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The Process of Becoming A Pilot
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Put your aviation knowledge to work
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Climb Into The Cockpit
With The Knowledge You Need
Imagine taking the controls for the first time and actually knowing what to do. Understanding the flight instruments before getting in the plane is like having a cheat code. You’ll learn faster when you grasp the basics first. This means you’ll save money AND earn your pilot’s license quicker.
Take a Peek Inside
Angle of Attack’s unique teaching method draws you in and keeps you engaged in the content. You’ll be surprised how quickly you start to understand complex subjects.
10 Sections – 196 Video Lessons – 25hrs 50 min
what you will learn in this course
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
COURSE ORIENTATION
- Welcome
- Introductions
- Class Goals
- The Knowledge/Written Test
- Beyond the Test
- Typical Class
- Manuals & Materials
- Digital Materials
- PAVE Intro
THE FLYING MACHINE
- Aircraft Components
- Control Surfaces
- Flight Axes
- Empennage
- Engine
- The Wing
AERODYNAMICS
- Air is a Fluid
- Bernoulli vs Newton
- The Other Forces
- Maneuver Forces
- Drag Chart
- Load Factor
- Propellor & Left Turning Tendencies
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
HUMAN FACTORS
- Human Factors Welcome
- P is for Pilot
- IM SAFE Checklist
- Illness
- Medication
- Stress
- Alcohol
- Fatigue
- Eating
HAZARDOUS ATTITUDES
- Hazardous Attitudes
- Anti-Authority
- Impulsivity
- Invulnerable
- Macho
- Resignation
- Know-it-all
- What are your hazardous attitudes?
SPACIAL DISORIENTATION
- Senses
- VMC into IMC
PHYSIOLOGY
- Hypoxia
- Oxygen Regulations
- Hyperventilation
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- The Golden Rule of Safety
PILOT REGULATIONS
- Documents & Eligibility
- Medical Certificate
- Pilot Certificate
- Required Docs
- Privileges & Limitations
- Logbook & Records
- Recency | Flight Review
- Recency | Carrying Passengers
- Proficiency vs Recency
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
- Aircraft Systems Welcome
- Why Aircraft Systems?
- Fire Triangle
- Fuel System
- Air Induction System
- “What if 100LL isn’t available?”
- Carburetor System
- Mixture Control
- Carburetor Ice
- Written Test Questions
- Electrical System
- Magnetos
- Engine Start
- Strokes of an Engine
- Making Fire
- Oil System
- Detonation & Preignition
- Propellor System
- Exhaust Systems
FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
- Aircraft Instruments
- Instrument Power
- Basic 6 Pack
- Pitot Static Instruments
- Vacuum Instruments
- Electrical Instruments
- Airspeed Indicator
- Altimeter
- VertIcal Speed Indicator
- Attitude Indicator
- Heading Indicator
- Turn Coordinator
- Magnetic Compass
- Glass Panels
AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTS
- Logs & Documents
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE
- Minimum Equipment
- AV1ATE Checklist
- Preventive Maintenance
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
WEATHER THEORY
Weather Theory Welcome
V for enVironment
Why Weather Theory?
The Atmosphere
Atmospheric Circulation
Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric Temperature
Dewpoint
Written Test Questions
ATMOSPHERE
- Air Masses
- Air Mass Examples
- Fronts
- Warm Fronts
- Cold Fronts
- Stationary Fronts
- Occluded Fronts
- Written Test Questions
CLOUDS & WEATHER
- Clouds
- Thunderstorms
PILOT WEATHER INTRO
- Sky Cover & Visibility
- Fog Types
- Aviation Icing
- Turbulence & Wind Shear
- Pressure Gradient & Mechanical Turbulence
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
AVIATION WEATHER
- Aviation Weather Welcome
- V for enVironment
- Why Weather Services
WX SERVICES
- Flight Service
- Digital Services
REPORTS — CHARTS — FORECASTS
- WX Observations
- Radar Observations
- METARs
- Satellite Observations
- Written Test Questions
- PIREP
- WX Forecasts
- Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF)
- Winds Aloft
- AIRMETs
- SIGMETs
- WX Charts
- Surface Analysis
- Weather Depiction
- Graphic Forecast
WX EFB PRACTICAL USE
- Let’s Make a Plan
- Digital Briefing
PLANNING & BRIEFING
- LIVE Flight Service Briefer
- Go or No Go?
