The training provider also introduced two new free courses—Drone Part 107 Regulations and Private Pilot Ground Reference Maneuvers— in addition to a new YouTube playlist, How to Become a Pilot.

“It has been a great privilege to play a part in people’s lives when they are learning to do something so important to them, learning to fly,” said King Schools co-founder Martha King.

“Learning to fly changes who you are and how you think about yourself,” said Kings Schools co-founder John King. “We want to encourage as many people as possible to embark on this fun, exciting, and life-changing activity.”

In addition to the discounts, King Schools also announced it will offer two scholarships for flight instructors—the Women in Aviation International Martha King Scholarship for Female Flight Instructors and the National Association of Flight Instructors/King Schools Scholarship for Flight Instructors. Both scholarships are valued at $15,000 plus an additional $5,000 in cash.

A revamp of King Schools’ Cessna Sport/Private Pilot Course, featuring over 130 new videos designed to be clearer, more concise, informative, and entertaining, was also announced during the news conference.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The NBAA said it began giving the annual award in 2018 to recognize young people “driving meaningful change and big results across all segments of business aviation.” 

• READ MORE: NBAA Presents Jared Isaacman with 2023 Meritorious Service to Aviation Award

The NBAA’s Young Professionals in Business Aviation (YoPro) program hosted this year’s honorees during the NBAA convention in Las Vegas in October. 

“We are pleased to announce the newest class of Top 40 Under 40 business aviation professionals,” the NBAA said in its announcement of the award winners. “This class represents a wide range of expertise in business aviation. It truly demonstrates that the next generation of leaders is here, and the industry is in good hands for a successful future.” 

John Dowd, King Schools’ vice president of marketing, nominated Golden. 

“Pilots for 50 years have used King Schools to pass their FAA exams and for pilot training,” Dowd said. “Samuel is a member of a new generation of technically proficient, digitally savvy young pilots who are ensuring the future of King Schools is in good hands. Samuel is part of the team that is using video and social media to share courses and researching AI’s virtual and augmented reality possibilities.”

• READ MORE: King Schools Launches Envision Flight Edu-Con

Golden is an experienced pilot with a commercial airplane single-engine land certificate and an instrument rating. He also holds advanced and instrument ground instructor, and remote pilot certificates. He manages the King Schools’ digital advertising and social media programs, which have helped drive increases in the company’s market share and social media engagement.

“Samuel has had a significant role in keeping King Schools relevant in a fast-changing, competitive market,” said John and Martha King, founders of King Schools, in a statement. “Our advertising and overall communication with our customers have greatly benefited from Samuel’s work. We are very pleased and proud to see Samuel receive this well-deserved award.”

The post King Schools’ Samuel Golden Receives NBAA Top 40 Under 40 Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The award includes $5,000 to apply toward an initial CFI rating, or it can be used for any CFI add-on rating. The scholarship includes lifelong access to the entire library of King Schools online courses and Flight Instructor Refresher Courses (FIRCs). The scholarship is worth more than $19,000.

• READ MORE: King Schools, NAFI Announce Scholarship Winner, New Program Focus

To be eligible, applicants must be a NAFI member with a current FAA commercial certificate and instrument rating or a CFI certificate.

How to Apply

Instructions for how to apply for the 2024 scholarship are available on the King Schools website. The deadline for applications is January 4.

NAFI, a professional organization geared toward the betterment of flight instructors,  has been around for more than 50 years. It provides resources to all flight instructors and encourages members to aspire to a higher standard of professionalism to elevate flight training. For more information, visit NAFInet.org.

King Schools has been offering training opportunities for decades. John and Martha King, founders and co-chairpersons of the company, are recognized as top instructors, as a primary mission of King Schools is to support flight instructors by preparing clients for FAA knowledge tests and providing training insights through its Flight Instructor Refresher Course. Since 1994 the Kings have been the first and only couple to both hold every category and class of FAA rating on their pilot and instructor certificates.

They are still active pilots, regularly flying anything they can get their hands on, from jets and piston airplanes to helicopters.

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The symposium was designed to be a way for educators and professionals nationwide to exchange ideas, share experiences, and delve into the world of aviation teaching and training for both pilots and mechanics.

Brian Hough, King Schools’ senior vice president of business development and sales, was the driving force behind Envision Flight Edu-Con at Coast Air Center at Montgomery Field (KMYF).

