Although it is common for learners to imprint on their instructors, the fact of the matter is that the training connection is a business relationship. There needs to be communication about goals, how to achieve them, progress made, what has been accomplished, and what needs to be done. 

When you are a novice pilot, it can be a challenge to determine if progress is being made. When it becomes clear that it isn’t, it is time to make a change.

Flying Once a Week—Or Less

To make progress you need to fly on a consistent basis. This can be a challenge given limitations on instructor availability, airplane availability, learner availability, or finances.

There is no way anyone can make progress when you fly just once a week or a few times a month. You need a minimum of two lessons per week, three would be better, for learning to take place.

If you don’t have the money or time to fly at least twice a week, now may not be the time to pursue flight training. Save up the money and carve out the time to train. 

Flight Lessons Longer Than Two Hours

Just as flying too little hampers learning, so does flying too much.

Flying is fatiguing both mentally and physically. The cognitive demands, noise, and vibration of the aircraft can wear you out. Learning will not take place if you are tired.

It is not uncommon for pre-solo novice pilots to book five-hour lessons in the aircraft thinking they can knock out huge chunks of training in one lesson. This usually doesn’t work due to the fatigue factor.

You will need to build up endurance in the cockpit just like you do when learning to play a sport. For flights out to the practice area and back, two hours of flight time might be on the ragged edge.

While the FBOs gladly take your money and the CFIs will rack up the hours, you probably won’t get much out of it after about an hour in the air. Flying is too expensive to become self-loading ballast, so consider keeping the pre-solo flights to the practice area and in the pattern no longer than 1.3 hours. When your endurance increases, lengthen the lessons.

Too Early for Ground School?

It is never too early. Most of what you do in the airplane is best taught on the ground in a classroom than practiced in the air. The rules, regulations, and airspace are best taught on the ground as aircraft make terrible classrooms. 

If the CFI doesn’t recommend ground school, insists you self-study, and/or doesn’t make time to review what you have learned, ask why they are reluctant. If you’re not sure about a concept or an aircraft system or how to use a piece of equipment like ForeFlight or the E6-B, and your CFI can’t show you, find someone else to work with.

The CFI Doesn’t Use a Syllabus

A syllabus is the best way to keep a learner on track as it lists the tasks to be performed for certification and the order the tasks are to be learned.

Flight instructors train their clients as they were trained, and sadly many CFIs don’t use a syllabus because the person who trained them didn’t. “No one here uses one,” is a tepid excuse and unprofessional.

Minimal Preflight and Post-Flight Briefings 

“Did you check the weather?” and “See you next week,” are not pre- and post-flight briefings.

The preflight briefing consists of what the planned lesson is, how it will be conducted, and completion standards. The post-flight briefing consists of how you performed on the flight, ways to improve if required, and what will be done on the next flight.

Reluctance to Teach Basic Navigation

If your CFI is all about GPS, and says that no one uses the VORs, magnetic compass, pilotage or ded reckoning anymore, know that this is not accurate.

The basic method of navigation is using outside visual references. You also need to be able to determine time, speed and distance calculations using the E6-B—either analog or electronic—rather than relying on an app to do the work. 

For your check ride, you will need to know how to perform a divert in midair, and it is likely the examiner will disable the electronic devices to test your skills.

Reluctance to Use Paper Charts

While the electronic flight bag is a marvelous tool and reduces cockpit clutter, it can overheat, run out of power, or disappear from your flight bag or airplane.

Learn to use paper as backup. Also, you may find it more expedient to use paper for certain operations, such as looking up an airport tower frequency.

Instead of tapping on multiple tabs, a quick glance at paper gives you the information you seek.

No Introduction to the FAR/AIM

The Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (FAR/AIM) spells out the knowledge and experience required for every certificate and rating. Your CFI should tell you about this book on day one of your training and demonstrate how to use it. 

The FAR/AIM is a tool to be used to “trust but verify.” There are far too many learners going on flights that are more for the benefit of the CFI building their hours.

How many times have you heard about a low-time, pre-solo private pilot candidate doing an IFR flight or night cross counties at the insistence of their instructor? 

Remember this is your training, and it’s supposed to benefit you. If you ever feel like that has not happened, you are well within your rights to make a change.

The post When Flight Training Stalls appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

They will drop out of flight training when they run out of money or when life gets in the way. It can also happen with ground school—they miss a class here or there or don’t have time to study. More often than not, it is more of a slow goodbye when they become overwhelmed. 

It is a learning plateau of sorts, and a good CFI will be watching for this and be ready to reel the learner back in.

Instructor Attitude Sets the Tone

It starts with attitude. If the instructor doesn’t want to be there, neither will the learners.

To the CFIs: Ground school shouldn’t be treated like a chore or a necessary evil. 

To the learners: Yes, it will help you pass the knowledge test, but it is also there to prepare you for your time in the air. Put some effort into it, and with the help of your instructor, do flight lessons that help you better understand the concepts you learn about in class.

To the flight schools: Find a CFI who excels at and enjoys teaching ground school. Nothing turns off a learner quicker than a lazy CFI who reads slides off a screen or passages out of a book and tries to call that teaching. They need to be engaged in the delivery—and that needs to be memorable for learning to take place.

Some flight schools pay their CFIs to create and teach a 10-week course with the caveat that the participants who miss a class can drop in on that particular class in the next 10-week course for free. Give the participants a six-month window to do these makeup classes.

This works best when the ground schools are run several times a year, provided they have enough learners to make it economically feasible for the flight school. I have taught classes with as few as five and as many as 12 learners.

The pace of the class should be to accommodate the slowest learner. It will take the CFI about two weeks to determine who that is.

To the CFI: Be ready to give that person extra assistance (privately) if needed, as there are fewer worse feelings than being left behind academically. Understand that talking is not teaching any more than throwing food at someone is getting them to eat.

