Private Pilot Ground School · Founding membership opens March 2027
Ground school in the order you'll need it in the airplane.
For student pilots who train around a full-time job. Lesson 1 opens the minute you join. Then a new lesson every three weeks, each built from FAA sources.
Founding membership opens in March 2027. People on the list hear first. Need ground school now? Classic ground schools are available today.
Lesson 1 opens on purchase. The founding price ends Mon Nov 30, 11:59 PM CT; it's $199 from Dec 1.
$249 once all twelve lessons are live (July 2027).
Overview video
See how the course is built.
Why the order matters, the twelve lessons and what's included.
- Why question banks aren't enough
- The twelve lessons, one every 21 days
- What's included with every enrollment
Why this course
You can pass the written and still not know why.
Question banks get people through the knowledge test. Then the instructor asks a “why” question in the run-up area, and the memorized answer doesn't help.
This course gives you the reasons, in an order where each lesson sets up the next: aerodynamics before performance, weather before flight planning, regulations before the cross-country you'll fly alone. Each lesson ends with a quiz so you know it stuck.
Release schedule
Twelve lessons, every 21 days.
You never face the whole course at once. Each lesson stays open forever once it is released.
Path to Your Certificate & How Airplanes Fly
The path to your certificate, documents and the medical, aircraft components, the four forces, stability and stalls.
Releases Mar 9, 2027 (on purchase)
Aircraft Systems & Flight Instruments
Engines, fuel and electrical systems, the pitot-static and vacuum instruments, the magnetic compass and their errors.
Releases Mar 30, 2027
Airspace & the Sectional
Reading sectional charts and every airspace class, with the entry requirements you will brief.
Releases Apr 20, 2027
Federal Aviation Regulations & NTSB 830
14 CFR Parts 1, 61 and 91, and NTSB Part 830 accident reporting.
Releases May 11, 2027
Airport Operations I
Runways, taxiway and runway markings, signs and airport lighting.
Releases Jun 1, 2027
Airport Operations II
Runway incursions, LAHSO, NOTAMs, visual glideslope indicators, wind indicators and traffic patterns.
Releases Jun 22, 2027
Radio Communications
Phraseology, ATC services, transponder and ADS-B, lost communications and a full radio scenario.
Releases Jul 13, 2027
Radio Navigation
VOR, NDB and GPS navigation, with chart work.
Releases Aug 3, 2027
Weather Theory & Weather Services
Weather theory, clouds, fronts and thunderstorms, then METARs, TAFs, the GFA, winds aloft, AIRMETs, SIGMETs and PIREPs.
Releases Aug 24, 2027
Performance and Weight & Balance
Pressure and density altitude, performance charts, crosswind components, weight and balance.
Releases Sep 14, 2027
Flight Planning
Planning a VFR cross-country from route to navigation log and fuel.
Releases Oct 5, 2027
Aeromedical Factors & ADM
Aeromedical factors, hazardous attitudes, ADM, CRM, SRM, personal minimums and the PAVE checklist.
Releases Oct 26, 2027
Release dates are published commitments. If any lesson is more than 14 days late, you can ask for a full refund. Dates re-confirmed after Lesson 1 build hours are measured (Nov 13).
Two ways to join
Pick the course, or the complete set.
Private Pilot Ground School
$149$199founding price
Founding price in March 2027. Then $199; $249 when all 12 lessons are live.
- 12 lessons on the published schedule
- Companion textbook (PDF)
- Quiz at the end of every lesson
- 6 live Q&A sessions, recorded
- Lifetime access and updates
Private Pilot Complete Bundle
$199$269founding price
Founding price in March 2027. Then $269; $329 when all 12 lessons are live.
- Everything in the Ground School
- The PAVE Checklist, 2nd Edition (eBook)
- 3 months of Aviation Test Prep Premium for the Private Pilot test
- The PAVE Oral Prep course
Companion textbook
Private Pilot Ground School: The Complete Textbook
The course's companion text, with original diagrams and scenario boxes that match the lessons. The PDF is included with every enrollment. A print edition follows on Amazon in 2027.
Cover shown is Concept 2, pending final approval and ISBN.
Who it's for
Built for
- Student pilots starting or already in Private Pilot training
- Adults who study evenings and weekends
- Anyone who wants to understand the material, not just pass the test
Not built for
- A crash course before a test next week
- Anyone looking for a pass guarantee
- Replacing your flight instructor
Next in the series
Instrument Ground School
Twelve lessons and a companion textbook, built the same way. The founding presale opens September 2027. Founding members of the Private course hear first.
Questions
Before you join
The course isn't finished. Why buy now?
Founding members pay the lowest price the course will ever have and get the six live Q&A sessions. The release dates are published, and if a lesson is more than 14 days late you can ask for your money back.
How much time does it take?
Plan on two to three hours per lesson, spread over its three-week window. Confirm from Lesson 1 runtime.
Will it endorse me for the knowledge test?
Owner decision pending: offer the 14 CFR 61.35(a)(1) home-study endorsement with a documented final exam, or not.
What if it isn't for me?
See the refund policy.
Do I need the print textbook?
No. The PDF is included. The print edition is optional.