Lewis Dixon Website

Lewis Dixon

Pilot and Flight Instructor

Lewis Dixon is a pilot, flight instructor, and aviation content creator. With over 10 years of experience, Lewis has set out to inspire pilots and students by showing how much fun the aviation world can be. He has been sharing flight training, flying tips, advice, and more online @LewDixAviation since 2015. In 2016, Lewis became a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), and later also became a Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) and Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). Over time his content has evolved to include instructional flights, mockumentaries and so much more, always with an emphasis on fun.

Professional Achievements

  • Has over 3,600 hours of flight time and over 1,700 hours of instruction given to student pilots
  • Known for being the ‘fun flight instructor’, and has become a trusted source of aviation knowledge online since 2015
  • Recognized as “a great source of aviation education” by AOPA Flight Training Magazine, in 2022

Certifications & Organizations

  • Certified Flight Instructor
  • Certified Flight Instructor Instrument
  • Advanced Ground Instructor
  • Airline Transport Pilot
  • Saab 340 Type Rating
  • ATR 42/72 Type Rating

Favorite Piece of Advice

Aviation is expensive, let's make it fun!

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Q&A Comments (4)

How do you become an airline pilot?
You have to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time before you can be an airline pilot. Now, there are exceptions to that. The certificate you need is called an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) Certificate, which typically requires those 1,500 hours. However, if you complete an approved course with a certified flight training provider—something many big flight schools offer—you can obtain a restricted ATP. That can be achieved with about 1,250 hours, but it comes with limitations: you can only serve as second-in-command, and there are other restrictions until you reach the 1,500-hour mark and get the full ATP. A common way people build up to those hours is by becoming a flight instructor after earning their licenses. Once you’ve accumulated the hours, you then complete an ATP CTP course—that stands for Certification Training Program. It familiarizes you with the airline environment, especially crew resource management (CRM), which is a major part of airline flying. You also get simulator time—about four hours in a full-motion simulator. At the end of that, you take a checkride—which includes an oral exam and practical exam in the simulator. If you pass, the FAA approves your paperwork, and you officially have your ATP Certificate with a type rating for the aircraft you trained on.
How can you identify the difference between a Boeing and an Airbus plane?
I usually go by the nose shape. Boeing planes have a more pointed, streamlined nose, while Airbus noses are more rounded. If you compare a Boeing 737 and an Airbus A320, the 737 sits much lower to the ground. The engines on the Boeing are also closer to the ground compared to the Airbus.
How do you land a Cessna 172?
Start in the traffic pattern, typically on the downwind leg. When abeam your touchdown point: Reduce power to ~1500–1600 RPM. Let airspeed bleed off, then set 10° of flaps. Begin a descent around 80 knots. Turn base, add 20° of flaps, fly around 70–75 knots. On final, set 30° flaps, descend at 60–65 knots. On final, don’t pull the nose up like an airliner! Keep it level. As you reach ground effect (within a wingspan of the runway), go power idle, flare by raising the nose gently, and let the aircraft stall onto the runway. That’s a proper landing.
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Co-authored Articles (4)