• READ MORE: Articles by Martha King

“Our vision for this event was to create a unique program that not only offered exceptional educational opportunities for our flight school and university customers, but also connected vendors with an outstanding customer base,” Hough said.

Among the distinguished speakers were King Schools co-chairmen John and Martha King, CEO Barry Knuttila, FAA-designated pilot examiners Mary Schu, vice president of marketing at Redbird Flight Training, and Josh Harnagel, and many other experts in their corner of aviation.

• READ MORE: Articles by John King

“The speakers addressed topics designed to give our customers better tools for operating their businesses better,” said John Dowd, vice president of marketing and public relations for King Schools.

If you missed the event, the individual speakers’ presentations can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQTup63Foj4RTaOw5qbIjfYWBBzgP3xo5

The event also served as a launchpad for the celebration of King Schools’ 50-year anniversary.

About King Schools

King Schools Inc. is recognized as an industry leader in aviation training media. John and Martha King have been teaching since 1975 when they flew around the country to instruct ground schools. 

By the 1980s, they embraced the growing video trend, creating video courses in a spare room of their home. 

Today, King Schools is known for thousands of video-based knowledge courses, from full-blown ground schools to short subject videos. Its reach is so great that it is difficult to find a pilot who hasn’t done at least part of their training utilizing a King product.

For more information visit https://KingSchools.com/EnvisionFlight.

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The demand for aviation mechanics is surpassing the well-documented pilot shortage, with an expected projected need of roughly 690,000 jobs in the next two decades, according to a study by Boeing. 

To address this critical issue, King Schools has introduced a new Cleared for Aviation Maintenance program.

“We’ve been growing a lot over the last five to 10 years…and it’s been wonderful to do that, but we’ve been within this domain of pilots for a long time,” said CEO Barry Knuttila at a press conference at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin Thursday. “We had mechanics test prep for the general airframe and powerplant for many years. So we had our toe in the mechanics world.”

“Now, we’ve jumped into the water, gone underwater, and come back up,” he continued. “And we’ve come back up with a curriculum that allows…a school to start up a brand new mechanic school and take mechanics…from zero to turning wrenches with a certificate.”

• READ MORE: 3 Ways to Jump-start Networking in Aircraft Maintenance

The Cleared for Aviation Maintenance product is designed for flight schools, colleges, and universities to integrate into their existing A&P programs or establish new ones. With a focus on the new Part 147 requirements and a user-friendly syllabus, the product seamlessly integrates into existing instructional programs. King Schools offers a free concierge service to guide schools and businesses through the setup process.

“We saw a demand that’s there,” Brian Hough, senior vice president of sales and business development, who was instrumental in the development of this program, said at the briefing. “There’s more mechanics needed than there are pilots. If we look at that trajectory, what’s that going to do to us? We’re going to come to a grinding halt because we are falling short of that.”

“There’re maintenance schools that are out there,” he continued, “but they’re just not able to produce [a solution to] the overwhelming demand.”

So he took that idea to the drawing board, asking how we could change that dynamic. “I couldn’t find a commercially-produced syllabus, short of…test prep, which we already had, that would work for multiple entities,” Hough said. 

Aviation maintenance schools are relatively sparse, but Hough and the King Schools team identified a solution in the exploding flight school business nationwide. There are aviation education programs established and growing across the U.S., and those schools have fleets of aircraft. Fertile ground for educating and training new A&Ps: but how could the dots be connected? Enter Cleared for Aviation Maintenance, which allows learners to complete their course of training at existing schools. 

• READ MORE: Maintaining Your Ideal Aircraft: What Can a Pilot Do?

“This year, if you don’t know, the FAA is putting out grants up to $500,000—you have to apply by August 15,” Hough said. “So make sure you do. If anybody has a particular program, this is a huge advantage for you to teach mechanics.”

The curriculum encompasses a fully integrated home-study course, written exam test prep, and a complete syllabus in compliance with the new FAA FAR Part 147 requirements for aviation maintenance technician schools. The program seamlessly aligns with aviation maintenance programs offered by high schools, colleges, and universities, maintenance schools, and flight schools with aircraft maintenance facilities.

