I remember when my middle biological child, Joshua, was younger. He would latch on to a specific topic and want to learn everything he could about that subject. It was almost like he would become a little genius in that field. You would never know when his interests would change but eventually they would and he would move on to something else but his fascination with that topic still wouldn’t stop. For a while one of his interests was helicopters. He wanted to know everything he could about them. We watched videos, read books, looked them up on the computer, and traveled to where ever there was an actual helicopter display. He couldn’t learn enough about helicopters.
I really wish that Doctor Aviation had been around at that time. I think that he would have really soaked this Aviation Video Training course up! However, God always has a plan. He knew back then that, although Joshua may someday take this course as well, there was another child that would enter our life that needed this course at this particular time. Six months ago, three awesome brothers came to live with us as foster children and, wouldn’t you know it, the oldest, David, wants to go into the Air Force to learn how to fly. We don’t know how long the boys will be in our lives but we do know that God sent this course to us at just the right time. David and I have had a blast working through this together.
But, I haven’t even told you what this course is all about! Well, let me tell you that it is amazing! It is taught by an equally amazing man by the name of Daryl Smith who is a retired Air Force Pilot, who has flown numerous types of aircraft, was stationed all over the world and even taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. He calls himself Doctor Aviation and for good reason. He is knows everything about aviation and is an excellent teacher. It’s amazing how he can take complicated information, put it in bite sized pieces and explain it in such a way that, although this course is recommended for ages 16 and up, even younger kids can comprehend. As I mentioned, the material is comprehensive. The first session/section is just introductive (it’s also free on the website if you want to check it out) but after that you get into the meat of the material. After that there are five more sections.
Section 2 is entitled “The Aircraft” and has four sessions that cover the basics of all aircraft such as The Major Components of an Airplane, Axes and Forces, Why and Aircraft Flies, Why and Aircraft Turns, Pitches, and Slides.
Section 3 is called “Air Traffic Control” and these two sessions have to do with Radar and How Air Traffic Control Works.
Section 4 is “Aircraft Maintenance” and talks about how to maintain Propeller Engines and Jet Engines in its two sessions.
Section 5’s two lessons cover “Airfield Operations” in Small Airports and Large Airports.
Finally, Section 6 goes more in depth and is called “The Aircraft II”. It talks about Flying in the Clear and Not So Clear, Important Pilot Instruments such as Attitude Indicator and Airspeed Indicator, and then talks about other Aviation Ships such as Gliders, Helicopters and Other Airships.
Each session contains a video that is approximately an hour long and each video has three sections in it – Technical Trivia, Notable Innovators and Legendary Aircraft/Events. There are also worksheets that can be downloaded and used to take notes and a downloadable section that contains more resources if you want to learn something more about a topic that has been talked about. These extra resources include, videos, websites, and a list of suggested reading material such as biographies and historical books.
You can also take this course for credit and their are tests and answer keys that can be used if wanted.
David and I have been taking this course together and have loved it. Not only have we learned a lot but we have enjoyed spending time with each other. The Notable Innovator and Legendary Aircraft/Events sections have been fascinating and we have learned so much about airplanes in just the few lessons that we have completed so far. We can’t wait to delve into the lessons even more.
Here’s what David says about Doctor Aviation:
“It is very good. I liked learning about Chuck Yeager and the Wright Brothers. I also enjoyed learning tidbits of information like how the Ford Mustang got it’s name from the Mustang plane. He is really good at teaching the information and helping you understand the things being taught.”
As you can see we are really impressed with Doctor Aviation and the Aviation Video Training course. I highly recommend it to any family that has an interest in in airplanes. To find out more just click on any one of the highlighted links above. You can also read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew had to say by clicking on the banner below. Many of them used it with young children or used it for credit and you can find some great information from their reviews. Finally, you can click on the social media links below to find information more information as well. Happy Flying!
Social Media Links:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctoraviation Tag: @doctoraviation
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/draviationguy Tag: @draviationguy