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
PERFORMANCE
- Performance Welcome
- Why Performance?
WEIGHT & BALANCE
- Weight & Balance
- Balance
- Aft CG
- Foreward CG
- Definitions
- W&B Calculations
- Computational Method
- Graph Method
- Written Test Questions
- Table Method
- Written Test Questions
- ForeFlight Demo
- Written Test Questions
DENSITY ALTITUDE
- Density Altitude
PERFORMANCE IN FLIGHT
- Ground Effect
- Takeoff Performance
- Written Test Questions
- Climb Performance
- Cruise Performance
- Descent Profile
- Landing Performance
- Written Test Questions
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
AIRPORTS
- Airports Welcome
RUNWAY INCURSIONS
- Runway Incursion
- Incursion Prevention
AIRPORTS
- Airport Charts
- Types of Airports
- Towered Airports
- Non-Towered Airports
- Airport Questions
LIGHTING & SIGNAGE
- Airport Lighting
- Glide Slope Indicators
- Airport Signage
- Airport Markings
- Signage and Marking Examples
- ILS Hold Short
- Wind Indicators
PROCEDURES
- Airport Procedures
- Towered Communications
- Non-Towered Comms
- Traffic Patterns
- Segmented Circle
- Wake Turbulence & Avoidance
- Hot Spots
- LAHSO Ops
- LiveATC
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
AIRSPACE
- Airspace Welcome
- Why Airspace
- Airspace Overview
TYPES OF AIRSPACE
- Types of Airspace
- Class A Airspace
- Class B Airspace
- Class C Airspace
- Class D Airspace
- Class E Airspace
- Class G Airspace
- Airspace Poem
AIRSPACE DIMENSIONS & DEFINITIONS
- Airspace Dimensions
- Why controlled airspace without a tower?
AIRSPACE WEATHER MINIMA
- Airspace WX Mins
- WX Mins Memory Aid
AIRSPACE COMMUNICATIONS
- Airspace Comms & Transponder
- Airspeed Restrictions
- Controlled vs Uncontrolled
SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE
- Special Use Airspace
- Restricted Areas
- Prohibited Areas
- Warning Areas
- Military Operations Area
- National Security Area
- TRSA Airspace
- Temporary Flight Restriction
- Alert Areas
- Air Defense Identification Zone
- Military Training Routes
AERONAUTICAL CHARTS
- Aeronautical Charts
- What is YOUR Airspace?
THE CURIOUS CASE OF AIRSPACE
- Review — The Airspace Poem
- The Curious Case of Airspace
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
FLIGHT PLANNING
- Flight Planning Welcome
PAVE
- PAVE Checklist Quick Overview
P IS FOR PILOT
- P is for Pilot
A IS FOR AIRCRAFT
- A is for Aircraft
V IS FOR ENVIRONMENT & FLIGHT PLANNING
- V is for enVironment
ROUTE PLANNING
- Preliminary Route Planning
- Weather Planning
- Weather Planning Tips
- Weight & Balance Planning
- The Smell Test
ROUTE PERFORMANCE
- Takeoff Performance
- Climb Performance
- Cruise Performance
- Landing Performance
- The Numbers Aren’t Gospel
DEEP PLANNING
- Deep Planning 1
- Deep Planning 2
- Deep Planning 3
- Deep Planning 4
- Deep Planning 5
OLD SCHOOL VS NEW SCHOOL
- Old School Flight Planning
- Why I Choose New School
PHASES OF FLIGHT & NAVIGATION
- Preflight & Runup
- Takeoff & Climb
- Enroute Navigation
- How to use a VOR
- VORs
- GPS Navigation
- Cruise & Enroute
- Descent Planning
- Arrival
E IS FOR EXTERNAL PRESSURES
- External Pressures
(each bullet point represents an individual video lesson)
NEXT STEPS
- Now what?
WRITTEN TEST PREP & TAKING
- Study Mode
- Test Mode
- How to Test
- Now what- Take the test!
- How to avoid study burnout
GET A MEDICAL
- Get Your Medical
FIND A SCHOOL
- Find a School-Instructor
- Why Airspace
START FLIGHT TRAINING
- Start Flight School
Why You Should Join Private Pilot Online Ground School TODAY
If you’ve been putting this off for far too long, and you know in your heart it’s time to do it… then the time is now.
Angle of Attack Private Pilot Online Ground School will help you accomplish your dream of becoming a pilot.
