In this hands-on course, we will explore the fundamental concepts of aerial navigation that all pilots learn during their initial training. Using the Federal Aviation Administration's Private Pilot Certificate general knowledge base, learners will become familiar with the tools pilot's use to plan a flight, the mathematical equations used to calculate flight time, distance, speed and fuel required, the geological concepts of true north, magnetic north, magnetic variation, latitude and longitude, and much more. The course is highly interactive and will progress in a building-block approach, applying concepts to realistic scenarios along the way. It will culminate in applying all course concepts to the planning of a cross-country flight, and we will use a free, browser-based (no download needed) flight simulator to fly the flight and see if our calculations get us to our destination!

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Week 1: Introduction, lattitude/longitude, the magnetic compass, determining a course
Week 2: Magnetic north, magnetic variation, magnetic course, compass deviation
Week 3: The effects of wind, basic calculations for navigation
Week 4: Pilotage and dead reckoning
Week 5: Plan a cross country flight
Week 6: Fly the flight in a simulator!