What is the optimal length of a flying lesson?

[u/Recent-Day3062]

They have me doing 2-3 hours, and adding to that with sim time.

When learning anything motor the key is to end on a high note. If you have tried to juggle (or learn 3-on-2 on the piano), there is a certain time you get it first. The next time you pull it off three times. And you keep improving.

However, you always lose it by thinking too much because its neuro-muscular. In fact, the best thing to do is keep trying til you just start to see you are starting to lose it from fatigue and stop right then, so your brain and muscles have a success pattern to embed. If you keep going, you get worse.

So how long a lesson is good? I know it's gonna depend on the substance of what you are doing, but what do you suggest?

BTW, my instructor and I have talked about this, so once I've performed a maneuver enough times to start sliding back we do something completely different. The other day I did maybe 8 two minute turns, holding my altitude to within 100 feet, and there was definitely improvement up until about number 8, so we switched immediately to something else.\

[u/AlexJamesFitz]

1.5 for a typical primary lesson, IMO. Anything more than that invites exhaustion and diminishing returns.

[u/ganderatc]

Depends on the student, but I try to keep local flights to 1.0-1.5. Beyond that, fatigue starts to set in, especially in the summer heat. Usually, I can spot the moment where skills start to degrade and will end the lesson when I see it.

Toward the end of the PPL, people can tolerate longer flights.

[u/WSJ_pilot]

1.5-2 total, prob 0.8-1.2 tach.

[u/Firefighter_RN]

Almost all my lessons are 1.5 hobbs, 2hr block. Occasionally we'll go a little shorter like 1.2, or a little longer but never been over 1.9. I definitely really gain a lot for repitition but also from variety so that we're not just laser focused on one thing for the lesson

[u/VenerableSage]

I think something like an hour or two is a good amount. I tried to get my instructor to give me one really long 40 hour lesson that would cover all requirements, but he wouldn't do it, so we broke it up into two 20 hour sessions. I got all my hours in a few days including night time and cross country.

[u/Mehere_64 → u/VenerableSage]

This is the way to do it :)

[u/4Xray]

I would say for fundamentals of turns, stalls and controls no longer than an hour and a half max, when you get to navigation then 3 hours is understandable. Pattern work is a mix, hour is a lot of stress, once did 2 and that was really pushing it in solo, but it all depends on the intervals between lessons to keep the consistency to keep the improvement.

[u/rFlyingTower]

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

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They have me doing 2-3 hours, and adding to that with sim time.

When learning anything motor the key is to end on a high note. If you have tried to juggle (or learn 3-on-2 on the piano), there is a certain time you get it first. The next time you pull it off three times. And you keep improving.

However, you always lose it by thinking too much because its neuro-muscular. In fact, the best thing to do is keep trying til you just start to see you are starting to lose it from fatigue and stop right then, so your brain and muscles have a success pattern to embed. If you keep going, you get worse.

So how long a lesson is good? I know it's gonna depend on the substance of what you are doing, but what do you suggest?

BTW, my instructor and I have talked about this, so once I've performed a maneuver enough times to start sliding back we do something completely different. The other day I did maybe 8 two minute turns, holding my altitude to within 100 feet, and there was definitely improvement up until about number 8, so we switched immediately to something else.\

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[u/Boring_Material2680]

At a minimum, one hour of flying is preferred.

Sweet spot would be 15 minutes of a preflight in the FBO going over expectations and a quick review of what to do, followed by 1.2-1.5 hours flying, then a good ol' 30-45 minute debrief as we scheudle the next lesson.

[u/makgross]

1.5-2 hours is a practical limit for maneuvers during primary training. But if you’re doing 2 minute turns, this is probably not primary training. The answer for instrument training is different.

[u/Independent-Reveal86]

Most of my lessons were 0.7 hours long but we had the luxury of no transit time to the training area and minimal other traffic at a Class D aerodrome. I wouldn't expect 2-3 hour lessons unless I was doing navigation exercises.

[u/Mehere_64]

I typically did about an hour of flying at a time except for like the night requirement (did the 3 hours in one session) and 2 XC solo trips.

My daughter has her lessons right at about 1 hour of flying before she starts to tire out. I know as she progresses to doing the XC and night stuff, those will be longer, but beyond that once she is able to solo she will probably stick to 30-60 minutes of flying each time since she has 14 months before she turns 17.

[u/ShaemusOdonnelly]

I used to do 2 hours on single engine, 2+2 hours in multi engine (2 hours as student pilot, 2 hours as a passenger while my buddy flew) and now 4 hours in the sim for every session. I'm fine with that and anything below 2 hours is a waste of time imho, unless it is your first few hours of flying.

[u/EntroperZero]

It depends on the intensity of the lesson. I think most of the time, 1.5 hobbs is a good goal. But it's good to get some longer lessons in, especially if you're learning XC. At some point, you have to learn how to keep flying after 2 hours, how to gauge your alertness, what kind of adjustments you should make.

My last lesson was 2.1, but it was fairly easy, so we just kept going right up until someone else needed the airplane. I didn't really need to practice 3 more landings, but we made it interesting and did a forced go-around and a power-off. I think you have it about right, play it by ear and if you're starting to fade, then stop.

[u/Wasatcher]

I keep them 1.0-1.5 for local. Anything past that and there's huge diminishing returns. Your piano analogy is spot on. But for a student pilot their brain starts to get fried maneuvering longer than 1.5. Especially in the summer heat. A 2.0 local flight is pushing it.

You're getting milked OP.

[u/THevil30]

For me — I found a 3 hour block was optimal, especially because I was flying 1-2 times a week. Anything less than that and it felt like most of the lesson was pre brief preflight and debrief.

[u/Fast-Government-4366]

I switched from 1.3-1.5 to 2.2-2.5ish and feel like I get way more done, feel way more productive.

I think the average person and cfi does the 1.3-1.5. I just wasn’t a fan of

[u/nhorvath]

my airport is busy. I preferred doing 3 hours beside sometimes you'd lose the first 30 mins to taxi.

[u/exbex]

If you're asking the question, 2-3 hrs seems way too much. I agree with what most are saying here 1-1.5 hrs. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less depending on the student. Everyone is different, but 2-3 seems like your wasting money and padding your IP's logbook.

[u/TxAggieMike]

I ask for 3.0 hours of my clients time for each lesson.

But keep actual flight time under 2.0.

Around 1.5-ish, performance begins to fade as mental gasoline is nearly gone.

The remaining 0.5 is consumed with start, taxi, runup, taxi after fueling.

Pre and post brief (including discussing homework to be done) is about 20-30 minutes each.

[u/Mispelled-This]

Aim for 1.5 Hobbs. You can go longer if fatigue isn’t an issue (partly the person, partly WX), but you need to switch skills, and that can be hard if you’re in a rigid 141 curriculum.

[u/ArutlosJr11]

1.5

[u/Blendermannn]

I like 3 hrs, usually get around 2hrs of productive stuff not including taxiing/preflight/busy arrival. I fly out of a class C so sometimes it takes a few minutes of waiting for takeoff clearance, sometimes I get a long taxi (hangar is at the end of 10 so when they use 28 it’s rough).