If you’re finally ready to make it happen…
YOUR CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
chris palmer
Chris has been in aviation training and creating educational content since 2006. As a career CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) and Master Aviation Educator*Chris trains pilots year round at his Alaska based Flight School, also called Angle of Attack.
He’s one of Youtube’s leading Aviation Training Content Creators with over 115K subscribers. With a focus on developing and sharing new flight training methods, techniques and tips… Chris’s enthusiasm and passion for training the next generation of pilots is evident in all the content he produces.
We Stand Behind Our Work
The “Throttle On” No-Headache Guarantee
We offer an industry-best, one-of-a-kind Money Back Guarantee. If we sign you off to take your Written Test, and for any reason you don’t pass, we’ll pay for your Written Test AND refund your Online Ground School purchase. That’s right, it’s more than a 100% guarantee. That’s how confident we are in this program. It works, and we know it will for you, too.
Ready To Start Ground School?
$279
LIFETIME ACCESS
Instant access to the entire online program. Refresh your knowledge at any time. Lean on the fundamentals for future ratings.
BUNDLE AND SAVE
$349
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PRIVATE PILOT COURSE
+ CHECKRIDE ACE COURSE
Save $26 and lock in your commitment to passing your checkride. Add Checkride ACE to your PPL
Direct Instructor Access
Get your questions answered quickly
Get Endorsed:
Instructor provided FAA endorsement to take your test
Stream + Download:
Watch info-packed videos with OR without an internet connection
Lifetime Access
Pay once, learn & stay fresh for a lifetime.
App For That
Available on iOS or Android so you always have the course in your pocket
The Real Deal:
Our Instructors are always teaching real students, and know what it takes to succeed
Extensive Library
Over 35 Hours of Instructor Lead HD videos
Always Up-to-Date
Continually updated with fresh content
Pass the Test
Study actual FAA Written Test questions
ForeFlight EFB:
Learn modern flight planning for real world flying
Old School Meets New School:
We combine stick and rudder “seat of the pants” flying and knowledge, with modern perspectives
Our “Throttle On Guarantee”
Pass the written test or we’ll refund your course investment AND pay for your test.
JOIN OVER 2000+ HAPPY PILOTS
frequently asked questions
There is a difference between ground school and ground instruction. Ground instruction is typically given during a flight lesson before and/or after the flight portion of the lesson. Ground School meets a requirement to pass what is called a Written Test, required by the FAA. This Knowledge Test requires understanding of many subjects areas. Without a Ground School course, students won’t have a head-start when going to those flight lessons, and will likely spend more time and money getting their license.
Starting concurrently is the bare minimum. To start Flight Training first, and ground training (or ground school) later, will mean increases in time and cost. Students are best prepared by first taking a ground school, and then going to flight lessons, or at the very least starting them concurrently.
While you can start flight training without having started a Ground School, you’ll find that your progress is slowed by not knowing the subjects ahead of time. By having much of the book/class knowledge out of the way with a Ground School before starting, you’ll find your progress through flight training is much faster.
The Written Exam is valid for 2 years after the date of completion, giving the student more than enough time to go through flight training.
There are three tests required to become a private pilot; a Written Exam, Oral Exam and Practical Test. The Oral Exam and Practical Test are commonly referred to as the Checkride. The Checkride cannot begin without the Written Exam being completed ahead of time.
Our Ground School will help you complete and pass that required Written Test that you can then take to your Checkride.
As mentioned in other answers above, Ground School is much better completed prior to or at at the start of flight training. We do realize, however, that just diving in the books can be a bit demotivating. Most students fly a little bit to know this is something they really want to do, and then get started with online ground school. No matter what stage you’re at, there’s no better time to get started than now.
This course is accredited by way of our instructors being FAA certificated. However, there are some universities that require Part 141 certification of their courseware. Once you pass a Written Test, that certificate can be used for any checkride.
Nope. That’s the assumption we start with, that the class is starting from nothing. We’ll cover it from the ground up.
We think having a set of books is highly valuable. We recommend this book kit, but if you already have a different book kit, use that one. Having books allows you to take a deeper dive into subjects you may have difficulty grasping. At the beginning of the course, we’ll talk about all the different options. For now, jump in the course and enjoy the videos, and learn more about the books required there.
Yes! While we’re based in Alaska, and share awesome aviation knowledge from the “Last Frontier”, our online training is good anywhere within the FAA system. That means any state, territory, or military base where FAA rules apply.