There is also a fast-track option for experienced military crew chiefs without A&P certification. These individuals can now benefit from the mechanics training and, in turn, assist the shop while obtaining an FAA certificate more efficiently.

The home-study course is structured into three units: general, airframe, and powerplant. Learners engage with short video sessions, quizzes, flashcards, and practice tests to make the process more enjoyable and improve retention. FAA-style questions ensure students become familiar with the examination format, and interactive tracking helps focus efforts where needed. Additionally, students gain access to the company’s companion and test prep apps, both allowing for offline functionality.

The post King Schools Launch New Aviation Maintenance Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

King Schools announced the book at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo on Thursday, along with several new tools for flight instructors. They also presented the National Association of Flight Instructors/King Schools Scholarship award for 2023 to Tracy Atobatele.

The Kings purchased their first airplane—a Piper Cherokee 140—in 1969. Now they pilot a Dassault Falcon 10 together, and from that broad range of experience, they have drawn the articles within Sky Kings, including this one:

“One of the most moving and memorable chapters is entitled ‘Until We Had Our Accident,’” the Kings shared. “It begins with an account of a situation every pilot dreads: a total electrical failure above clouds, icing, and finally a forced landing in a cornfield in gathering dusk that sent a bloodied Martha to the ER. You might think that would be enough for one chapter, but John King goes on to relate the painful feelings he and Martha would experience when they would learn that some newly-minted pilot whom they had instructed had died in a crash, and how it sometimes made them ask themselves: ‘How could they in good conscience teach people a skill that was sure to get some of them killed?’”

With a foreword written by FLYING’s editor-in-chief Julie Boatman, the book retails for $21.97 for paperback and $13.97 for Kindle at Amazon.com, and more information can be found at https://KingSchools.com/Sky-Kings.

Flight Instructor Tools

King Schools has packaged several new tools for CFIs in its latest offerings. Instructors can now access the new Flight Instructor Program, which allows them to track their students’ progress through any King Schools course through a discrete connection. The tool lets CFIs understand not only what lessons the student is currently taking but also where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Those CFIs using the Flight Instructor Program also gain access to all King Schools primary certification courses, from private pilot to initial flight instructor.

Another cool tool? A newly crafted course called Your First Flying Lesson. Fly along with King Schools president and CEO—and longtime instructor—Barry Knutilla on an exciting discovery flight from Montgomery Field (KMYF) in San Diego, California, out to Catalina Island. Along the way, Knutilla shares tips and tricks for making a person’s first taste of flight informative and fun.

Flight schools can now access the complete Cessna Flight Training System—with sport/private, instrument, commercial, and flight instructor courses—and gain the benefits of offering that system to their students as well as tracking their progress through its learning management system.

The Kings also talked about how their first book, Lift, can help CFIs become better in the business of providing instruction.

NAFI Scholarship Winner

Finally, the Kings joined National Association of Flight Instructors board chair Karen Kalishek in awarding instructor-to-be Tracy Atobatele with the 2023 NAFI/King Schools Flight Instructor Scholarship. Atobatele’s story, shared by King Schools in a release, explains well why she was chosen for the honor.

“She was born, the fourth of her parents’ four children, in a Lagos suburb in Nigeria. When she was eight, she and her father watched a TV segment about a young woman pilot. ‘Why do they admire her so much?’ she asked her father. ‘Her job is very important,’ he replied.

“Her father’s answer made a deep impression on Tracy Atobatele. In her part of the world, professional success was not something many women could aspire to, but she decided that she would succeed, no matter what. After graduating from college with a major in marine biology, she first worked as a tailor, then as a flight attendant on a number of jet charter services, and finally as a broker of jet charter flights.

“Moving to the United States with help from friends and family, she embarked on the project her father called “so magical and grand”—her training to become a professional pilot. Endlessly resourceful, she supported herself by setting up an online business selling sneakers made to order in Nigeria using colorful local fabrics. Characteristically, she did not keep all of the profits for herself; part she sent back to Nigeria to pay the hospital bills of needy women giving birth. At the same time, she mentored 30 young women, helping them to become flight attendants in Nigeria.

“Tracy’s parents supported her ambitions, her mother even more than her father. ‘Usually, mothers want you to settle down and get married. But she was different. ‘There’s nothing that you cannot do,’ she would say. ‘Just keep striving!’’ Her achievement remains a source of wonderment to her extended family, many of whom still live in a small village 125 miles northeast of Lagos. ‘I am the first in my entire generation to become a pilot,’ she says, ‘and for a very long time no one thought I could do it.’

