Private Pilot Ground School

To become a private pilot, you engage in a training program with either an independent flight instructor, or a flight school. Your training will include ground study to learn the conceptual topics including navigation, aviation weather, aeronautical charts, and regulations. The flight portion of your training occurs, as you might expect, in the air, flying an airplane with your instructor. Once you have learned to fly the airplane by yourself (solo), part of your remaining time will be flying alone, practicing your maneuvers and making flights to other airports. The whole program is a lot of fun, but does require diligent study and work.

To become a Private Pilot, you must pass two tests. The first is the FAA Knowledge Test. Most people just call it the written exam. It contains 60 multiple-choice questions. You must score at least 70% to pass. The second test is your final exam – the Practical Test. This is usually referred to as the checkride. You take this test with a Pilot Examiner. Once you have successfully completed this, you are awarded a temporary airman certificate. This identifies you as a fully-certificated Private Pilot. You will receive your permanent pilot certificate in the mail several weeks later.

The skies are open to you as a private pilot. You may fly your family to vacation destinations, or take friends on sight-seeing flights. Traveling 200 miles to a business meeting goes a lot faster when you're in an airplane. You may purchase your own airplane or rent one from a local flight school or club. Private pilots have freedoms to travel that non-pilots could not even imagine.

Ground School is the portion of your Private Pilot training that is conducted (surprise!) on the ground. It could be just you and the books, but there are other options. Some people take formal classroom sessions at a local flight school or community college. The most popular form of ground school involves computer-based learning, most often with an internet-based program such as Gold Seal. The purpose of any ground school isn't just to prepare you for the FAA written test. A comprehensive ground school should be your constant mentor, assisting you with ALL of your training and taking you all the way to the final checkride. Anything else will leave holes in your training.

The Gold Seal Private Pilot Ground School is your complete resource. It covers everything you need throughout your entire training program. It covers all of your tests and includes everything you need to know. The cost is $229 for a full year of online training and mentorship. When your initial year is up, you may renew your membership with a deep discount. Additional annual enrollments are just $60.

Yes, and our guarantee is the strongest one you will find. Our goal is for two things to happen: (1) you are successful, and (2) you enjoy the learning process. If you complete the Gold Seal program without passing the FAA written test on your first try, we will reimburse you for the cost of the exam, up to $175. You pass, or we pay! This is a wonderful insurance policy for you.

If you don't enjoy the program, no problem. You have up to 90 days in which you can get a full refund for ANY reason. As long as you haven't completed the course, or downloaded your Endorsement or Completion Certificate, we will issue you a 100% refund of your full purchase price.

Yes. Create a free account, and you receive instant access to an extensive test drive. No charge and no expiration. See exactly how it works and learn something in the process. It's fun!

Yes, you can. Any desktop, laptop, or mobile device is compatible. Anytime, anywhere. All you need is a good internet connection.

Unless you have a learning disability, you AREN'T a poor test taker. You just haven't found the right training program. Learning aviation fundamentals doesn't have to be difficult or boring. Gold Seal's Knowledge Transfer System guarantees that you learn quickly and easily. Aviation is big topic. But you will find that you are absolutely capable of learning the material and making a great score. This is our specialty! If we don't meet your expectations, we'll give you your money back. Courteously, with no questions asked.

Gold Seal's team of experienced instructors are always ready to give you a hand. We're available by phone or email and enjoy having the opportunity to personally assist you. Our goal is for you to be successful. One way we do that is to provide swift and complete answers to any of your questions.

Yes. When you complete the course and pass the Gold Seal final exam, you will instantly be issued an Endorsement. It is a downloadable PDF, signed and dated by an FAA flight instructor. This is all you need to take the FAA Knowledge Test (the “written exam”).

Yes, and it is discussed in the third lesson in Section 1. Click here to download the syllabus as a PDF. The syllabus is an ideal tool that keeps your flight training on task. It also ties directly to the ground school lessons. This integrates your ground and flight training. Your instructor may already use a syllabus and that is fine, but ask him/her to at least look over the Gold Seal syllabus. If you are not yet in the flight portion of your training, it isn't necessary to follow the syllabus. The ground school lessons are already presented in a logical order.

If you purchase a lifetime license, this license is paid once and has no time limitation. You will have access for the lifetime of the product.