Flying High: Are Advanced Pilot Performance Courses Worth It?

Keep flying high through challenging conditions.

Photo by DC Studio

For many people, learning to fly is a dream come true. When you’ve passed your tests and finally earned your pilot’s license, it’s a big achievement.

You can now take to the skies, flying high among the clouds.

But after you get your license, the learning does not have to stop. There is still the advanced pilot performance course, classes that are made to make you a better, sharper, and safer pilot, teaching you skills beyond what is necessary for acquiring the basic license.

But are these courses really worth the time and money?

What Is an Advanced Pilot Performance Course?

First, let’s talk about what these courses actually are. When you get your private pilot license, you learn the rules of flying, how to take off, fly around, and land. You also learn basic safety.

An advanced course takes you much further.

Getting the basics of flying is a lot like learning how to drive a car. Getting your license means you know the rules of the road. But an advanced driving course teaches you how to handle a car in a storm, or what to do if the brakes fail on ice. It is about handling the more difficult situations.

In an advanced pilot performance course, you spend time in the air and on the ground. You learn how to handle emergencies, practice flying the plane when you cannot see well, and trust your instruments when the weather is bad. These courses focus on precision. They want you to control the plane perfectly, not just “good enough.”

Keep flying high through challenging conditions.

Photo by wirestock

The Pros: Why You Should Take the Course

There are many good reasons to sign up for more training. Let’s look at the biggest benefits of this type of education.

You Become a Safer Pilot

Safety is the number one reason to take an advanced course. Basic training teaches you what to do in normal situations, while advanced training teaches you what to do when things go wrong.

You learn how to recover from a stall and how to fly the plane if you get confused about which way is up. There is practice for when engine failures occur.

By practicing these scary events on the ground with an instructor, you are ready if they ever happen for real. This peace of mind is priceless when you are on a long cruising level flight with your family.

You Learn to Navigate through Clouds

The weather, for obvious reasons, will always be a perennial issue for pilots and planes. Clouds can hide mountains. Rain can make it hard to see. In an advanced course, you learn cloud navigation, which means you learn how to fly using only the instruments on your dashboard.

This is a huge skill because it means you are not trapped by bad weather.

You can safely fly through clouds and fog, knowing exactly where you are and where you are going. This skill keeps your skyward journey on track, no matter the weather.

You Master Aerial Maneuvers

Flying straight and level is easy. But can you turn the plane exactly 90 degrees? Can you climb at the perfect speed?

In these courses, you practice specific aerial maneuvers like steep turns, slow flight, and emergency descents.

Doing these moves over and over helps your body feel the plane as an extension of your body. You learn the limits of the plane and your own limits.

This makes you a smooth, confident pilot. When you are flying high, you want to know you have total control.

The Cons: The Downsides to Consider

Of course, these courses are not perfect for everyone. There are some real downsides to think about before you sign up.

You Will Bear a Financial Burden

This is the biggest barrier for most pilots who want to learn more. Advanced training is not cheap. And in most cases, you’re the one who has to pay for the plane, the fuel, and the instructor’s time.

On average, advanced courses can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For pilots who only fly for fun on sunny weekends, this can be hard to afford.

You have to ask yourself if the cost is worth the skills you gain.

You Will Take a Lot of Time

Besides money, you are going to have to give a lot of time. These courses are intense and often require several days or weeks of study and flying. You might have to take time off work, study books and manuals at home. It is a real commitment you have to make a lot of sacrifices for.

If you have a busy job and a family, finding this much time can be very hard.

You Will Be Constantly Stressed

Learning new, hard things is stressful. Some pilots find the training very intense. The instructor is watching your every move while you are practicing stalls and emergency procedures. Your heart rate goes up constantly.

For some people, this stress takes the fun out of flying for a while.

It is important to remember that this stress is normal and part of the learning process.

You Might Not Need It

Some pilots fly very simply, staying close to their home airport and only flying on clear, sunny days. Never flying at all during the night.

For these pilots, an advanced course might be more than they need.

Their basic training already covers everything they do.

They might not need to use the advanced skills enough to stay sharp. If you do not practice cloud navigation often, you might forget it.

Then, the training is not as useful.

Keep flying high through challenging conditions.

Photo by freepik

Is It Worth It for You?

For the pilot who wants to explore and take their plane to new places, the training is almost always worth it. Being an advanced pilot unlocks the ability to fly in more conditions, turning a fair-weather pilot into a pilot who can handle real challenges. Being able to handle aerial maneuvers with ease and navigate through clouds makes flying less of a hobby and more of a true skill.

Are you ready to stop just flying and start flying high with total confidence?

Get your copy of Joseph F. Olufowoshe’s *Sky Power* as soon as possible and start your journey to becoming the pilot you always wanted to be.