“Extremely shy as a child and young person, Tracy found that flight training changed her, making her more self-confident and assertive. Now, she has no trouble articulating her sky’s-the-limit plans, which in the short term include flying for an airline, and in the long run opening her own flight school with an eye to helping other women begin careers in aviation.”

The scholarship is valued at $18,000 and includes a $5,000 stipend and lifetime access to King Schools courses, along with the company’s Flight Instructor Renewal Course.

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The Kings established a successful business delivering ground training to prospective pilots as well as serving their ongoing training needs. They just released their first book, part entrepreneurship manual and part autobiography, Lift: How to Start, Run, and Grow Your Own Successful Business.

Though I’ve renewed my flight instructor certificate several times using their course, they have also been mentors, colleagues, friends—and competitors—to me and the companies I’ve worked with over the years. Most recently, they’ve contributed the column “Sky Kings” to FLYING.

But they started off as a piece of paper tacked to a column near my cube at Jeppesen in 1997, when I joined Aviation Courseware as a technical writer. Our team was in the midst of finishing the first installment of the Guided Flight Discovery program, for private pilots. Their smiling faces and thumbs-up demeanor served as a cruel reminder that Jepp had lost the contract to develop training materials for Cessna Pilot Centers to the Kings—and we were determined to best them in the marketplace with GFD.

At the time, I wouldn’t touch a King Schools video with a 10-foot pole.

Times Change

Fast forward through my “career path with many waypoints,” and in 2008 I took on the role of Cessna Pilot Center manager for Cessna. All of a sudden, as the training focal on the Skycatcher light sport aircraft program and head of CPC, I reached out to the Kings to launch our development of the new courseware that would accompany the 162’s debut with flight schools. 

As we built our working relationship, I had a first-hand view of not only their business but also the ethical way they moved through the world—and aimed to treat their employees with respect. 

We’ve been through our fair share of spirited debates, and have not always agreed on the best approach to specific elements of training. 

One example: John was not an early proponent of scenario-based training as outlined with the FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS), while to me its advantages were clear. It turned out that the answer for us both was in its proper execution—natural for some instructors to deliver, but considered a complete waste of time by others. We found a resolution for the Cessna Sport/Private Pilot Training Program.

So, What About the Book?

I mention all this because I sat down to read “Lift” curious to see what I would learn. Would this be a review of the hundreds of stories they’ve shared over the years, both with me directly and to various audiences? Sure, it turns out a lot of those anecdotes reside in its pages—but you’d expect that they’d share some of their most important lessons again.

The Kings are clearly on a mission to promote entrepreneurism, and the benefits of healthy business development. However, after opening chapters compelling the reader to form a solid business plan based on a passion—and their personal “Scrabble tiles”—John and Martha quickly get into the specific reasons why they feel their business has succeeded, as well as outlining areas where they have failed. 

They provide actionable tools to use to help you organize your own business. While these might seem basic to those with a strong business background, there are also good reminders within about the elements that have worked.

Because of their own position in the industry, the Kings have met a ton of interesting people along the way. They include additional stories that introduce you to some of these folks—a veritable who’s who of aviation legends. And they give credit where it is due to the team members who have propelled them forward.

Overall, it’s a fast-moving read, with nuggets enough to keep even those of us who have had the pleasure to work with John and Martha entertained—and still learning from them.

At NBAA 2022

The Kings will host a book signing at the Coffee Social at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center on Tuesday, October 18, at 2 p.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a complimentary copy.

The post Good <i>FLYING</i> Reads: John and Martha King’s ‘Lift’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

LIFT: How to Start, Run and Grow Your Own Successful Business takes a look at the guiding principles by which the Kings have established and grown their businesses over the span of their life together—a life in which they deliberately set out to work as entrepreneurs and partners in every way.

Barry Knuttila, CEO of King Schools, presented the preview, which included a couple of the gems found within:

• “You have a wonderful opportunity. You live in the time and place where you can pursue your passion and start your own business to improve your life and the lives you touch,” John and Martha write in the book’s introduction. 

