Online Private Pilot Ground School Schedule – Academic Year 2022-2023
The classes of this private pilot ground school are held online using the Microsoft Teams app on Mondays 7:00-8:30pm EST/EDT, with open ended time afterwards to ask any questions. The schedule of topics is posted below (subject to change as needed). Numbers in brackets in the last column refer to references listed at the bottom of this page; direct links are provided, where available.
The Amateur Track of this online private pilot ground school meets biweekly. The Professional Track meets every week: it coincides in a joint class together with the Amateur Track, when the latter is taking place; but in addition, it also meets in the weeks in between, when the Amateur Track has the week off. Upon request of the participants, we are open to suggestions to expand the class times of the Professional Track to meet twice a week in order to allow more time to cover advanced topics and make faster progress.
Fall Semester 2022
| Date and Time | Amateur Track | Professional Track | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, August 15, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | Introduction | Introduction | |
| Monday, August 22, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | (Makeup class for cancellation on Aug 15) | (Makeup class for cancellation on Aug 15) | |
| Monday, August 29, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | Weather Theory | Weather Theory | [1] PHAK, Chapter 12; [AC00-6B] |
| Monday, September 5, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | No Class | Soaring Weather Theory (for Glider Pilots) | [3] GFH, Chapter 9 |
| Monday, September 12, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | Weather Theory (end), Aviation Weather Services, Aeronautical Decision Making | Weather Theory (end), Aviation Weather Services, Aeronautical Decision Making | [1] PHAK, Chapter 12; [1] PHAK, Chapter 13; [AC00-45H]; [1] PHAK, Chapter 2 |
| Monday, September 19, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | No Class | Linear Algebra: Matrix Calculations, Rotations | [20] Linear Algebra Course and [21] Linear Algebra Primer |
| Monday, September 26, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | Introduction to Flight Dynamics (Forces of Flight) | Introduction to Flight Dynamics (Forces of Flight) | [1] PHAK, Chapter 4 |
| Monday, October 3, 2022, 7:00-8:30pm EDT | No Class | Kinetics: Understanding Rigid Body Motion (Forces and Moments) | [19] Section ? |
| Monday, October 10, 7:00-8:30pm EDT | Introduction to Aerodynamics | Introduction to Aerodynamics | [1] PHAK, Chapter 5 |
| Monday, October 17, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | No Class | Aerodynamics in 2D and 3D | [9] Flightlab Ground School, Chapters 2 and 3 |
| Monday, October 24, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | Introduction to Aircraft Control, Maneuvering Flight | Introduction to Aircraft Control, Maneuvering Flight | [1] PHAK, Chapter 6; [2] AFH (various chapters) |
| Monday, October 31, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EDT | No Class | Stability and Control Derivatives, Rotational Physics | [9] Flightlab Ground School, Chapters 1 and 10 |
| Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | Stalls and Spins | Stalls and Spins | [9] Flightlab Ground School, Chapter 10 (Spins); [AC61-67C] |
| Monday, November 14, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | No Class | Advanced Spins | [9] Flightlab Ground School, Chapter 10 (Spins); [13] USAF TPS Vol 2, Part2, Chapter 10 |
| Monday, November 21, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | Ground Reference Maneuvers, Traffic Pattern, Takeoffs and Landings | Ground Reference Maneuvers, Traffic Pattern, Takeoffs and Landings | [2] AFH, Chapters 7, 8, 9; [8] AIM, Section |
| Monday, November 28, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | No Class | Roll Coupling | [13] USAF TPS Vol 2, Part 2, Chapter 9 |
| Monday, December 5, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | Flight Rules, Airspaces, Navigational Facilities, and Markings | Flight Rules, Airspaces, Navigational Facilities, and Markings | [7] 14 CFR Part 91; [8] AIM, Chapters 1, 2, 3 |
| Monday, December 12, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | No Class | Kinematics: Aircraft Attitude, Rotation Formalisms in 3D (Euler Angles, etc.) | [22] Article Series on Rotation Formalisms; [23] Schaub: Kinematics. |
| Monday, December 19, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm EST | No Class | “Advanced” Rotation Formalisms: Quaternions (with a review of Complex Numbers beforehand), Geometric Algebra | [24] Article on Quaternion Rotation; [25] 3Blue1Brown on Quaternions; [26] Mathoma’s Geometric Algebra Playlist. |
Class continues in January 2023 after the Winter Break. Private Pilot Ground School Schedule subject to change.
