Definition
Instruction given by an authorized flight instructor in an aircraft (or approved flight simulator or flight training device) toward the goal of meeting the requirements for a pilot certificate, rating, endorsement, or proficiency check under the regulations.
Plain English
Lessons given by a certificated flight instructor that count toward earning a pilot certificate, rating, or endorsement. The hours are recorded in the student's logbook and signed by the instructor.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor endorsements, logbook entries, and certificate or rating requirements that specify what training a pilot must receive before being signed off.
Why Pilots Care
All FAA pilot certificates require documented flight training conducted by a certificated instructor; without proper endorsements and records, a pilot cannot legally exercise certificate privileges.
Intuition Check
Flight training does not mean any flying-related study, and it does not mean any time you fly by yourself. In this FAA context, it means instruction from an authorized instructor while in flight in an aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
Before her first solo, she completed several hours of flight training with her CFI on takeoffs, landings, and emergency procedures.
Example Sentence 2
Flight training includes both ground briefings on regulations and hands-on practice of maneuvers in the aircraft.