Ask questions of the learners to see if the message delivered is the one received. If it isn’t, be ready to rephrase

Train the trainers 

It can be beneficial for CFI candidates to shadow the lead CFI, and open this opportunity to the inexperienced CFIs or even a commercial soon-to-be CFI candidate.

The CFI who is leading the course assigns the student-teacher a topic—for example, weight and balance or hazardous weather. The leading CFI is still in charge and will oversee the lesson to make sure all the elements are addressed, but it is a great opportunity for an up-and-comer to gain teaching experience.

Take the Initiative to Teach Ground

If your flight school does not have an established face-to-face ground school class, perhaps you can take the initiative and create one?

You don’t have to hold a CFI certificate to do this. You can become a ground instructor by passing the advanced ground instructor (AGI) knowledge test.

There is a basic ground instructor certificate, but if you want to pursue Gold Seal certification (the FAA’s way of saying you know your stuff), you will need to have an AGI, so why not get it now? The material on these tests is similar to that required of the private pilot and commercial pilot candidates. Once you pass the AGI exam, you can begin teaching ground school.

This nugget of knowledge comes from Greg Brown’s The Savvy Flight Instructor. Brown was flight instructor of the year in 2000 and inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame in 2021.

Brown became my mentor after I heard him speak at a convention. His book is required reading for all the CFI candidates I work with, because it provides guidance on how to achieve professionalism and to market and prepare yourself to be an aviation educator. If you are on the instructor track, read this book.

Initiative: Master Level

When you don’t have a CFI certificate or experience as a teacher, it can be difficult to find a location that will hire you as a ground instructor. Don’t let that stop you.

Have some business cards made and market yourself as a tutor for those in pursuit of their flight review. The ground portion can often be very daunting if it has been a few years since they were involved in aviation.

This is how I started my instructor career. I began tutoring a friend in a Starbucks on Saturday mornings. I carried a small whiteboard, a sectional, an E6-B, etc. Another customer who recognized the tools of the trade asked if I would tutor him for his flight review.

This continued, and soon I had a small ground school going in the corner on Saturday mornings. I would tip the baristas in advance, and everyone would order coffee for the two hours we were together. It helped pay for my CFI flying lessons and develop my teaching skills.

The post The Art of Ground School appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We agreed there were times when compulsory education seemed tedious, and there was the added challenge of having transportation to get to school, wearing “the right clothes,” etc., which was often a distraction. We both could have done without a lot of that, and agreed the experience would have been better experience with the option for remote learning.

But this was a time when we still had telephone booths and blue mailboxes on corners. The digital age was not yet upon us, and the term “online” applied to fish.

That has all changed now, as online classes are as common as rocks on the beach. If you are considering taking ground school, and have a choice of face-to-face or online, consider this: The material presented will be the same, but the delivery and learner responsibilities are a bit different. It will come down to what works for you.

Face-to-Face

This time of year, ground school enrollment tends to increase as the good flying weather is just around the corner. Before you invest your money (and it will probably be  a few hundred dollars) and time, there are some things to think about.

Do you have the time to commute to a face-to-face class? Or will you be rushing from work to the airport? Will the class schedule interfere with already planned vacations or home projects?

Most face-to-face ground schools are 10 weeks long, consisting of about four hours of lecture and five to six hours of studying. You will definitely get more out of the class if you do the assigned reading before the lecture. If you cannot make this commitment, this may not be the right time for you to enroll. Keep in mind that many FBOs do not give refunds for ground school, even if you have to drop out due to an unforeseen circumstance, like an illness in the family.

Also, some face-to-face courses have minimum attendance rules. For example, if you miss more than X number of classes, you are not allowed to continue, or you may not get the endorsement at the end of the course that allows you to take the knowledge test. That endorsement, by the way, is only good for 60 days. Consider that when you make your plans.

Before you sign up, find out who is teaching the course and if they have experience as a ground instructor—not a flight instructor—beyond the pre-brief and post-brief. It is very discouraging to enroll in a ground school that turns out to be little more than a CFI reading out of a book or the slides off a computer screen. Ground school should be a lecture, discussion, hands-on experience, and if the CFI is good, memorable in a positive way.

To the learners, hear this: Teaching someone to fly an airplane is a lot easier than teaching in a classroom. You show the learner what to do, and they do it. There are many CFIs who avoid teaching ground school because they know it isn’t their skill set. There are others who think repeating something louder and slower is teaching. It really isn’t, but that may be the education model the CFI was trained under.

Online Courses Offer Control

The beauty of online courses is that the learner controls the pace and time of instruction. You could binge watch, doing five lessons in one night, or spread it out to two a week. Don’t try skipping ahead in these courses, however, as they have algorithms baked in to record how much time the learner spent in that lesson. A warning box will pop up telling you that you are going too fast. It also records if you skip something, so don’t even try it.

With online courses you can go back and watch a lesson if something doesn’t quite click. Many online courses provide a way for you to contact a CFI to clarify a concept.

If you are enrolled in a Part 141 program at an FBO or college, it may use a specific online course. It likely dovetails into the syllabus.

If you’re training under Part 61, you have more freedom, and you may want to test fly each course—most allow you to sample a few lessons for free—before you commit.

Some learners get the most out of mixing ground schools. One of my current learners is using Sporty’s Online Private Pilot course and Gold Seal at the same time. Both courses have the same material but are organized differently. This immersion seems to be working for her.

One of the bonuses of online ground school is that often you can revisit the lessons even after you have received your certificate. This refresher, while not required by the FAA, is often the mark of a good pilot. If it has been awhile since you did a soft field takeoff and you plan to fly to a grass strip, review that lesson to make sure no knowledge has been lost. Remember, pilot proficiency begins on the ground.

More Specialty Training

Many online education providers also have specialty courses, such as preparing for your flight review, tailwheel training, or backcountry flying. It’s also a way to sample a different kind of flying without getting anywhere near an airport.

If this is your first endeavor into ground school, trial and error is probably the best way to determine what works for you and what doesn’t. Good luck, and may learning take place.

