Since I missed the beginning of both the flight training as well as the ground school, I wanted to say a few things about the ground school. The last post has some of my experiences with the first few times I went up in a plane.
The ground school class is just like any college course. Twice a week my class and I meet in a room at the airport and learn about everything private pilots need to know. The first few lessons were about some of the FAA regulations, the airplane’s parts, the structure of the airplane and basic aerodynamics. After the first month, we started to get into the systems of the airplane. This incorporates the power plant (engine and propeller), fuel system, heating, oil system and braking systems. Every plane is different so I won’t go into the specifics for the plane I’m currently training in. In the first two months, the areas which needed more time were aerodynamics and aircraft systems. Basically, for aerodynamics, we learned what makes a plane fly. It wasn’t really hard but it was a lot of material. We went over stability, being streamline, stalling, spins, and emergency procedures.
There have been two tests so far in the class. The first test wasn’t so bad. In order to stay in part 141 I needed to get at least an 80% on it. I ended up with a 96%. Out of the 50 questions, I got two wrong; two questions which I would have gotten right if I read the answers more closely. The second test was centered on airport operations. Taxiing, navigating around the airport and radio communications were all covered in the second part of the class. Also, radar and air traffic control was explained. The second test was a little harder than the first, but not so bad. I ended up with a 94% on it and was able to stay In 141. For an understanding of part 141, vs. part 61, go to the ‘License’ page.
Personally, the ground class is generally more challenging than the flight training. Some of my classmates think the flying is harder. I find the flying easier because it’s what I signed up for. I like learning about how airplanes work and their systems, but I’d rather be up in the air than on the ground.
This week starts the third and final part of the ground school for private pilot. We’ll start with navigation, and end with a review for the third test as well as the private pilot ground school FAA exam. Again, look to ‘licenses’ for an explanation of the FAA’s role in training.
The ground school class is just like any college course. Twice a week my class and I meet in a room at the airport and learn about everything private pilots need to know. The first few lessons were about some of the FAA regulations, the airplane’s parts, the structure of the airplane and basic aerodynamics. After the first month, we started to get into the systems of the airplane. This incorporates the power plant (engine and propeller), fuel system, heating, oil system and braking systems. Every plane is different so I won’t go into the specifics for the plane I’m currently training in. In the first two months, the areas which needed more time were aerodynamics and aircraft systems. Basically, for aerodynamics, we learned what makes a plane fly. It wasn’t really hard but it was a lot of material. We went over stability, being streamline, stalling, spins, and emergency procedures.
There have been two tests so far in the class. The first test wasn’t so bad. In order to stay in part 141 I needed to get at least an 80% on it. I ended up with a 96%. Out of the 50 questions, I got two wrong; two questions which I would have gotten right if I read the answers more closely. The second test was centered on airport operations. Taxiing, navigating around the airport and radio communications were all covered in the second part of the class. Also, radar and air traffic control was explained. The second test was a little harder than the first, but not so bad. I ended up with a 94% on it and was able to stay In 141. For an understanding of part 141, vs. part 61, go to the ‘License’ page.
Personally, the ground class is generally more challenging than the flight training. Some of my classmates think the flying is harder. I find the flying easier because it’s what I signed up for. I like learning about how airplanes work and their systems, but I’d rather be up in the air than on the ground.
This week starts the third and final part of the ground school for private pilot. We’ll start with navigation, and end with a review for the third test as well as the private pilot ground school FAA exam. Again, look to ‘licenses’ for an explanation of the FAA’s role in training.