• “In flying and in business, you’ll always need to make corrections along the way. But in flying, when you are a good pilot in a well-built plane—just like when you’re a good entrepreneur running a well-designed company—you can make progress others only dream of.”

The book is dedicated to two people who were critical to their success—and who exemplify another guiding principle they hold dear, to hire and work with people who have talents and skills beyond their own. The first, Dave Jackson, is the former CEO of King Schools, and he brought his deep experience in video production and a trustworthy nature to the business. The second is Knuttila, the current CEO, who brought his expertise in technology development to King Schools at the time when the company needed to transition its courses from VHS to online delivery.

LIFT will be available on Amazon in October.

Martha King: Master Pilot

Martha King has enjoyed a long, storied aviation career—and this year she marked 50 years of continuous, accident-free flying. The FAA honors those pilots who achieve this milestone with the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. Martha received hers on Wednesday at EAA AirVenture.

“It was a very big event, it was an emotional event,” Knuttila said of the moment when Martha was awarded the certificate. “Because those 50 years really sum up an amazing career so far of flying.”

But the word got out, and the FAA’s acting administrator, Billy Nolen, learned of the award, and extended a special invitation to the Kings to have the award “re-presented” to Martha at the end of the Meet the Administrator session at AirVenture. The event can be watched on the King Schools website—and the Kings did make it back to the press lunch to sign the pre-release copies of their book.

AOPA and STEM Education

High schools that are using the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation’s Aviation STEM Curriculum can now take advantage of steeply discounted materials from King Schools.

The “You Can Fly” kit includes King Schools Private Pilot Ground School and Test Prep Course and Pilot Communications Course. Students receive an endorsement to take the FAA private pilot knowledge exam after completing three practice exams from within the course with passing scores. The Pilot Communications Course teaches pilot communication procedures and techniques in a way that covers all classes of airspace. The retail price for the two courses is $328; AOPA STEM students can purchase the You Can Fly Kit for $99.  

King Schools will also offer high schools using the AOPA curriculum the King Commercial Drone Pilot Course (retail $129) for $59 per course. The drone course prepares students to take the FAA Part 107 knowledge exam. 

New Controller

King Schools has recently brought on board a new controller, Kit Liberty, who is learning to fly as she joins the legendary pilot training business. Liberty comes with more than a decade of expertise and experience as a controller with high-tech companies.

Knuttila said, “Kit is joining us during an exciting time in our evolution as a company. John and Martha founded King Schools almost 50 years ago. Since then, the company has evolved in many ways to take advantage of emerging technology. 

“Most visibly, all our courses are now delivered online or downloaded and taken through mobile apps, but our accounting systems have also evolved right alongside our courses. Kit will take those systems to a new level. Her strong technological capabilities and leadership will continue moving our company forward as she takes over this crucial role.”

The post The Kings Preview Their First Book on Business at AirVenture appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The goal of this new course is to simply make the materials easier to understand,” Knuttila said. “I am an active flight instructor. As part of a course creation team, we had to work hard to make this four-hour course take the academic-sounding language of educational theory and personalize it to show practical situations and experiences that people will see in real-life flight instruction. We wanted to bring some humor to the videos and help people connect with the materials in an easier way than reading the FAA’s Aviation Instructor’s Handbook.”

The FOI course distills down the FAA’s 130-page syllabus into manageable segments, each followed by a short multiple-choice quiz. It includes offline access, integration into the company’s flash card app, and tools to assess the user’s readiness to take the test.

The King Schools Fundamentals of Instruction Knowledge Test Prep course costs $199 for lifetime access.

Concierge Service For Flight Schools

The road to Part 141 approval for a flight school is arduous enough, but maintaining the accreditation also takes effort and hides pitfalls for those achieving it for the first time.

To help assist flight schools with this effort—and securing funding for their clients through student loans and Veterans Administration programs—King Schools has also launched a free concierge service for those schools using its curriculum.

“If your school is looking to gain or expand Part 141 approval, we can help with free personalized assistance provided by one of our training experts,” said King Schools senior vice president of sales and business development Brian Hough. “Our courses and syllabi have been reviewed by the FAA and meet the requirements of Part 141. An FAA letter coupled with our expertise can have you up and running in little time.”

The company’s syllabi and tracking software provide the operational reports that can be used for satisfying requirements via their POI, reducing the administrative burden.