The post How to Find Your Best Ground School Fit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I was using the weather computer at a flight school when I overheard a CFI say this to another CFI. They were talking about the private pilot knowledge test and the school policy of pushing the learners through by rote memorization. I turned to look at them. I tried not to have “warrior-princess-flight-instructor-mom face,” but I don’t think I succeeded because they both froze, then moved on. I wondered when “later” was for the learners, who had spent approximately $700 on class supplies and tuition to spend 40 hours in the classroom with the expectation they were learning what they needed to know to be private pilots—not just to pass a 60 question test.

Ground School Is Important

Sadly, ground school is often treated as a chore rather than a means of gaining knowledge. This attitude may come from the CFI, who may rush through the prebrief and direct their learners to online ground courses such as Gold Seal, Sporty’s, King Schools, ASA, etc. with the expectation that learning will take place. That depends on the learner’s attitude. If they rush through the course, guessing at answers at the end of subject quizzes, it is doubtful they will benefit from the course. If they pass all the quizzes and the final exam, they get the end-of-course certificate that can be used in lieu of an instructor’s endorsement required to take the $175 knowledge test. This certificate does not guarantee that they will pass the test. If they fail, it is often a surprise, especially when they don’t grasp the difference between guess clicking the answers and actually learning the material.

If you are using an online course, keep a notebook next to you and write down the topics that are confusing or challenging. If you have to guess at an answer, write down the question and find an instructor who excels at teaching ground school and have them explain it to you.

Failure to learn can also happen in a face-to-face class. One of the first remedial stage checks I performed was for a private pilot candidate who failed his checkride on the ground because his knowledge of systems was not to standard. He took private pilot ground school at the local community college passing the class and scoring a 72 on the knowledge test (70 is passing).

The recommending CFI was perplexed, as he knew the learner had taken ground school, but admitted he had not gone over the material with the learner prior to the check ride because he thought the college ground school would have prepared him well enough.

After a few minutes of quizzing, it was apparent that there were significant soft spots, and he did not know how to use the resources, such as the legend on the sectional and FAR/AIM to look things up. The learner said the structure of the college course was that the teacher of the ground school class supplied the learners with copies of the tests in advance, and they memorized the answers. When they all passed the class, the teacher—and the Part 141 program—looked good to the FAA.

Plan to Learn, Plan to Teach

Ground lessons, like flight lessons, need to be planned. Insist the instructor use a syllabus backed up with Airman Certification Standards (ACS). And, remember, the ACS is the minimum for certification, so aim to do better.

In my 20-plus years of instructing, I have found it very helpful to have the learner teach the topic back to me. Most of my learners are planning careers as professional pilots and will likely be working as flight instructors for a time. I encourage them to develop their skills as teachers of flight and never lose them, because after a few years of flying the line, they may be called upon to train their future coworkers. Keep those skills sharp, and plan on doing flight instructor refresher clinics so you won’t have to take a check ride to reinstate your CFI certificate—it’s a lot easier to keep it than have to reinstate it.

Figure Out What Works for Ground Learning

Learning on the ground takes some experimentation. If you are a kinetic learner, you may find that tossing a tennis ball back and forth during oral quizzing can facilitate the learning process. Some may build models using classroom supplies or even Legos.

Visual learners do well writing and drawing on whiteboards with multiple colors, especially when it comes to diagraming aircraft systems. During the systems presentations, work in system failures and troubleshooting techniques.

• READ MORE: Math 101 for Pilots

Airspace and aircraft performance are best taught by creating a VFR flight plan for a cross country. And I mean using a paper navlog and a mechanical E6-B flight computer—which I stress has the instructions for problem-solving printed on it. Navigation can be fun to learn and teach, especially when you make a stack of plans for those “bucket list” flights. This is also a good time to practice diverting skills. I often time my learners to see how quickly they can do the calculations.

Teaching weather can also be a challenge, especially for the learner who argues they will only fly on “good days.”

“Weather is something we can’t control that can kill you,” I told a particularly recalcitrant learner, then had him do a search on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) website for accidents in the local area that had a weather component. The Pacific Northwest had seen its share of CFIT events caused by clouds, fog, pilot disorientation, and “get-there-itis.”

His attitude changed after that, and he showed me so on a day we were flying a VFR-only aircraft on a winter afternoon. You could feel the temperature dropping. He pulled up the AWOS, noted the converging temperature and dew point, then turned the aircraft to look at the valley next to the airport. You could see fog starting to form. He announced we were going to return for landing before it got worse because he didn’t want to end up a statistic.

Some Questions Best Answered in the Air

Some of the concepts that confuse a person on the ground can best be explained in the air or the AATD, if one is available.

A good example of this is the “why can’t you stretch a glide with back pressure?” question. If you are in the air, get to an altitude that will allow for recovery from a power-off stall, then have the learner attempt to stretch the glide. When the aircraft stalls and the nose drops, talk the learner through recovery, noting altitude loss. Then take the aircraft back up to altitude and repeat the process, except instead of adding back pressure to stretch the glide, experiment with adding power and changing pitch to maintain best glide speed. Learning will take place.

The post Making the Most of a Ground Lesson appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Answer: Teaching a lesson under the guidance of an experienced CFI is how most instructor candidates learn how to teach. You were given an opportunity to develop and exercise those skills. 

• READ MORE: Can You Select a DPE for Your Check Ride?

The weight and balance lesson isn’t so much aviation but basic math. The chief CFI was correct that the ground instructor is still in charge of the class. However, if you really don’t want to be a CFI, please consider finding another way to build your hours, since poor attitudes lead to poor instruction given.

• READ MORE: What Impact Does Time Change Have on Aviation?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Can a CFI Applicant Teach Ground School? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The courses offered by the iconic general aviation outlet and service provider include a comprehensive training syllabus with a quick access feature to suggested study resources, like video segments and FAA manuals. FAA manuals—such as the federal aviation regulations —are continually updated every time pilots log in, so the course always shows the latest information. 