Spring Semester 2023
| Date and Time | Amateur Track | Professional Track | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, February 6, 2023, 7:30-9:00 pm EST | Flight Rules, Airspaces, Navigational Facilities, and Markings | Flight Rules, Airspaces, Navigational Facilities, and Markings | [7] 14 CFR Part 91; [8] AIM, Chapters 1, 2, 3 |
Class meets every Monday evening at 7:30pm EST/EDT. Lecture topics will be posted here throughout the spring.
A Mathematics Seminar accompanying the Professional Track is offered on Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm.
Contact us for details.
Private Pilot Ground School References
References for Amateur Track of Online Private Pilot Ground School
- Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA-H-8083-25B, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service, Washington, D.C., 2016.
- Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3C, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service, Washington, D.C., 2021.
- Glider Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-13A, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service, Washington, D.C., 2013.
- Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook, FAA-H-8083-1B, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service, Washington, D.C., 2016.
- Risk Management Handbook, FAA-H-8083-2A, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards Service, Washington, D.C., 2022.
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 14 (Aeronautics and Space), Chapter 1, Subchapter D (Airmen), Part 61 (Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors).
- Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 14 (Aeronautics and Space), Chapter 1, Subchapter F (Air Traffic and General Operating Rules), Part 91 (General Operating and Flight Rules).
- Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, with Change 2, May 19, 2022.
- FAA Advisory Circulars:
- [AC00-6B] AC 00-6B: Aviation Weather
- [AC00-45H] AC 00-45H: Aviation Weather Services (with Change 2)
- [AC61-67C] AC 61-67C: Stall and Spin Awareness Training (with Changes 1 and 2)
Additional References for Professional Track of Online Private Pilot Ground School
- Bill Crawford, Unusual Attitudes and the Aerodynamics of Maneuvering Flight, Flightlab Ground School, http://flightlab.net, Boston 2009.
- Hugh Harrison Hurt, Jr., Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators, NAVAIR 00-80T-80, U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, January 1965.
- USAF Test Pilot School, Performance Phase Textbook, Volume I, USAF-TPS-CUR-86-01, Edwards AFB, California, April 1986.
- USAF Test Pilot School, Flying Qualities Textbook, Volume II, Part 1, USAF-TPS-CUR-86-02, Edwards AFB, California, April 1986.
- USAF Test Pilot School, Flying Qualities Textbook, Volume II, Part 2, USAF-TPS-CUR-86-03, Edwards AFB, California, April 1986.
- USAF Test Pilot School, Flying Qualities Phase Planning Guide, Edwards AFB, California, March 1996.
- Gerald L. Gallagher, Larry B. Higgins, Leroy A. Khinoo, Peter W. Pierce, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Flight Test Manual: Fixed Wing Performance, USNTPS-FTM-No. 108, Veda Incorporated, Contract N00421-90-C-0022, September 1992.
- U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Flight Test Manual: Fixed Wing Stability and Control—Theory and Flight Test Technique, USNTPS-FTM-No. 103, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, January 1997.
- George Masters, Vernon Gordon, Timothy Lenahan, David Culbertson, Michael Landmann, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Flight Test Manual: Systems Testing, USNTPS-FTM-No. 109, Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, January 2000.
- T6B Driver
- Glider Training, Online Course, Academic Flight LLC, 2022.
- Linear Algebra, Online Course, Academic Flight LLC, 2022.
- Jan Kratochvil, Linear Algebra Primer, Online Article, Academic Flight LLC, 2022.
- Jan Kratochvil, 6 Popular Rotation Formalisms in Kinematics, Online Article Series, Academic Flight LLC, 2022.
- Hanspeter Schaub, Kinematics: Describing the Motions of Spacecraft, Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization, University of Colorado Boulder, Coursera.
- Jan Kratochvil, Rotation with Quaternions, Online Article, Academic Flight LLC, 2022.
- Grant Sanderson, Visualizing quaternions (4d numbers) with stereographic projection, Channel “3Blue1Brown”, YouTube, 2018.
- Mathoma, Geometric Algebra, Playlist on Channel “Mathoma”, YouTube, 2019.