Intro to Aviation Course
Online Course
A flight-ready intro to aviation—real science, no pilot’s license required.
$365
Quantity:
Consumable
In a Curriculum Kit
Nonreligious
Online Course
Please note: Not all of this product is refundable. Please see Shipping & Returns Notes tab below for information.
2026 Eighth-Grade Curriculum Kit
Intro to Aviation Course
For students who have ever looked skyward and wondered how flight works, Introduction to Aviation provides a comprehensive introduction to the science, technology, and careers behind modern aviation. This online course combines STEM concepts with practical aviation knowledge, giving your teen an opportunity to explore one of the world's most dynamic industries.
Through 10 in-depth modules, students study aviation history, aerodynamics, navigation, weather, aircraft instruments, flight calculations, weight and balance, aircraft performance, and flight operations. Along the way, they'll learn to read aviation charts, perform preflight procedures, interpret weather information, and understand the principles that keep aircraft safely in the air.
One of the course's most engaging features is its use of flight simulation. Rather than simply reading about aviation concepts, students apply what they learn through guided simulator activities that reinforce real-world aviation skills and decision-making.
The course requires approximately 110–120 hours to complete, making it suitable for ¾ of a high school credit. In addition to technical instruction, students gain experience with critical thinking, problem-solving, mathematics, physics, and technology—skills that transfer well beyond aviation.
Nearly 30 interviews with aviation professionals provide valuable insight into careers throughout the industry, helping students understand the many opportunities available in fields such as piloting, maintenance, engineering, air traffic control, and aviation management.
Designed for independent learners, the course includes nearly everything students need to get started. (A joystick with a twist function is required for the flight simulator activities, enabling students to fully participate in the course's hands-on flight training components.)
Whether your teen dreams of becoming a pilot or simply wants a deeper understanding of how aviation works, Introduction to Aviation offers a practical, engaging, and career-connected look at the science of flight.
How to Use Introduction to Aviation with AV-STEM
- Begin by setting up the online course and flight simulator. A joystick with a twist function is required for the simulator activities and allows your student to participate fully in the hands-on flight training components of the course.
- Plan on spending 2–3 days per week working through the material. The course includes approximately 87 days of instruction and 110–120 hours of coursework, making it suitable for ¾ of a high school credit.
- Work through the modules in order. Students will build a foundation in aviation history, aerodynamics, navigation, weather, aircraft systems, flight planning, and aviation safety before applying those concepts in simulator activities.
- Encourage your student to take advantage of the flight simulator exercises. These activities reinforce key concepts and provide practical experience applying what he has learned in a realistic aviation environment.
- Don't skip the career interviews. Nearly 30 aviation professionals share insights into their careers, helping students explore opportunities in fields such as piloting, maintenance, engineering, air traffic control, and aviation management.
- Allow time for review and discussion. Many students find that aviation naturally connects concepts from physics, mathematics, technology, geography, and weather, making it an excellent opportunity to see STEM principles at work in a real-world setting.
By the end of the course, your student will have gained a broad understanding of aviation along with practical experience using many of the tools, concepts, and decision-making skills that pilots and aviation professionals use every day.
In the 2026 kits this course earns high school credit:
1 credit of Aviation
Elective · 8th grade · Classic and Non-Religious kits
High-school level work in a middle school kit.
View a Course Video Demo:
Click here to view the syllabus
Supplies included are:
- An aviation plotter
- E6B Flight computer (similar to a circular slide rule)
- The three aviation charts used in the course
- A walk-along glider
- A digital download X-Plane 11 flight simulator for Alaska
Please note:
Some supplies are non-refundable. Please contact us for details. The plotter, E6B, and aviation charts are all professional quality. The X-Plane 11 simulator is the best home simulator on the market. Because supplies are shipped directly from the publisher, they likely will use the same method (USPS Priority Mail), which may differ from the method you choose for your Timberdoodle order.
You will need to purchase:
A joystick. We recommend the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, if you can find it. If not, any joystick with a "twist function" will work.
System Requirements:
The course itself is online, so the only requirements are really a browser and access to the internet. One of the components, however, is the X-Plane 11 Flight Simulator. That is a program that you download for use in the course, and it does have system requirements.
X-Plane 11 Simulator System Requirements:
Given X-Plane's incredible capabilities and accuracy, it is not possible to run a current release of X‑Plane on an exceptionally old computer. A good rule of thumb is that any machine built in the last 18 to 24 months will probably be able to run the simulator acceptably. Computers up to about 36 months old may be fine if they were top-of-the-line machines when manufactured. Even if they weren't, X‑Plane may still be able to run, albeit with its rendering options turned down.