Learners can navigate their way through sections with a search box.

Each video section has also been upgraded, with a “Related Content” tab that links to helpful resources for pilots who want to explore a topic through additional videos, helpful websites, and FAA publications.

“We have made it much more than an online knowledge test prep,” says Bret Koebbe, Sporty’s senior vice president, noting the courses have been created to help pilots acquire practical skills, not just rote memorization to pass the knowledge test.

Improved Lifestyle Integration

According to Koebbe, the new digital courses can be viewed on Macbook, iMac or Mac Pro and are designed to work without an internet connection. The Mac app automatically saves test prep components for offline use and videos can be downloaded to the Mac’s hard drive.

“CarPlay integration has been added to the iOS version of the Pilot Training app, so if your vehicle has CarPlay, you can review for your flight lesson en route to the airport,” Koebbe said.

Sporty’s has been one of the leaders in remote ground schools starting in the 1980s with VHS tapes, then DVDs and eventually moving to online materials. 

Every time the courses are updated, Sporty’s adds new segments based upon its customers’ suggestions and requests. This time around, there are detailed lessons on completing a navlog using a paper sectional, plotter, and E6B (both mechanical and electronic), preflight weather briefing tips, and an introduction to glass cockpits.

Improved CFI Integration

With this update, flight instructors enjoy free access to a suite of tools on Sporty’s Pilot Training platform, including a document library and templates for common endorsements. CFIs can also monitor the progress of their students in the Sporty’s courses, including video segments and test prep sessions. Detailed reporting makes it easy to review missed questions during a ground lesson, and CFIs can also watch the entire course to stay in sync on key topics. 

CFIs can get free access to the course by registering their CFI certificate number. This also gives the CFI access to the Sporty’s Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic every two years.

“The COVID-19 pandemic taught many flight students and instructors that remote ground school lessons are now a possibility,” Koebbe said. “Sporty’s 2023 courses are taking this idea to the next level, with support for Apple’s unique SharePlay feature. [SharePlay supports training on the] iPhone and iPad, which allows two students, or a CFI and a student, to watch a training video together on a FaceTime call from the app, or share their screen to review or study other parts of the app, like test prep questions or the flight maneuvers guide. It’s a great way for CFIs to prepare for or debrief a lesson with a student when away from the airport.”

The app syncs video playback and controls, so both people see the same thing at the same time. Smart volume means a student and instructor can talk while the video is playing, making it possible to discuss complicated concepts or their application in the flight training environment.

Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course [E1753A], Instrument Rating Course [E4200A], and Commercial Pilot Course [E249A] may be purchased for $279 each at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS. Free lifetime updates are included with each course.

The post Sporty’s Unveils New Pilot Training Courses for 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Sadly, many pilots in training see private pilot ground school as a means to pass the knowledge exam (it hasn’t been a written test since the 1990s—it is completed on a computer) and that’s it. Some student pilots have a “just get it over with” mentality for the knowledge test, with the idea that 70 percent is the minimum passing grade, and anything higher than that is overkill. 

There was a time when memorizing the questions and answers was done on a regular basis and even encouraged by some—but the FAA threw that out the window when they started changing up the questions on a semi-regular basis, as digital publishing made it easier to do.

The Knowledge Test Dictates the Check Ride

In the last few years, the applicant’s knowledge test score has taken on a greater significance, impacting the structure of the private pilot check ride. It used to be that the designated pilot examiner wouldn’t see the applicant’s knowledge exam results until the day of the check ride. The DPE would note the areas where the applicant was found deficient—meaning where you had wrong answers—and would start asking questions in that area. These days, the DPE receives the applicant’s test results in advance. DPEs can get creative when creating a scenario testing the applicant’s knowledge of “areas found deficient.” If there are a lot of deficient areas, then it’s going to be a mighty long oral exam.

If you fail the knowledge exam, you are required to get additional training, an endorsement from the instructor stating that you had the required additional instruction and are now capable of passing the test. Be advised, the knowledge exam now costs $175 a shot. You want to pass the first time and with a good score. This can be achieved by applying yourself during ground school.

Options for Ground School

Ground school can be accomplished face to face, online, or through self-study. Since the pandemic, hybrid classes done F2F and via Zoom have also become more popular. It doesn’t matter if you intend to train under Part 141 or Part 61—the knowledge requirements are the same. You will learn about flight instruments and parts of an airplane, aircraft systems, aerodynamics, airspace, weather, flight operations, cross-country flight planning, regulations, sectional charts, aircraft performance, human factors, electronic navigation, and weight and balance. 

Expect to use a textbook, either virtual or hardcopy, such as the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, the Airplane Flying Handbook, and a current FAR/AIM. These can also be purchased through a third-party provider such as Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA), or Jeppesen. You should be taking notes during class.

For people who do best with a face-to-face class held in a brick-and-mortar classroom, check with the local FBOs or colleges. If you take this route, expect to spend 4 to 5 hours a week in class for eight to 10 weeks. Expect to take quizzes at the end of each subject area, as well as a test at the end of each section, and at least one final exam—more often, two versions that are drawn from the actual question bank used on the FAA’s knowledge exam. 

When you pass the final in class or online (in most cases), you will get a certificate of completion and an endorsement that gives you 60 days to take the knowledge test at an FAA- approved testing center. Flight schools usually have a list of locations where you can take the test. It comprises 60 multiple choice questions.

The scores you get on quizzes and stage tests in ground school are not reported to the FAA. The important thing is that you learn the material—and remember, there is something about getting a question wrong on a test, and then learning what the correct answer is that makes you remember the correct answer that much more.

Online Ground School

If you would like to learn on your own schedule and at your own pace, an online course might work best for you. Online courses require you to have access to a reliable internet connection. 

Gold Seal, King Schools, and Sporty’s Pilot Shop are among the online courses most recommended by instructors. 

