flight by sight may go.

     2:24
9. 9

   Instruments and calculations

   5 videos · 12 min

   The instruments in the cockpit, how pilots find their way, and the sums every flight needs: time, fuel and weight.

   • The six basic instruments

     The six round instruments in front of every pilot, what each one shows, and how they move together in a turn. You also meet the compass, the engine instruments and the glass cockpit, which shows the same on a screen.

     2:33

   • How pilots find their way

     How pilots find their way: the aeronautical chart, a course line from Linz to Wels, landmarks along the way, and a heading flown for so many minutes. You also meet the VOR and GPS, and why the paper chart still comes along.

     2:15

   • Speed, distance and time

     How long a flight takes, with the same sum as in a car: distance is speed times time. You learn the 60 kt trick, how the wind turns airspeed into ground speed, and work through an example with a headwind.

     2:09

   • How much fuel?

     Which fuel an aircraft burns, how much a Cessna 172 uses in an hour, and why airliners count fuel in kilograms. You learn the reserve the European rules ask for, and add up the fuel for a short trip.

     2:33

   • Weight and balance

     Every aircraft has a maximum take-off weight, and a centre of gravity that must stay in a small window. You add up four adults and full tanks in a Cessna 172, and see what has to stay on the ground.

     2:34
10. 10

    Law, licences and safety

    5 videos · 11 min

    Who makes the rules, which licences exist, the papers on board, and the habits and calls that keep flying safe.

    • Who makes the rules

      Who writes the rules of flying: ICAO for the world, EASA for Europe, the FAA for the USA, and national authorities like Austro Control. You also meet the AIP, a country's aviation handbook, and the NOTAMs that bring the changes.

      2:17

    • Pilot licences

      The licence ladder from the LAPL and PPL to the CPL and ATPL, and the licences for gliders, balloons, helicopters and ultralights. You also learn about the medical, ratings, the radio licence and English, and where countries differ.

      2:40

    • Papers on board

      The papers every flight carries: the aircraft's certificates, flight manual and journey log, and your licence, medical and photo ID. You also learn when a flight plan is needed, as for IFR or across a border, and what your logbook is for.

      2:11

    • Staying safe: checklists and emergencies

      The habits that keep flying safe: checklists, the walkaround and the passenger briefing. You learn what to do first when something goes wrong, and where help comes from: 121.500, squawk 7700 and the emergency locator transmitter.

      2:13

    • Mayday

      The distress call: what mayday means, how it differs from pan-pan, and how the call is built. You hear a full mayday, and learn what comes next: squawk 7700 and, if nobody answers, a call on 121.500.

      1:15
11. 11

    The human in the cockpit

    3 videos · 8 min

    What thin air does, when you are fit to fly, and how good pilots decide.

    • Thin air

      What thin air does to your body: less oxygen higher up, and hypoxia, which creeps up unnoticed. You learn when pilots need extra oxygen, why an airliner's cabin is pressurised, and why a cold or a dive keeps you on the ground.

      2:32

    • Fit to fly?

      The I'M SAFE check pilots run on themselves before every flight: illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue and emotion. You see the alcohol limits from the strictest country to the most lenient, and why sleep matters as much.

      2:24

    • Good decisions

      Most accidents start with people, not with broken parts. You learn to keep a plan B, spot get-there-itis, set personal minimums on the ground, speak up as a team, and catch small mistakes before they add up.

      2:35
12. 12

    Putting it all together

    2 videos · 6 min

    One whole flight from Linz to Wels, from the briefing to the logbook, and how to become a pilot.

    • Linz to Wels, start to finish

      D-EFGH's whole flight from Linz to Wels, from the weather and NOTAMs at home to the logbook. Every step, from the sums and the walkaround to the radio calls and the landing at Wels, points back to the lection that taught it.

      4:47

    • Where to go from here

      How to start flying for real, from a trial flight and a flight school to the medical, the exams and the check flight. You also see where LearnATC takes you next: the VFR and IFR courses, the simulator and the trainers.

      1:17