“The new concierge service aims to help schools quickly take advantage of our complete ‘zero to hero’ Part 141 approvable solution that includes training programs from Private through Flight Instructor,” Knuttila said. “Brian Hough has tremendous passion and long experience running flight schools and university programs while developing new FAA approved curricula. His team will provide an invaluable service to flight schools that want to expand their business by offering new profitable training solutions.”   

NAFI Scholarship Winners

Each year since 2017, John and Martha King have joined with the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) to recognize an up-and-coming flight instructor with a scholarship that rewards their efforts and is tuned to propel them forward.

For 2022, the Kings and NAFI announced that Leah Murphy has secured the award, totaling $5,000 toward flight training and free, lifetime access to all King Schools courses, including lifetime Flight Instructor Refresher Courses (FIRCs). The estimated value of the scholarship is more than $18,000.

“While working on my CFI-Helicopter certificate and in my final semester of my undergraduate degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I was involved in a car accident that halted my flight training and completely changed the trajectory of my life,” Murphy said. “While my classmates were beginning their careers in the aviation community, I was recovering in a hospital bed. Instead of practicing autorotations, I was practicing walking up stairs. 

“Fortunately, I was able to renew my medical and went on to earn my helicopter CFI/CFII in less than a year from undergoing a spinal fusion.” she said. “I am inspired by the diversity of Martha and John’s aeronautical certificates, and I am now looking to add to my flight experience as I pursue my fixed-wing ratings, including airplane CFI. I am incredibly grateful for the support system and opportunities the aviation community has provided me and hope to give back by means of instructing.”

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Ground school is the first step a student pilot needs to take on the way to achieving most flight certificates and ratings, from a sport pilot certificate to an airline transport pilot certificate. If you’re already a pilot and looking to achieve your instrument rating, check out our article on the best IFR ground schools.

While most elements of aviation education need to be completed in person, there are online ground schools available to prepare aspiring pilots for the FAA knowledge test.

All of the online options have a variety of offerings, including banks of information relative to the written exam, sample test questions, and links to other resources to help pilots prepare for their knowledge and practical tests. 

Quick Look: Best Online Ground Schools to Consider

• Best For Self-paced Learning: Pilot Institute Online Ground School
• Best For Tech-savvy Pilots: Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn to Fly
• Best For Busy Pilots: Angle of Attack Online Ground School
• Best For Free Courses: Gold Seal Online Ground School
• Best For Lifetime Access to Digital Resources: Rod Machado 40 Hour Private Pilot eLearning Ground School
• Best For Future IFR Pilots: ASA Private Pilot Online Ground School
• Best For Multiple Ground School Options: Gleim Aviation Online Ground School
• Best For Money-Back Guarantee: King Schools

7 Best Online Ground School Options

Depending on your current level of aviation knowledge, your budget, and your timeframe, one of the many online ground schools may suit you better than the others. Here is a look at six of the best options.

Pilot Institute Online

If you don’t pass the written test, Pilot Institute will send you $175 cash on top of a full refund for the course. This option is also self-paced, and 99.8 percent of students do, indeed, pass their written exams. They also offer a Facebook group for online study and discussion with classmates and a 44-page study guide.

Best For: Pilots who are nervous about their ground school investment

Website: Pilot Institute Online

Course Length: Self-paced with a long list of practice examinations—20 hours, generally (courses can be sped up or slowed down to match learning style).

Subscription Access: This includes lifetime access to all materials, even those that are added after you pass your exam.

What You’ll Learn: In addition to these areas of study, the course also offers a flashcard app for your phone to help you practice for the exam.

• Airports and lingo
• Weather patterns
• How to choose a flight school
• Aircraft systems
• Flight instruments
• Aerodynamics
• Performance limitations

Pricing: $199

Angle of Attack Online Ground School

Certified Flight Instructors teach a student in the cockpit while flying, but it is important if you take online flight ground school to also have a CFI who is actively teaching. Angle of Attack is taught by Chris Palmer and features beautiful, modern videography and first-hand flight scenarios to help students become better pilots. Take these courses on the go, too, by downloading them natively to your device.  

Best For: Busy Pilots

Website: Angle of Attack Online Ground School

Course Length: There are 10 sections, with multiple courses in each section. 

Subscription Access: Lifetime Access, with a subscription offering for only the ground school or include the Checkride ACE Course for only $70.