Many online courses allow you to sample a few classes for free. If the videos are too long, or you can’t stand the sound of the presenter’s voice, or they have a distracting habit, like rocking back and forth or squirreling off on tangents, move on. You’re going to spend at least 40 hours with this person, and if you feel like you can’t bear this thought, find another course.

When doing ground school online, pace yourself. Binge-watching ground school lessons usually doesn’t work well for retention. Don’t even think about skipping ahead to the quizzes or end-of-course exam as many courses have built-in software to prevent you from doing that.

Pro-tip: Find an online ground school that allows you to automatically share your quiz results with your CFI via email. When you take a quiz, the CFI gets an email telling them how you did on it. This helps the CFI tailor your flight lessons to address any soft spots revealed by the quizzes. For example, if you have difficulty with an aerodynamics quiz, a good CFI can demonstrate the concepts using slow flight, stalls, and steep turns.

Self-Study—Do It on Your Own

In order to be eligible for the knowledge test, the applicant needs to have an endorsement stating that they are ready to take the test, per sections FAR 61.35(a)(1) and 61.105.

You can do this with books too. If you choose this route, a CFI or advanced ground instructor (AGI) must review your course supplies and evaluate your retention of the material—and then sign you off for the knowledge test. 

Hands-On Learning Takes Repetition

Some private pilot concepts—such as cross-country flight planning and filling out a navlog—need to be reviewed more than once, and are often best done face to face with a CFI. It is one of those skills that is often best taught by the “instructor tells, student does” model, starting with a paper sectional, paper navlog, and plotter—and the E6B flight computer, often called the “flight confuser” by some learners.

I wish I had a dollar for every time a learner described the E6B as “the bane of their existence”—I could buy pizza for the entire Cal Poly Humboldt marching band—the E6B can be your friend if you have the patience to learn how to use it. This can be done in a one-on-one session with a flight instructor. But here is the scary part: There are lots of CFIs who never learned to use an E6B or don’t remember how to because they have an app on their smartphone. 

That’s all well and good until the learner goes to take the knowledge test and their phone is taken away because electronic devices are not allowed—the learner is handed a manual E6B that belongs to the testing center and hijinks ensue. Save yourself some heartache and learn to use the mechanical E6B.

Another pro tip: The instructions for how to solve the equations for time/speed/distance, density altitude, etc., are printed on the E6B. What a glorious day it was when the instructor of my private pilot ground school allowed us to remove the painter’s tape he’d used to cover this information on our E6Bs—he was old school and insisted we learn the formulas. We spent so much time with the E6B we were instructed to give them names. I still have a 30-plus-year-old one that I named Wilbur. It’s made of metal and some of its numbers have rubbed off because of heavy use. One edge is sharpened because I turned it into a knife and a shovel during a survival drill, and it’s missing a screw on the wind side. It resides in a place of honor on the bookshelf in my office.

• READ MORE: FAA Updates Bank of Sample Knowledge Test Questions

Practice Tests are a Good Idea

The purpose of practice and drill is to help you develop your skills. This is one of those tests you want to practice. Sporty’s has practice tests that you can take online for free. You can customize them to an extent to address your soft spots—for example, if FARs are not your strong suit, you can create an exam that is all FARs. You may find it helpful to take shorter quizzes of no more than 10 questions at a time, then work your way up to the 60 question practice test. Keep notes on what areas you had difficulty with.

Another pro-tip: Do not take the official knowledge test until you have scored at least 90 percent on three 60-question practice tests in a row during the same week. I offer this advice as someone who has been teaching ground school for 20 years: There is something about walking into that testing center that makes most people lose 10 points—or more—off their score. 

Tips for Taking the Knowledge Test

1) For the cross-country distance questions, use the scale on the figures referred to in the testing booklet—do not use your plotter or the scale on the manual E6B, because the scale will be wrong. Instead, create a plotter that matches the scale printed on the figure in the test booklet. Use the piece of scratch paper that is issued to you in the testing center to do this.

2) Read the questions twice, silently to yourself moving your lips. This makes your brain slow down to really take a look at what is being asked.

3) Put your test results in a safe place—I am a big believer in photocopying them as a precaution and carrying the photocopy in the logbook because your instructor will be going over the test results with you; the codes for what was missed are printed on the test results. Your CFI will give you more instruction in those areas.

4) Make sure an instructor goes over the test results with you, and then signs off that you have received remedial training in that subject area. You will need this for your check ride.

Remember, the purpose of private pilot ground school is not just to pass the knowledge test, it’s to learn the skills and knowledge required for safe flying—apply yourself and reap the rewards.

The post Ground Knowledge Is Important appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Interested in becoming a pilot? Finding a flight school that fits your needs the best and is also in the location you want is important. Here are FLYING’s top picks for flight schools in California. Visit FLYING’s Flight School Guide for more information on more than 100 flight schools, colleges, and universities with flight programs.

Quick Look: Flight Schools in California

• ATP 
• California Aeronautical University
• Mt. San Antonio College
• NorCal Flight Center LLC
• Coast Flight Training

5 Flight Schools in California

Whether you are looking to become a professional pilot with or without a degree, here are FLYING’s top choices for some of the best flight schools in California.

ATP Flight School

ATP Flight School is the largest flight training organization in the U.S. and has been around for more than 35 years. ATP’s nationwide network of 77 training centers are located in 33 states, including eight in California. The all-inclusive tuition makes ATP attractive to pilots looking to get the best bang for their buck. 

• Locations: 
  • Camarillo (KCMA)
  • Carlsbad (KCRQ)
  • Long Beach (KLGB)
  • Livermore (KLVK)
  • Los Angeles (KPOC)
  • Riverside (KRAL)
  • Sacramento (KSAC)
  • San Diego (KMYF)

Tuition & fees: ATP Flight School tuition is all-inclusive. This means it includes all flight instruction, FAA written, oral and practical exams, and ratings and certificates. The all-inclusive tuition is $108,995 for students with no private pilot certificate and $86,995 for students who have already completed their private certificate.

