Flying by Sight
Discover how pilots fly with confidence by looking out the windscreen. Learn to read the horizon, judge pattern spacing, and time landings using natural visual cues.
Like Duolingo, but for Flying by Sight. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Windshield Horizon and Reading the Ground and Runway. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Flying by Sight
- In visual flight, the natural horizon outside the windscreen provides immediate, direct feedback on what the airplane is doing
- Cockpit flight instruments have slight lag or require interpretation, so they serve to verify rather than establish attitude
- Looking inside at gauges instead of outside makes smooth control difficult and degrades situational awareness
- Pitch attitude is visually referenced by the distance between the dashboard edge (glare shield) and the distant horizon
- Pilots place one, two, or three fingers against the windscreen as a simple, repeatable visual ruler to hold a specific pitch
- A constant visual spacing ensures the nose remains at the intended pitch angle for climbing, descending, or level flight
- Chasing the altimeter leads to 'porpoising,' where the pilot constantly overcorrects pitch up and down
- Maintaining level flight requires setting and holding the correct glare-shield-to-horizon picture steadily with outside reference
- The altimeter reflects altitude changes after a delay; correcting pitch by looking outside stops the descent smoothly
- Bank angle is seen directly as the angle formed between the flat dashboard line and the horizon line
- When the left side of the glare shield dips closer to the horizon, the airplane is banked into a left turn
- The standard visual flight scan devotes roughly 90% of pilot attention outside the cockpit
- Outside scanning serves dual crucial roles: holding aircraft attitude stably and spotting conflicting traffic
- Inside scans should consist of brief 1- to 2-second glances to confirm airspeed, altitude, and engine health before returning outside
- In a climb attitude, the airplane's cowling rises above the distant horizon ahead and blocks the direct forward view
- Looking out the side windows lets you cross-check where the horizon cuts across the wingtips or wing struts to verify pitch
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Flying by Sight the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Why shouldn't you rely only on cockpit dials to set the plane's tilt and angle?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Flying by Sight, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
The Windshield Horizon
- Setting Pitch and Bank with the Horizon
- Visual References in Maneuvers and Turns
- 2
Reading the Ground and Runway
- Spacing the Airport Traffic Pattern
- Judging the Approach and Landing Flare
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Flying by Sight
How do I learn Flying by Sight?
Go in order: start with The Windshield Horizon, then Reading the Ground and Runway. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Flying by Sight?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Flying by Sight is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Flying by Sight course free?
Yes. Flying by Sight is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Flying by Sight?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Flying by Sight?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Flying by Sight is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Technology on Tomo
Helicopter Flight: From Lift-off to Landing
Go from curious observer to mastering the complex coordination required to pilot a rotary-wing aircraft. This course covers everything from the physics of the hover to advanced emergency maneuvers and high-altitude operations.
Take the Captain's Seat
Stop dreaming about the clouds and start navigating them. Learn how to handle the controls, talk to the tower, and master the art of a perfect landing.
Electronics Without the Smoke
Decode confusing jargon, avoid classic rookie missteps, and build circuits that actually work. Learn the essential rules of voltage, polarity, ground, and testing before you plug in.
Fighter Jet Combat and Design
Examine how aerial combat reality broke military assumptions and forced radical engineering shifts. Explore the trade-offs of energy-maneuverability, stealth aerodynamics, and modern sensor fusion.
Everyday Excel
Stop wrestling with unruly spreadsheets. Learn how to write reliable formulas, fix common calculation blunders, and turn raw lists into clean, actionable summaries.
Reading the Tape Measure
Never struggle with tiny tick marks or fraction math again. Learn the visual secrets, line patterns, and built-in tool tricks that let you measure anything with instant confidence.
Start Flying by Sight today.
Download Tomo, search Flying by Sight, and play your first lesson in under a minute.