What You’ll Learn:

• Orientation & Aerodynamics
• Human factors
• Aircraft Systems
• Weather Theory
• Aviation Weather
• Performance
• Airports
• Airspace
• Flight Planning
• Next Steps

Pricing: $279 for lifetime access (Bundle with the Checkride ACE for $349)

Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn to Fly 

Pilots who want an easy-to-follow, deep-knowledge course to prepare them for their written test. They offer a TV app so you can watch your instructional videos on a large screen, and offer a phone app that allows access to their training resources at any time. 

Best For: Self-Paced Learning

Website: Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn To Fly  

Course Length: The course is self-paced and is expected to take about 15 hours of study and practical time in order to be prepared for the written test.

Subscription Access: Lifetime access—even to updated materials

What You’ll Learn: The Sporty’s course offers a very extensive outline and you can customize your areas of focus based on your weaknesses and strengths. Here are some key points:

• Maneuvers
• Faa Regulations
• Aircraft Familiarity
• Weather Patterns
• In-Cockpit Feel Via Their Video Catalog 

Pricing: $299

Gold Seal Online Ground School

Future pilots who want to take some free classes to test the waters first, and also for “rusty pilots” as they offer a “flight review” course similar to ground school that helps current pilots brush up on their skills. 

Best For: Tech-Savvy Pilots

Website: Gold Seal Online Ground School

Course Length: There are 6 modules, and each can be completed in a few hours. 

Subscription Access: There is a lot of free content, but subscription access grants you a lot more and is good for life. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Getting Started
  • Pilot Qualifications
  • Aircraft Parts
  • Aerodynamics
  • Instrument Panel
• Your First Few Hours
  • Zulu Time/Phonetic Alphabet
  • Charts
  • Airport Operations
• Skill Building
  • Engine Systems
  • Ground Maneuvers
  • Turns
  • Recoveries
• Aviation Weather
• Real World Flying
  • VOR
  • GPS
  • Night Flight
  • Flight Plans
• Passing Your Test

Pricing: $229 for full access (about ⅓ of materials are free to access)

Rod Machado 40-hour Private Pilot eLearning Ground School

Aspiring pilots looking to gain knowledge in a light-hearted atmosphere with plenty of one-on-one availability for questions and confirmations. The videos are as fun as they are educational, and the lessons can be customized to ensure there is more focus on areas of weakness. 

Best For: Lifetime Access to Digital Resources

Website: Rod Machado 40-hour Private Pilot

Course Length: Self-paced—40 hours are recommended

Subscription Access: Lifetime access to all training materials is included in the price. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Aerodynamics (Parts 1 and 2)
• Airplane Engine
• Electrical System
• Flight Instruments
• FAR
• Airport Operations
• Radio Operations
• Understanding Airspace
• Aviation Maps
• Radio Navigation
• Understanding Weather
• Cross Country Flight Planning

Pricing: $279

ASA Private Pilot Online Ground School

Pilots who want an extensive library of information that can help them learn well beyond the study requirements for the exam. They also offer an instrument pilot ground school for a few more dollars, and if you’re planning on pursuing an IFR rating and/or becoming a commercial pilot, this is a great option to get ahead early.

Best For: Future IFR Pilots

Website: ASA Private Pilot Online Ground School

Course Length: 2-4 weeks (self-paced)

Subscription Access: 24-month access to all materials including prepware.com

What You’ll Learn:

• Aerodynamics
• Aircraft Systems
• Flight Instruments
• Regulations
• Airport Operations
• Weather
• Aircraft Performance
• Enroute Flight
• Navigation
• Communication
• Test Tips

Pricing: $180

Gleim Aviation Online Ground School

Gleim has a lot of ground school options. In addition to their basic private pilot ground school, they also offer ground school training for aspiring sport pilots as well as classes for future instructors, airline transport pilots (ATP), flight engineers, and more. 