Financial assistance: ATP Flight School does not offer any in-house scholarships, but it does offer in-house financing for students looking to spread out payments. Students may also apply for outside aviation scholarships to help mitigate the cost. 

Accreditation? Yes, this flight school is an FAA Part 141 school.

Program length: 6 months minimum

Partners: The school has partnerships with many airlines to help students transition to the airlines easier. Some of those airlines include United, Delta, and Spirit. 

Job placement? Yes

Virtual learning? No

See the full review of the ATP Program at FLYING’s Flight School Guide

California Aeronautical University

Offering an associate or bachelor’s degree in the professional pilot track, California Aeronautical University is one of the best options for a student looking to attend a school in California, pursue a degree, and become a professional pilot. CAU is one of the only colleges in California that offers a rotor-wing track for students. 

Locations:  Bakersfield, Oxnard, and San Diego

Tuition and fees: CAU student pilots are required to pursue either an associate or bachelor’s degree concurrently. Because of this, students are required to pay both academic tuition and flight fees. Over the course of earning their degree and training, flight students will pay between $195,000 and $235,000 depending on if they are in-state or out-of-state students.

Financial assistance: CAU offers many scholarships for students to apply for. The school also accepts veterans’ benefits for flight programs, including the post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon program.

Accreditation? Yes, this flight school is an FAA Part 141 school.

Program length: 24 to 48 months depending on the student and if they are pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree. 

Partners: The school has partnerships with many airlines to help students build relationships with the airlines easier. Some of those airlines include Delta, Southwest, and United.

Job placement? Yes

Virtual learning? No

Considering CAU? Read the full California Aeronautical University Review

Mt. San Antonio College

Mt. San Antonio College is an FAA Part 141-approved school that offers associate degree and certificate programs for students interested in working in the aviation industry. Located in Walnut, California, Mt. San Antonio College is one of the top flight school options in Southern California.

Location: Walnut

Tuition and fees: Mt. San Antonio College students are required to pursue an associate degree concurrently with flight training. Because of this, students are required to pay both academic tuition and flight fees. Over the course of earning their degree and flight training,  students will pay between $81,000 and $105,000 depending on if they are in-state or out-of-state students.

Financial Assistance: Mt. San Antonio College offers traditional financial aid through the FAFSA but does not have any aviation specific scholarships. Students may also apply for outside aviation scholarships to help mitigate the cost. 

Accreditation: Mt. San Antonio College is an FAA Part 141-approved school.

Program length: Two-year program

Partners: No airline partners 

Job placement? No

Virtual learning? No

See how Mt. San Antonio College stacked up against the competition.

NorCal Flight Center LLC

NorCal Flight Center is an option for students who want to complete flight training at their own pace and budget. The school does not require any degree pursuance and has no set timeline for program completion. The northern California location offers weather that is typically agreeable to flight training all year round. 

Location: Lincoln

Tuition and fees: Completion of each stage of training at NorCal Flight Center varies in price depending on how many hours of instruction are needed to complete the rating. On average, students will pay about $25,000 per rating, adding up to a total of around $125,000 to complete certificates and ratings up to certified flight instructor. 

Financial assistance: NorCal Flight Center does not have any in-house scholarships but it does offer in-house financing for students looking to spread out payments. Students may also apply for outside aviation scholarships to help mitigate the cost. 

Accreditation: Part 61

Program length: Each rating takes roughly two to three months to complete at a minimum. All five ratings and certificates will take around 15 months to complete. 

Partners: None

Job placement? No

Virtual learning? No

Coast Flight Training

Coast Flight Training has a wide variety of flight training options and a large fleet of over 60 aircraft. They offer a full-length professional pilot training program in partnership with American Airlines, as well as more casual self-paced general aviation training. Coast is also one of only 10 aviation schools in California that are certified Cirrus Training Centers for specialized training programs in Cirrus aircraft.

Location: San Diego

Tuition and fees: For the professional pilot Flight Academy, tuition is all-inclusive at a flat rate of $99,400. 

Financial assistance: Coast Flight has several loan partners available to help their students secure financing.

Accreditation: Both Part 61 and 141 training options are available.

Program length: Most cadets graduate from their career pilot program in 12 months.

Partners: American Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Envoy, Mesa Airlines, United Express

Job placement? Yes

Virtual learning? No

California Flight School Facts and Figures

When choosing a flight school, you need to consider multiple factors such as tuition, job placement assistance, and financial aid. 

Number of Schools

California hosts more than 100 flight schools. While there may be a lot of schools to choose from, not all of them will fit your style of learning or your budget. If you are looking for a flight school that is Part 141 accredited, this number drops to less than 20. Part 141 flight schools are usually more involved in the job placement process of their students and also tend to have faster completion times. 

Whether you want to obtain a private pilot license or become a flight instructor, many of the best flight schools in California have multiple training options to fit different flying goals. It’s important to define your top priorities so you can find the right fit for you.

Number of Students per Class

On average, a flight school ground class at a Part 141 school will have roughly 15 to 20 students. Part 61 schools normally train on more of a 1:1 basis. All flight training, at either type of school, will be 1-to-1 with an instructor.

Training Tuition Rates

Flight schools range in price depending on the type of program you attend and where the program is located. In California, accelerated flight programs run around $100,000 all in, while flight schools that have a degree program attached to them will run a little more, between $100,000 to $200,000. Part 61 flight schools may be lower cost up front, but because of the less structured classes and possibly less frequent flight lessons, the student could end up paying more in the long run. 

Average Loan Amount

The average loan amount to complete flight training in California is around $75,000. This is assuming students pay a little out of pocket or get some financial aid to cover the remaining cost. 

