Definition
Flights conducted for the purpose of teaching a learner how to operate an aircraft, in which a flight instructor provides guidance, demonstration, and evaluation of the learner's piloting skills in an actual airborne environment.
Plain English
Flights flown specifically to teach someone how to fly, with an instructor on board guiding and assessing the student.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training discussions, especially when describing the instructor’s responsibilities before, during, and after a training flight.
Derivation
Instruction comes from a Latin word meaning to build or arrange. That helps here because instruction is not just talking; it is arranging a flight so the student builds skill step by step.
Why Pilots Care
These flights count toward certificate requirements, allow proper logging of dual instruction, and ensure training is conducted under appropriate supervision and authority.
Intuition Check
Do not read instructional flights as any flight where someone happens to give advice. Here it means a flight whose purpose is training, practice, demonstration, or evaluation.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor planned the instructional flight around steep turns and slow flight to address weaknesses identified in the previous lesson.
Example Sentence 2
Insurance requirements often specify that only instructional flights are covered when a student pilot is at the controls.