Definition
An instructional approach in which training is broken into a sequence of progressive steps, where each stage builds on the skills and knowledge mastered in the previous one before the learner moves on to the next.
Plain English
Teaching something step by step, with each step adding to what was already learned, instead of trying to teach everything at once.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor guidance about how to organize lessons, flight practice, ground instruction, and skill development for a student pilot.
Derivation
‘Successive’ comes from Latin succedere, meaning ‘to follow after.’ Each stage follows the one before it — not in random order, but in a deliberate progression where the earlier stage prepares the learner for the next.
Why Pilots Care
Skipping ahead or trying to learn complex tasks before mastering the basics leaves gaps that show up later as confusion, hesitation, or unsafe performance. Building skills in order is how pilots reach competence reliably.
Analogy
It is like learning to drive a car: first you learn the controls, then you practice slow movement, then turns, then traffic. Each step makes the next one easier and safer.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as simply “more lessons in a row.” In this FAA training context, it means a planned order where each step prepares the student for the next one.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor planned the syllabus in successive stages of training, starting with straight-and-level flight before introducing turns, climbs, and descents.
Example Sentence 2
By following successive stages of training, the student pilot progressed from ground reference maneuvers to traffic pattern operations without becoming overwhelmed.