Scholarship

Some schools offer in-house scholarships for flight students which can be a great way to help mitigate tuition costs. If the school you are attending does not have any specific flight training scholarships, outside aviation scholarships may also be available. VA benefits are a popular way flight students can pay for training. If you plan on using VA benefits, ensure that your school accepts them prior to enrolling.

Job Placement

Flight schools and colleges may lend a hand in job placement after training is completed. Airline partnerships can also give students the upper hand in finding a job after graduation. To find out if the school you are interested in has any partnerships, visit its website.

California Pilot Employment Facts and Figures

When researching what company to fly for upon completing your flight training, stay on top of the facts and figures of California pilots.

Employment 

Many airlines have hubs in California, making it a great place to look for a career as a pilot. Some of the top employers of pilots in California are:

Salary

Salaries for pilots vary depending on the airline/company you work for and if you are a first officer or a captain. Most students out of flight school will be a first officer at their first airline and start at roughly $50,000 to $70,000 their first year.

Picking a flight school can feel overwhelming, but getting all the information before enrolling in a program can help you find the right school for you. If you would like to explore more options, check out FLYING’s Flight School Guide and subscribe to FLYING magazine to stay informed on all things aviation. 

FAQ

The post Top Recommended Flight Schools in California appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It has been said that just about every pilot who holds at least an instrument rating has spent some time with Martha King. She is, after all, one-half of the most famous flight instructor team on the planet. She and her husband, John, are the co-creators of King Schools Inc., one of the most utilized online ground schools in the world.

A pioneering woman in aviation, Martha has been recognized by numerous organizations for her contributions to the industry. In 2003, she was honored by the First Flight Centennial Commission as one of the 100 distinguished aviation heroes of the first 100 years of flight at the Kitty Hawk Celebration.

On that day, she shared the stage with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, John Glenn, Tom Poberezny, and Joe Ettinger to name a few. That same year, Martha was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Aviation by Women in Aviation International. In 2021, her latest commendation, she and John were jointly inducted into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame. 

Life Began With Other Interests

Martha was born at the tail end of World War II in Big Spring, Texas. Her father was in the U.S. Army Air Forces, and according to Martha, “He was in charge of a base that trained pilots for World War II.”

King was close to her father, describing herself as a “Daddy’s girl,” and has fond memories of canoe trips with him. But for the most part, she says, she was “non-athletic” with the exception of an interest in horseback riding. 

“I was interested in literature and I dabbled in various things like painting and writing poetry. My vision of my future self was ending up as a professor at a university somewhere,” she says.

As a child, she had no interest in aviation. “In those days…it was very unusual for women to be involved in aviation,” Martha says. And, her father viewed aviation more in military terms, “as a weapon rather than as a means of recreation.”

Martha Meets John

In 1963, Martha’s older sister introduced her to a young man named John King. Martha and John were both attending Indiana University in Bloomington. 

“John already had an interest in aviation,” Martha says.”As a young kid, his father owned a small airplane, and John flew with him and a family friend. When John was old enough, he took flying lessons. He got through solo and a few hours past, then decided to quit flying in order to save money for college.”

The pair married in 1965 and went into business together, because, Martha says, “John’s father and mother ran a restaurant and a service station on the highway, and John wanted to work with his spouse, just like his father did.”

The younger Kings opened a truck servicing business where they performed oil changes and lubrication for fleets of trucks. When the OPEC energy embargo hit in 1973, the business disintegrated. 

“We could blame the loss of the business on the oil crisis, but we were young and naive and didn’t design the business to withstand a financial crisis,” Martha says. “We went bankrupt, and when we came out the other side we said, ‘Let’s go do something for the fun of it and then look for a serious business, something that we had a passion for.’”

That fun thing was aviation. They started by buying a Cherokee 140 and taking flying lessons together.

“We got our private pilot certificates two days apart.” Martha notes. Spurred by their collective “intellectual curiosity,” the couple pursued additional ratings and certificates. “We started with the normal progression of airplane from single to twin, then we went to Alaska where a friend flew seaplanes and got our seaplane ratings; and then we went to Hawaii and got our glider ratings and became glider instructors,” she says.

As they progressed in their learning, a passion for teaching others to fly was born. Today, the Kings hold every certificate and rating from airship to jets and are the first and only couple to both hold every category and class of FAA rating on their pilot and instructor certificates. 

Having all of those ratings and that experience comes in handy, Martha says, recalling when she and John were tasked to do some work for Fugifilm (TSE: FUJIY) after a friend introduced them to the company’s chief pilot. 

“The blimp was doing some exposure work over the Super Bowl and they needed some backup pilots,” she explains, adding that they have been the pilots over such events as the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby.

Launching the Ground School

The King’s ground school programs began as face-to-face classes.

“We went to work for another ground school where we would spend two days traveling some place to teach ground school to get people ready for the knowledge test,” Martha says. After about three months, they realized it wasn’t viable. They took the lessons they learned from this failure and went back to the “drawing board.” Martha says, “We decided we should start a ground school business—and we figured out how to do it without going broke.”

The Kings created weekend courses where pilots were in the classroom on Saturdays and Sundays, and then took their knowledge test on Mondays.

“It was a good business model,” Martha explains. “We ended up going to places in North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Western Washington, Oregon—places [where] there was a lot of distance between airports and cities—where it was not feasible for someone to drive 100 miles to do ground school two nights a week for eight weeks. We made it so these people could do ground school in a weekend, and we encouraged them to make sort of a mini-vacation of it, [to] bring their families, stay in a hotel and knock the test out in two days. We figured if they are not having fun, they will not learn as well.”

In 1974, King Schools—the videotaped version—was launched from a spare bedroom in the King’s Southern California home. At first, it was a videotape of a basic lecture with a few hand-held teaching tools like a model airplane. Today, the Kings have a facility in San Diego and produce courses that use graphics, digital animation, video, and a green screen. The courses are shared across multiple platforms from home-based media to the internet.

The matching company-branded polo shirts that they wear—which have become an EAA AirVenture corporate fashion trend and a statement of emotional commitment between couples—began in 1983 as part of the video ground schools. 

