Online Private Pilot Ground School Schedule – Academic Year 2023-2024

Meeting Time

The classes of this private pilot ground school are held weekly online using the Microsoft Teams app on Mondays at 7:30-9:00pm EST/EDT, followed by additional open ended time for students to ask as many questions as they like for the rest of the evening. The course schedule is posted in the table below. You can join this course at any time, since most lectures cover disjoint topics and do not depend on each other much (with the exception of those on aerodynamics). If you miss a class, read the indicated references particularly diligently.

Topics, Textbook, and Study Materials

The topics for every class session are also posted in the table 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. In the fall semester 2023, the class covers most of the chapters in the FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) [1] in the order they are presented in the book, starting with Chapter 4 (Principles of Flight). Typically, one week is devoted to each chapter, but sometimes more.

The PHAK is the main textbook for the class and freely available as a PDF on the FAA website at the link above. At the bottom of this page and in this article you can also find a list of further literature references.

Style

This course is a supplement to guided self-study. The students’ main learning process happens by reading the PHAK at home on their own (ca. 10 hours per week). Meeting once a week, it would be impossible to cover in class everything that is in the book – and repeat everything five times, because the typical student retains ca. 15% upon first hearing. It is the students’ own responsibility to keep up and study as much as needed.

Some lectures use predominantly lecture slides, while in others the lecturer reads the PHAK [1] with the students together. Typically slides are used, if more information is conveyed than is present in the PHAK [1] (aerodynamics and flight dynamics are typical examples of this). On the other hand, when the PHAK [1] contains more information than is needed for novice private pilots, the PHAK is summarized directly during the lecture, to indicate to the students which parts they should read and which parts they can skip (aircraft systems are a typical example – the beginning pilot does not need to know about turbine engines or retractable landing gear).

Goal

This course is intended to prepare students to become knowledgeable, capable pilots as a whole, and in particular to survive the oral part of the FAA Practical Test with an examiner. For the very specific task of studying for the FAA Knowledge Test (often referred to as the “written test”), the students are highly encouraged to memorize a commercially available question bank in its entirety (e.g. the one freely available at Sporty’s) – this is a much more efficient approach than to attend this class for this singular particular purpose.

Note for the Students

Substantial effort on part of the student is essential to be successful in pilot training and in this course. It should be clear to all participants that one does not become a pilot by thinking about flying only once a week for 1.5 hours. Therefore, it must be emphasized that it is imperative that the students read the corresponding chapter(s) in the PHAK ahead of every lecture – in order to retain more of the material presented – and that they urgently review the material covered during the week after the lecture as well. Attendance automatons who merely show up for every class unprepared, listen passively for 1.5 hours to the lecture, and do not review anything after class will be completely lost after just a few weeks and will not retain anything. Parents are encouraged to assist their children in developing a suitable study style and discipline, and to help them understand the material.

For fairly comprehensive advice on how to prepare oneself for flight training in general and how to study efficiently to become a pilot and save money, please read and follow our detailed article on how to learn to fly. This course is in support of this strategy, highlights and explains more difficult concepts, offers students plenty of regular interaction time with a flight instructor, and gives them ample opportunity to ask questions without the constant time/financial pressure of one-on-one instruction at a regular flight school.