X-Plane 11 requires a computer with at least the following specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 CPU with 2 or more cores, or AMD equivalent. (Dual-core CPUs slower than 3 GHz should try the demo before purchasing.)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Video Card: a DirectX 11-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 1 GB VRAM
If your system is borderline, we encourage you to try the demo first. The full version of the simulator will perform exactly the same as the demo—neither better nor worse.
However, for the best experience, we recommend the following:
- CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K at 3.5 ghz or faster
- Memory: 16-24 GB RAM or more
- Video Card: a DirectX 12-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 4 GB VRAM (GeForce GTX 1070 or better or similar from AMD)
Supported Video Cards:
- NVIDIA: NVIDIA GeForce 600 or newer
- AMD: AMD HD7000 with GCN core or newer
- Intel: HD4000 or newer
- OS X: OS X 10.11 or newer (e.g. El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina)
- Windows: Windows 8 or 10, 64-bit
- Linux: Varies
- While X-Plane 11 will run on Linux, we don’t provide support for specific distributions; if you want to run on Linux, you will need to try X-Plane on your distribution to see if it is compatible. With that in mind, we have developers using Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 LTS successfully.
- For Linux, we require the proprietary driver from AMD or NVIDIA to run X-Plane. You may be able to get X-Plane to run on the Mesa/Gallium driver with an Intel GPU, but this is unsupported. We absolutely do not support the fully open source drivers for AMD and NVIDIA.
To find your computer's CPU speed and amount of RAM, Mac users can simply open the Apple Menu and click "About This Mac."
For Windows 8, 10, and Windows 64-bit users, you can open the Start menu and type System to search for the Control Panel's System item. Opening this will display the processor, its speed, and the amount of RAM installed.
Publisher's Information
Publisher: AV-STEM
Age Recommendation: 12+
Grade Recommendation: 7th+
Faith-Based: No
Consumable: Yes, supplies for 1 student
Subscription Info: 1 student
Lessons: 10 modules (110+ hours of learning)
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about this product below:
It is our goal to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and, in so doing, to introduce them to the wide world of aviation. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will have gained a foundational understanding of all the aspects of flight presented in the modules. The student will also gain a broad knowledge of multiple aviation career pathways.
We understand that there is an issue with finding the recommended joystick, so we reached out to the program's publisher. He confirmed that while the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is no longer being manufactured, he has found that it is still available through several channels, including Amazon (though the price is higher than it once was) and eBay, where it is often available for a lower cost. That said, any joystick with a "twist function" will work with the program.
The publisher noted, "We recommended the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro because it was the cheapest and best on the market in our opinion. There are currently issues with availability, but students continue to find them." Knowing the essential "twist function" requirement should be very helpful in your search for a suitable alternative.
Yes! You can download it here.
This is a one-year subscription to an online course.
Provided supplies include:
- flight simulator software
- aviation plotter
- E6B flight computer (similar to a slide rule for flight calculations)
- aviation charts
- competition kit plane
- digital download X-Plane 11 flight simulator for Alaska
The course itself is online, so the only requirements are really a browser and access to the internet. You'll need a relatively new computer--within 3 years old--to run the flight simulation software. (See specs above in the Details section.) You'll also need an inexpensive joystick. We recommend the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, but any joystick with a "twist function" will work.
It is X-Plane 11.
System Requirements:
The course itself is online, so the only requirements are really a browser and access to the internet. One of the components, however, is the X-Plane 11 Flight Simulator. That is a program that you download for use in the course, and it does have system requirements.
X-Plane 11 Simulator System Requirements:
Given X-Plane's incredible capabilities and accuracy, it is not possible to run a current release of X‑Plane on an exceptionally old computer. A good rule of thumb is that any machine built in the last 18 to 24 months will probably be able to run the simulator acceptably. Computers up to about 36 months old may be fine if they were top-of-the-line machines when manufactured. Even if they weren't, X‑Plane may still be able to run, albeit with its rendering options turned down.
X-Plane 11 requires a computer with at least the following specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 CPU with 2 or more cores, or AMD equivalent. (Dual-core CPUs slower than 3 GHz should try the demo before purchasing.)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Video Card: a DirectX 11-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 1 GB VRAM
- If your system is borderline, we encourage you to try the demo first. The full version of the simulator will perform exactly the same as the demo—neither better nor worse.