Martha has been teaching for more than 40 years. She says she still enjoys it, and she’s still learning herself.

“I like teaching the instrument course best, especially instrument procedures, particularly the use of new avionics like ForeFlight and on the iPad,” she says. These tools are helpful; but at the same time, learners need to pay attention to the airplane and be able to create a mental abstract of where the airplane is in their minds so they don’t have to depend on fancy avionics, she adds.

Martha has logged approximately 14,000 flight hours. When asked how many hours of ground instruction she has provided over the years, she answers in what may be the “Queen Mother” of a mathematical story problem:

“We taught live for 10 years every weekend and then we went to video, then to computer with DVD, and internet with short-course lessons of five or 10 minutes, then study questions. Our IT folks tell us we are delivering 10,000 lessons a day to people, Martha says. “We sell about 50,000 courses a year. We figure we have taught about half the pilots in the country and helped them get either their private or IFR rating.”

The Kings have shelves of trophies and honorifics from various groups and associations and are the acknowledged experts in aviation education.

When asked if she ‘s ever thought about retiring, Martha sort of sighs, “We tried it. We’re not very good at the retiring thing.” 

They still fly together, she says, switching off PIC duties. 

Her advice to flight instructors: “Make it fun, and sell the benefits of what the learners are learning. It has to be more than ‘this is going to be on the test’ because you are or should be training these pilots for real-life flying—so they should be taught how it will make flying safer and more enjoyable.”

Despite the fact that both she and John have decades of experience helping thousands of pilots reach their personal and professional goals, Martha is reluctant to refer to themselves as professional flight instructors.

“I tend to think of us not as professional flight instructors but as business owners and ground  instructors as we have never worked for a flight school and never taught flight instruction on a full-time, regular basis in the aircraft. We have enormous respect for those who do, because flight instruction is difficult and very rewarding when you have the right learners.”

The post Martha King: The Grand Dame of Aviation Ground Schools appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The endorsement can help you prepare for flying these aircraft proficiently and help you secure the proper insurance. Part 61 defines a pressurized aircraft as one with a maximum operating altitude or service ceiling of 25,000 feet msl. 

To earn your high-altitude endorsement, you’ll need both ground training and flight training from an authorized instructor. Here’s a step-by-step look at how to earn this endorsement.

What Is a High-Altitude Endorsement? 

A high-altitude endorsement helps you prepare for flying a pressurized aircraft. You’ll learn valuable information, including how to handle a high-altitude aircraft, hypoxia symptoms and effects, supplemental oxygen use, and more.

Even if you plan to only operate non-pressurized aircraft at high altitudes, it’s a good idea to complete the high-altitude endorsement training to learn how to protect yourself.

Diminishing oxygen can impact your ability to control an aircraft and affect your vision, which could lead to a catastrophic accident. Other physiological concerns associated with hypoxia—including loss of consciousness—result from an improper understanding of high-altitude aircraft and their systems.

How Does a High-Altitude Endorsement Work? 

Earning a high-altitude endorsement requires classroom instruction, ground training, and flight training from an authorized instructor. 

During ground school, you’ll learn about signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, when to use supplemental oxygen, how long you can safely use that oxygen, and more.

Once you’ve completed your ground training successfully, you’ll take to the skies—or to a flight simulator—where you’ll learn how to operate an aircraft at 25,000 feet msl. 

After successfully completing both the classroom and flight training portions of the training, your instructor will add the high-altitude endorsement to your logbook to demonstrate your preparation. 

Four Steps for Earning a High-Altitude Endorsement

Now that you know more about this endorsement, here’s a look at the four-step process for earning your high-altitude endorsement. 

Step 1: Ground Training

To provide this endorsement to a pilot, authorized instructors must include the following high-altitude endorsement instruction in their ground school training.

• Physiological aspects associated with high-altitude flight
• How the use of supplemental oxygen can impact you over time
• How to prevent high-altitude sickness
• How long you can maintain consciousness without supplemental oxygen
• High-altitude aerodynamics
• Incidents of decompression
• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoxia or altitude sickness
• Respiration

Step 2: Flight Training

You can complete the flight training for this endorsement in a pressurized aircraft, a flight simulator, or a flight training device. If the instructor offers the training using a simulator or other training device, these tools must be capable of replicating the experience of operating a pressurized aircraft.

Your instructor will prepare you for how to handle emergency procedures during rapid decompression. But don’t worry, the instructor will not actually depressurize the aircraft during this training. Finally, your flight training will include instruction on the descent procedures during an emergency.

Step 3: Logbook Endorsement

Once you’ve completed the ground school and flight training to earn the high-altitude endorsement, your instructor will add the endorsement to your logbook. This will certify that you have completed the training satisfactorily. 

Step 4: Exception to Earning a High-Altitude Endorsement

FAA Part 61 also lists several exceptions for individuals who do not need the high-altitude endorsement to fly a pressurized aircraft. These exceptions include the following.

• The pilot has served as PIC of a high-altitude pressurized aircraft prior to April 15, 1991.
• The pilot completed a pilot proficiency check to earn a pilot certificate or rating prior to April 15, 1991.
• The U.S. military completed a PIC check for the pilot.
• The pilot completed a PIC proficiency check with an approved pilot check airman or the administration under part 121, 125, or 135.

Preparing for Operating a Pressurized Aircraft

The high-altitude endorsement is an important safety measure to prepare you for high-altitude flights in a pressurized aircraft. But it’s also wise to seek the endorsement if you plan to operate a non-pressurized aircraft at higher altitudes. 

That way, you’ll be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoxia before it’s too late. Many flight schools offer this valuable endorsement along with other courses that can help you round out your pilot skills. 

Looking to stay in-the-know about updates in the industry? Be sure to subscribe to FLYING Magazine for more tips and insights.

The post How To Earn a High-Altitude Endorsement appeared first on FLYING Magazine.