Review – Doctor Aviation

Aviation is a big part of the culture in my area. In the county next to mine there is a large Air Force base and we are friends with several families stationed there. The local farmers use aerial spraying to manage their crops. In fact, I have an airport so close to my house that at night I can see the lights from it. Flying has always fascinated me. Just the thought that human beings have the ability to soar through the air like the birds always makes my breath catch. I still remember the nervousness and excitement of my first airplane ride as a teenager. Every single time I fly, I can’t keep from grinning, although I do try to refrain from giggling. It’s just so amazing! Well, now I have been even more amazed as I’ve been learning aviation history with Doctor Aviation.

I have a deep love for learning new things and I’m always eager to explore new areas of study. That’s why I was so excited to get the opportunity to check out the online video training taught by Daryl Smith, a former Air Force pilot and instructor at the United States Air Force Academy.

Even though I’m the one doing the work for this review, my boys didn’t want to miss out on all the fun, so we are watching the video lessons together and we’ve all been mesmerized by aviation.

Each of the 15 lessons is comprised of a video that is on average an hour long, action steps to take to enrich the learning experience, and additional resources that include a printable set of guided notes to fill out during the video and a list of books, websites, videos, and more to continue learning more about the topics discussed.

There are 5 main divisions to the lessons: The Aircraft, Air Traffic Control, Maintenance, Airfield Operations, and The Aircraft Part II. Each lesson builds upon the previous ones to explain all aspects of aviation.

I really like how Doctor Aviation divides up each lesson. The first section is the Technical Trivia. In this part, we learn the nuts and bolts of different aircraft, technical terms, why an aircraft flies, the secrets of radar, how airports work, and so much more. There’s a lot of information here and the guided notes are super helpful to keep it all manageable.

The next section is Notable Innovators where we meet the Wright brothers, Chuck Yeager, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and many more. I’m using the list of books that are provided to dig deeper into the lives of these interesting characters. I’m especially looking forward to reading more about Amelia Earhart.

The final section of the videos is Legendary Events. This is where we learn about special aviation events like the first flight, how the sound barrier was broken, and Earhart’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe. The details of these incredible events are spine-tingling when you stop to consider how dangerous each one was. The pioneers of flight were courageous and probably a little crazy, but we owe them a debt of thanks and gratitude for their determination to do the unthinkable.

I’m really enjoying this aviation education from Doctor Aviation!

This course can be used for high school credit if you have an interested student. Click the button below to check out other reviewers who are using this amazing program!