However, for the best experience, we recommend the following:
- CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K at 3.5 ghz or faster
- Memory: 16-24 GB RAM or more
- Video Card: a DirectX 12-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 4 GB VRAM (GeForce GTX 1070 or better or similar from AMD)
Supported Video Cards:
- NVIDIA: NVIDIA GeForce 600 or newer
- AMD: AMD HD7000 with GCN core or newer
- Intel: HD4000 or newer
Supported Operating Systems:
- OS X: OS X 10.11 or newer (e.g. El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina)
- Windows: Windows 8 or 10, 64-bit
- Linux: Varies
- While X-Plane 11 will run on Linux, we don’t provide support for specific distributions; if you want to run on Linux, you will need to try X-Plane on your distribution to see if it is compatible. With that in mind, we have developers using Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 LTS successfully.
- For Linux, we require the proprietary driver from AMD or NVIDIA to run X-Plane. You may be able to get X-Plane to run on the Mesa/Gallium driver with an Intel GPU, but this is unsupported. We absolutely do not support the fully open source drivers for AMD and NVIDIA.
To find your computer's CPU speed and amount of RAM, Mac users can simply open the Apple Menu and click "About This Mac."
For Windows 8, 10, and Windows 64-bit users, you can open the Start menu and type System to search for the Control Panel's System item. Opening this will display the processor, its speed, and the amount of RAM installed.
Note: X‑Plane 11 does not support PowerPC-based Macs, or versions of OS X prior to 10.11
- 11. Aviation History
- 22. Aerodynamics
- 33. Intro to Flight Simulator
- 44. Airplane Instruments
- 55. Aviation Charts
- 66. Navigation
- 77. Flight Calculations
- 88. Weather
- 99. Weight and Balance
- 1010. Predicting Airplane Performance
For more details download the course syllabus.
From the publisher: "The math is at a 7th-grade level, and there is a lot of math in the course."
- September 7, 2026
Sandra M.
Highly recommend this curriculum. It feels so personal and educational. Love watching my child be excited to learn.
- March 15, 2022
LOVED IT
L. B.
Our son just completed this course in his 9th year & he loved everything about it! Would def. recommend this..esp. if your student is interested in anything Aviation! And the fact that you are in AK just made it that much better!! Thank you Grant & Barney!!
- March 26, 2021
Awesome course!
Mom5Boyz
Surprisingly enough, our son’s favorite lesson is the one that talks about dream killers. He was impressed with the author’s willingness and ability to bring these things to light, in a non-religious manner. It’s definitely important for our children to know and realize that one bad decision can and will actually destroy their future career so knowing specifics early enough so they can avoid these dream killing decisions is extremely important, no matter what religious beliefs u have or don’t have. The only issue i have with the curriculum is really my own fault because I didn’t read the description before I purchased. We had previously purchased a full grade from timberdoodle which included a science course that had a textbook and a DVD. Without reading the description, I assumed this was the same thing; a textbook and a DVD. In reality, it is an online course which does not work well for our family. However, I would’ve known this had I read the description. I do wish they offered something other than strictly online for those of us who do not have a reliable Internet connection. Other than that, this course is a great investment!
- February 25, 2021
Intro to aviation
Lesley E.
My son enjoys this class. It’s great for any child that might be thinking about an aviation career.
- October 10, 2020
Worth the price!
Louise O.
I didn't realize the cost of this item when I initially ordered the 8th grade kit, but I have to say it is well worth it! We are only about 1/4th of the way through but my son with ADHD is staying engaged with it and seems to be enjoying it. He's just about to begin the sections with the flight simulator so he's excited about that. He spent a great deal of time on the history timeline project and I was very impressed with the results. I would highly recommend this course! Also, we've always gotten a super-quick response from the instructor when we've needed him.
- November 23, 2019
Great Course
Margaret I.
I really debated ordering this course due to the cost, but eventually bit the bullet after my son kept expressing interest. I have zero regrets. It is undoubtedly my son't favorite part of homeschooling this year and we will be sad when it's over. (My son has said that they mention a possible follow on course during the lectures. That would be awesome.) My son is 13 and has had no problem navigating the course on his own. He gets up early each day, does his traditional work, eats lunch and then does aviation for an hour or two, sometimes even more. My son just told me, "I really enjoy flying and am now thinking of pursuing an aviation career, because of this course." I (the mother) have listened in on occasion to the lectures and was happy to hear a bit of history, math, and engineering all mixed together. I love the positive attitude and "life advice" that the teachers express in the lectures.
- May 10, 2018
Intro to Aviation Course
Amazing C.
My son completed this curriculum, and it is amazing! Well worth the cost! He loved it! He learned so many valuable aviation skills, as well as learning about many aviation careers. And if you're interested in Alaska, the course utilizes many flights within Alaska, which will also teach your student a lot about Alaskan geography. The course is DEFINITELY enough hours for 1 full high school credit, if not more. Our State-funded home school program granted a full high school credit for this course.