Private Pilot Ground School Schedule – Fall Semester 2023

Date and Time	Topic Title	Description	References
Monday, September 4, 2023, 7:30-9:00pm EDT	Introduction	Overview of all topics to be covered, references; what to expect from this course and how to study for it; how to study to become a pilot in general and how to self-study for the FAA Knowledge Test (written test) in particular. This is an important lecture.	[1] FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) Start reading the whole book right away in its entirety, ahead of time even before the course starts – especially the chapters that go with the individual lectures below!
Monday, September 11, 2023	NO CLASS	Lecturer is unavailable.	Read the PHAK [1]!
Monday, September 18, 2023, 7:30-9:00pm EDT	2D and 3D Aerodynamics	Standard atmosphere, basic fluid dynamics (ideal gas law, incompressible flow, Bernoulli’s principle); 2D aerodynamics (airfoils, lift curve, boundary layer, stalls, etc.); 3D aerodynamics (wing tip vortices, induced drag, ground effect, wake turbulence, wing planforms, etc.)	[1] PHAK, Chapter 4 (Principles of Flight), [1] PHAK, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight). Optionally: [13] USAF TPS Vol 1, Chapters 3 (Airfoil and Wing Theory) and 4 (Aerodynamic Drag).
Monday, September 25, 2023, (same time as above)	Flight Dynamics	Forces of flight; aircraft axes, flight controls (ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps, etc.), moments, gliding flight, static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral-directional stability (basic concepts; short period mode, phugoid; roll mode, spiral mode, Dutch roll mode)	[1] PHAK, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight), [1] PHAK, Chapter 6 (Flight Controls); Optionally: [14] USAF TPS Vol 2 Part 1, Chapter 8 (Dynamic Stability).
Monday, October 2, 2023	Propeller Effects and Turning Flight	Basic propeller theory (P-factor, gyroscopic effects, torque, slipstream, etc.); turning flight (how to turn an airplane, adverse yaw, coordinated turns, load factor and accelerated stall speed, V-n diagram, turn performance, turnback maneuver)	[1] PHAK, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight)
Monday, October 9, 2023	NO CLASS	Lecturer is unavailable.	Read the PHAK [1]!
Monday, October 16, 2023	Aircraft Systems	Powerplant (reciprocating engines, propeller, carburetor, fuel injection, ignition systems, engine controls, etc.), electrical system, hydraulic systems (landing gear, brakes), vacuum system, anti-ice and deice systems	[1] PHAK, Chapter 7 (Aircraft Systems)
Monday, October 23, 2023	Flight Instruments	Pitot-static system, gyroscopic instruments (incl. vacuum system), compass	[1] PHAK, Chapter 8 (Flight Instruments)
Monday, October 30, 2023	Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), Weight and Balance	Pilot’s Operating Handbook (Example: Cessna 172SP); Weight and Balance (Section 6 of POH)	[10] Cessna 172SP Pilot’s Operating Handbook, [1] PHAK, Chapter 9 (Flight Manuals and Other Documents), [1] PHAK, Chapter 10 (Weight and Balance), [4] Weight and Balance Handbook
Monday, November 6, 2023	Aircraft Performance	Performance tables and charts in POH, best-angle-of-climb airspeed (VX), best-rate-of-climb airspeed (VY), absolute and service ceiling, etc.	[1] PHAK, Chapter 11 (Performance)
Monday, November 13, 2023	Weather Theory	Atmosphere, weather, etc.; time permitting soaring weather (for glider pilots) as well.	[1] PHAK, Chapter 12 (Weather Theory), [AC00-6B] AC 00-6B Aviation Weather
Monday, November 20, 2023	Aviation Weather Services	Weather prediction charts, weather reports (METARs, TAFs, FAs, etc.)	[1] PHAK, Chapter 13 (Aviation Weather Services), [AC00-45H] AC 00-45H Aviation Weather Services
Monday, November 27, 2023	Airport Operations	Traffic patterns, runway markings, signs, lighting, etc.	[1] PHAK, Chapter 14 (Airport Operations), [2] AFH, Chapter 8 (Airport Traffic Patterns), [3] GFH, Chapter 7 (Launch and Recovery Procedures and Flight Manauvers), [8] AIM, Chapter 2 (Aeronautical Lighting and Other Airport Visual Aids).
Monday, December 4, 2023	Airspace and Navigation	Airspaces, sectional charts; flight planning (e.g. computing a flight log and filing a flight plan).	[1] PHAK, Chapter 15 (Airspace), [8] AIM, Chapter 3 (Airspace), [1] PHAK, Chapter 16 (Navigation), [8] AIM, Chapter 1 (Air Navigation)
Monday, December 11, 2023	Navigation	VOR and GPS navigation	[1] PHAK, Chapter 16 (Navigation), [8] AIM, Chapter 1 (Air Navigation)
Monday, December 18, 2023, 7:30-9:00pm EST	Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) and Aeromedical Factors	Risk management, crew resource management, human factors and behavior, systematic decision making processes, situational awareness, automation; medical certificate, hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation, optical illusions, motion sickness, stress, fatigue, exposure to chemicals, alcohol, drugs, altitude-induced DCS, vision in flight	[1] PHAK, Chapter 2 (Aeronautical Decision Making), [5] Risk Management Handbook; [1] PHAK Chapter 17 (Aeromedical Factors)
Monday, December 25, 2023	NO CLASS	Christmas Day	Read the PHAK [1] and AFH [2] (or GFH [3]) over Winter Break!

Course continues in January 2024 after the Winter Break with a deeper dive into required rules and regulations (14 CFR Part 61 and 91), advanced topics, and practical procedures exercises with a flight simulator. Private Pilot Ground School Schedule subject to change.

Private Pilot Ground School Schedule – Spring Semester 2024

Date and Time	Topic Title	Description	References
Monday, January 8, 2024, 7:30-9:00pm EST (and following weeks/months)	TBD	Rules and regulations, advanced topics (e.g. spins, upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT), aerobatics), review of particularly difficult concepts, procedure practice with a flight simulator (e.g. flight maneuvers, cross-country flights), invited guest speakers, etc.	Same as above, in addition particularly also: [11] Flightlab, [15] USAF TPS Vol 2, Part 2, Chapter 10 (High Angle of Attack), [AC61-67C] AC 61-67C Stall and Spin Awareness Training, [6] 14 CFR Part 61 and [7] 14 CFR Part 91. For FAA Practical Test preparation also [9] Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards.

Class meets every Monday evening at 7:30pm EST/EDT. Lecture topics will be posted here throughout the spring.
In 2024, additionally an online Flight Test Engineering Seminar will be offered on Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm EST/EDT.
Contact us for details.