Best For: Multiple Ground School Options

Website: Gleim Aviation Online Ground School

Course Length: Self-paced; average of 35 hours

Subscription Access: 12 months

What You’ll Learn:

• Airplanes and Aerodynamics
• Airplane Instruments, Engines, and Systems
• Airports, Air Traffic Control, and Airspace
• Federal Aviation Regulations
• Airplane Performance and Weight and Balance
• Aeromedical Factors and Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
• Aviation Weather
• Aviation Weather Services
• Navigation: Charts and Publications
• Navigation Systems
• Cross-Country Flight Planning

Pricing: $160

King Schools

If you’re on the fence about online pilot courses and want one with a good guaranteed return, look no further than King Schools. They not only offer a 30-day full refund, they also promise you’ll get your money back if you fail your FAA test within one year of purchase. On top of a great guarantee, King Schools courses are well-known for their lighthearted tone and effective teaching style. Course access includes an app to make learning and studying easy on the go.

Best For: Money-Back Guarantee

Website: King Schools Private Pilot Online Ground School

Course Length: Self-paced; 15 hours of video lessons

Subscription Access: Lifetime access, including future updates

What You’ll Learn:

• Aerodynamics
• Aircraft performance
• Airspace
• Communications & Radar Services
• How to read & understand sectional charts
• Flight Operations
• FAA Regulations
• Safe Flight Operations
• Navigation
• Weight and Balance
• How to Ace Your Test

Pricing: $299

What Is an Online Ground School?

Ground school is the first thing all aspiring pilots need to take in order to prepare them for the FAA written exam that will prove their competency, ultimately allowing the pilot to get a student’s certificate. This certificate is the gateway to all types of pilot certification. 

Some ground schools are in-person, but with so much technology available to make the online classroom seem more like the brick-and-mortar one, online flight schools hold a similar level of accreditation as their in-person counterparts—but can be completed at home and generally on the student’s own schedule. 

How Do Online Ground Schools Work?

No certification can actually be earned via online ground school (or in-person ground school, for that matter), but preparation for the FAA knowledge exam is very important, as the test is expensive and can only be attempted a limited number of times per calendar year. 

Online ground schools use video and text to educate aspiring pilots on everything they could be asked on their exams to get their student pilot certificate. 

What to Consider With an Online Ground School

As the FAA exam is the same no matter your prior education level, most ground schools will offer the same basic package. Depending on your areas of expertise, bank account, flexibility, and learning style; however, it’s a good thing that there are multiple school options to choose from. Before enrolling in an online training program, you should consider the following. 

Instructor Expertise

In order to apply for the FAA knowledge exam, aspiring pilots must have an endorsement from a CFI stating that they are ready to take the test. Knowing this, you should first be sure your online ground school offers a path to this endorsement. 

Some courses have single instructors while others have multiple, but as long as there is an option to ask qualified instructor questions, the ability to ask a single instructor versus multiple ones has a pretty even mix of pros and cons. 

Easy Course Access

If you’re very busy, online ground school is almost certainly your best option. Furthermore, some of these courses offer apps for phones and tablets, as well as downloadable content that you can study while not connected to the internet. 

Quality of Course Materials

All of these courses offer a preview of their course materials, and it’s up to you to decide which style you prefer. Some are more video-based, and others are more text, but all of the options on this list offer quality knowledge. 

Strong Community Support

If you’re someone who likes to learn in a group setting, the online option may be a bit off-putting, but some of these courses offer real-time support with an instructor, as well as group meetings via Zoom (or similar) so you can interact with fellow classmates. 

Online Ground School Reviews

The aviation community is a pretty small one, so each review holds a little more weight than that of something like a restaurant, so you might take a look at reviews regarding a course. 

Course Pricing

Most of these courses hover between $250 and $300—though some are even less—but be sure to check if you have unlimited access to the materials. If not, you may want to consider a slightly more expensive option that allows you to continue accessing lessons long after you pass your FAA written exam.

Online Ground School vs Physical Ground School

With so many advancements in remote learning (many spawned out of necessity during the pandemic), the digital classroom has almost everything you would want in a physical classroom, outside of a handshake with the instructor. 

For more practical applications in aviation, like a check ride, a significant amount of hands-on training is a necessity, but for preparation for a written exam, such as that which ground school prepares you for, you may be well served by studying online. 

Study Time

With both online and in-class sessions, there are plenty of options for preparing you to pass the FAA-required exam to get your private pilot certificate. Online offers a bit more flexibility, and money saved on trips to and from a brick-and-mortar classroom. 

Online classes also offer access to materials that you can use even after your exam. If you’re tech-savvy and need a flexible schedule, online ground school is probably the best option for you.

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