This Course

Situational Awareness, is the first course in a series, the "Art of Flying IFR" by Doug Stewart.  It serves as a comprehensive overview of the subject matter that Doug will cover in greater detail in subesequent courses.

It also provides an introduction to a new way of training learn / do / fly.  partners. hands-on access to training.

It's also acommunity.

Community Aviation

At Community Aviation we believe flying an airplane is serious business.  And we know that the more frequently we fly the better we perform as pilots.

We're insprired by a deep personal belief in the effectiveness of flight simulation training and its proven impact on pilot proficiency.  We also believe that the benefit of simulator instruction is dramatically enhanced when used in context with scenario-based training methods.

We believe there is a rich community of experienced instructors and educators who, due to geography, have been unreachable to many of us - until now.  We are also fortunate to have many friends in the industry that are doing some amazing work and offer aviators tremendous products and services.

We're linking these elements together for a seamless experience of learning, doing and flying.  Because we also believe that doing all of this within the context of a community can be immensely rewarding and fun.  

Welcome to the conversation.

Doug Stewart 

During the production of this course I've come to know our instructor and educator Doug Stewart.  He is an incredible pilot and an amazing person.  Doug has dedicated his life to aviation - amassing of flying hours, teaching people to be safe pilots, driving innovative training methods and leading important industry initiatives.  

I hope you take advantage of the opportunity to meet Doug and get to know him as I have.  But first some fun facts you might not get from Doug right away:  he is a gifted musician, his mother was a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, his father the owner of a New York advertising agency.  Doug's brother is also a pilot.

Doug has played the trumpet at the "Whiskey A Go Go", lived at an ashram owned by Carlos Santana, survived a plane crash, reared some wonderful children, awakened an industry and delivered the gift of flight to countless pilots.  

Thank you Doug.   

Billy Winburn - President, Community Aviation.  Alexandria, VA  February 2017 

Orientation

Think of this course as three parts:  video that can be accessed on demand and from any device with a browser, workbooks with complementary subject matter and resources to augment your experience and a community where you can meet Doug, other experts and fellow learners.

You can also think of the course as an ongoing conversation between and among us.  It will never stop growing nor expire.

The course dashboard or home page features a progress circle for getting started, working your way through the lesson content and flying the course scenario. Complete the green circles.

Startup Checklist

The primary inspiration for this course design stems from a deep personal belief in the power of flight simulation training and its positive impact on pilot proficiency.  We also believe that the effectiveness of simulation training is dramatically enhanced when used in context with knowledge and scenario-based components.

Think of this course as three parts:  video that can be accessed on demand and from any device with a browser, workbooks with complementary subject matter and resources to augment your experience and a community where you can meet Doug, other experts and fellow learners.

You can also think of the course as an ongoing conversation between and among us.  It will never stop growing nor expire.

The course dashboard or home page features a progress circle for getting started, working your way through the lesson content and flying the course scenario. Complete the green circles.

Course Components

Dashboard - think of this as your course home page.  Record and track your progress on your initial checklist, lesson plans and scenario flight.  You can return here from any location simply by clicking on the orange button near the top of the page.

Lessons - the course consists of six lessons, including a scenario.  Each of these sections includes VIDEO on demand, SUPPORTING MATERIALS, relevant RESOURCES and pertinent COMMUNITY content.

Scenario - we've chosen a scenario flight in southern California airspace to take advantage of the ATC service from PilotEdge.  In Lesson 6. you can watch Doug fly it and then avail yourself of the resources there and do it yourself.  Fly it on your home PC or at your flight school on a more advanced training device.  

The three progress steps for the scenario are:  1. fly it on your own, 2. fly it on the PilotEdge network and 3. record your flight and upload it into CloudAhoy for debriefing and evaluation.

Community Forums - these areas are opportunities for us to connect with Doug, other experts and each other.  Our primary forum is the SLACK channel #art-flying-ifr.  But you can also  join the course Facebook Group, look out for webinar events and take advantage of opportunities to meet Doug online or at industry events.  More coming soon...

Learn-Do-Fly ™

The basic three levels of cognitive learning are Memorization, Understanding and Application.  These track with our Learn-Do-Fly ™ sequence:

Learn - we can learn a great deal from Doug in this course simply by watching the lesson and scenario videos and reviewing the supporting materials.  This is akin to the initial level of cognitive learning.

Do - we can advance to a higher level of learning by flying the scenario ourselves.  By doing what we've learned we can better understand Doug's 'how' and 'why' of flying.

Fly - finally we can connect theory to practice by applying what we've learned to a real situation.  This can be done in an airplane or in a simulation device under the supervision of an instructor or virtual controller.

PilotEdge - virtual ATC

PilotEdge provides the realism of air traffic control to flight simulation.  But it contributes more to the learning environment than just virtual ATC services.  You’re on stage.  What you say, how you fly and the choices you make matter when you’re on the network.  

The controller is not just providing traffic separation;  like it or not, he is watching your flight.  Real outcomes are a collective cure for a lack of experience and so it goes that the more realistic the scenario, the greater the impact on the learning.  

Accordingly, the use of a virtual ATC service like PilotEdge provides the pilot with a more rewarding training event.  Learn more about using PilotEdge to fly the course scenario.     www.pilotedge.net

CloudAhoy - flight debriefing & evaluation

CloudAhoy is a personal flight debriefing tool that can be used as effectively with simulation software as it does in the airplane.  

CloudAhoy generates a multi-dimensional record, or flight file, that you can use to evaluate your scenario flight by comparing your path with the proper course.  

You can choose to keep records to yourself, share files with Doug on the community Slack channel, your local instructor or on the course Facebook Group with fellow learners.  Learn more about how to record your flight on CloudAhoy.   www.cloudahoy.com

Mindstar Aviation - simulator avionics & tools

Mindstar Aviation develops software for aircraft systems and avionics used in professional and home-use flight simulation devices using Lockheed Prepar3D or Microsoft FSX.  Their product line includes the G1000, GNS 430/530, Avidyne Entegra, KAP-140 and more advanced units.

Mindstar also offers a free tool for course community members called GPS-VR.  This allows you to connect your flight simulator to Foreflight which in turn can generate data for CloudAhoy.  

Learn more at www.mindstaraviation.com

RealNav Navigation Data - data for simulators

RealNav is a database built upon the navigation data produced by aviation authorities worldwide, and gathered by Lufthansa Systems. 

It contains current real-world global information about airports, runways, enroute and terminal waypoints, VHF navaids,  airways, instrument approaches (including WAAS), departure procedures (SIDs), arrival procedures (STARs), and airspace frequencies.

You can use RealNav Data on your home or professional simulation device.  Learn more at www.realnavdata.com.