The Guild · skilled trades & applied crafts
Aviation, Marine & Transport
Airmanship, seamanship, and the road — moving people and freight with discipline.
Aerodynamics, weather, navigation, and regulations — the knowledge test, taught for understanding.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~40 hours
Unit I — How Airplanes Fly
The four forces · Lift, angle of attack, and stalls · Control surfaces and stability · Aircraft systems overview
Unit II — Weather
The atmosphere and pressure systems · Fronts, clouds, and icing · METARs and TAFs · Go or no-go decisions
Unit III — Navigation
Sectional charts · Pilotage and dead reckoning · Radio navigation and GPS · Planning a cross-country flight
Unit IV — Rules and Judgment
Airspace classes · The regulations that matter daily · Weight and balance · Aeronautical decision making
How aircraft are kept airworthy — structures, engines, inspections, and the paperwork that proves it.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~45 hours
Unit I — Airframe
Aircraft structures and materials · Flight controls and rigging basics · Landing gear and hydraulics
Unit II — Powerplant
Piston engine operation · Propellers · Turbine engines in overview
Unit III — Keeping It Legal
Inspections: annual, 100-hour, and AD compliance · Logbooks and maintenance records · The mechanic's certificate and its privileges
Lines, anchors, charts, and rules of the road — handling a small vessel with confidence.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — The Boat
Hull types and handling traits · Lines and the knots that matter · Docking and anchoring
Unit II — The Rules
Navigation rules and right of way · Lights, shapes, and sound signals · Required safety equipment
Unit III — Piloting
Reading a nautical chart · Buoys and the lateral system · Plotting a course and allowing for current · Tides and the tide tables
Outboards, inboards, and everything below the waterline — cooling, corrosion, and care in salt.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — Propulsion
Outboard and inboard layouts · Raw-water and closed cooling · Propellers and pitch
Unit II — Systems
Marine electrical and bonding · Bilge and fuel systems · Steering and controls
Unit III — The Marine Environment
Corrosion and galvanic protection · Winterizing and storage · Preventive maintenance schedules
Air brakes, inspections, and the physics of eighty thousand pounds — the CDL knowledge base.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~20 hours
Unit I — The Vehicle
Tractor and trailer anatomy · The pre-trip inspection, in order · Coupling and uncoupling
Unit II — Air Brakes
The air brake system, tank to chamber · Testing brakes before you roll · Braking distance and grade descent
Unit III — On the Road
Space management and mirrors · Hours-of-service rules · Cargo securement · Hazardous materials awareness