Definition
A category in aviation instruction referring to the distinct methods by which a learner repeats and refines a skill during training. The Aviation Instructor's Handbook identifies three main types: deliberate practice (focused, goal-directed repetition aimed at improving specific weaknesses with feedback), blocked practice (repeating the same task many times in a row in the same way), and random practice (mixing different tasks and conditions during a session). Each type produces different learning outcomes and is selected by the instructor based on the learner's stage and goal.
Plain English
The different ways a student can practice a flying skill. Some methods involve repeating the same thing over and over, others mix tasks together, and others focus tightly on fixing specific weaknesses. The instructor chooses which type to use depending on what the student needs.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor training when planning how a student will practice maneuvers, procedures, or decision-making during a lesson.
Why Pilots Care
Choosing the right type of practice reduces training time, improves retention of maneuvers, and lowers the chance of skill decay during actual flight operations.
Intuition Check
Do not assume practice just means doing the same thing many times. In this FAA training context, practice means repeated performance arranged in a specific way to improve learning.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor varied the types of practice during the lesson, alternating between steep turns, slow flight, and stalls instead of repeating each maneuver in long blocks.
Example Sentence 2
Random practice helped the student learn to switch quickly between steep turns and slow flight during the lesson.