The first chapter of the "Airplane Flying Handbook" is about the purpose and concepts of primary and intermediate flight training. The main purpose of this training is to help you acquire basic airmanship skills and develop safe habits that you can use in any airplane you fly. The training focuses on developing skills like coordination, timing, and control touch, which are necessary for flying in a three-dimensional environment.

The chapter also explains the roles of the different people and organizations you will encounter during your training, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flight Standards Service (FS), Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs), and flight instructors. It also introduces key safety practices you will learn, such as collision avoidance, runway incursion avoidance, stall awareness, and the use of checklists.