Chart your course

Which one is best?

You’ll have to do some homework

You’ve likely heard many times that a good student-instructor relationship is key to becoming a successful and safe pilot. That’s why you won’t find a clear recommendation in this long list of ground schools. The courses offered are largely similar in their distribution method, range of topics, adequacy for preparing students for the knowledge test, and in many cases, price. So, what’s the difference between them? The instructors. Each course includes instructors with different teaching styles and experiences. We recommend you sample a few, as most have some sort of free trial, or at least a short video that gives an idea of the look and feel. Then choose the one that you think would be the best fit. —IJT

In years past, ground schools were in-person affairs, and when VHS became popular most of those same companies transitioned to offer video training in the comfort of home. Only recently, as content production has become significantly cheaper, have the floodgates opened and a huge selection of online ground school options flown forth.

Gone are the days when your only choices were Sporty’s and King Schools, although both remain big players, and for good reasons. More investment in production usually results in a better product. They also have staffs of writers and highly experienced instructors from which to draw insight and inspiration. But there are other good choices as well, some produced by individual flight instructors. Here’s a look at some of what’s out there.

Rod Machado’s Private Pilot eGround School
Experienced instructor Rod Machado is the most serious funny guy in aviation. He uses humor and wit to describe complex topics, which moves this 40-hour course along faster than you would expect. Much more than a knowledge test cram course, Machado’s ground school is a comprehensive knowledge base for prospective private pilots. It includes digital copies of his private pilot handbook, workbook, and other great resources. With lifetime access, these perks make the course a great value.

Price: $279
Find it: rodmachado.com

Gleim Aviation Online Ground School
If you’re looking for stripped-down, efficient, knowledge-test-specific information, Gleim is hard to beat. The company’s online ground school is essentially a digital version of its books, with interactive test questions thrown in at the end of each sub-unit and chapter. Do well and you’ll get an endorsement for the knowledge test. The price point is reasonable when compared to other ground schools, but pricey when you consider it doesn’t offer much beyond the books.

Price: $124.95
Find it: gleimaviation.com

Gold Seal Online Ground School
Using a series of videos, illustrations, and still images, Gold Seal’s ground school covers everything you need to know to pass the knowledge test, plus a lot more. Take the full course and the quizzes prior to starting training and you’ll show up to your lessons prepared and ready to fly. The company also offers a knowledge test guarantee. If you don’t pass, they’ll reimburse you for the cost of the exam.

Price: $229 for a year or $299 for lifetime access
Find it: groundschool.com

Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course
Extensive in-flight video, professional production and narration, support across all platforms, and the collective experience of a top-notch training organization make the Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course an obvious standout. The course is about as complete as you can find, with detailed learning modules leading to practice test questions, animated maneuvers guides, a syllabus, study resources, and more.

Price: $279 for lifetime access
Find it: sportys.com

Fly8MA
If you like Jon Kotwicki’s—aka Fly8MA—YouTube videos, then you’ll love his various courses. The private pilot course is a series of YouTube videos and animations integrated into basic outlines to get you quickly and efficiently to the knowledge test. The company offers a wide array of courses, including everything from Alaska flying to spin training.

Price: Between $79 and $127 a month for access. Courses also offered for a one-time fee.
Find it: fly8ma.com

Sling Pilot Academy
The Sling Pilot Academy in Southern California is a flight school that primarily uses Sling NGTs to take students from zero flight time through CFI and on their way to a flying career. As a way to give back to the community, the company is taking a different approach to an online ground school and is giving its course away for free. Unlike a traditional digital ground school, however, this one is live. Remote students use Zoom to attend the live sessions with the local students. Don’t worry if you miss a session, however, because they are all available for free online. Think of it as a local flight school’s ground school, but for free and at home in your jammies.

Price: Free
Find it: slingpilotacademy.com

King Schools Private Pilot Online Ground School and Test Prep
The reason King Schools has lasted for so long, and the company has been so successful, is that John and Martha King are natural educators, and learning from them is fun and engaging. The pair have trained more pilots than probably anyone else in history, and while they’re not as directly involved in the business these days, their legacy lives on in the training program. The course includes around 15 hours of video, flashcards, test prep questions, and a companion iOS application.

Price: $279 for lifetime access
Find it: kingschools.com

Angle of Attack Private Pilot Online Ground School
Imagine recording all your preflight briefings with your instructor and you have a sense for Chris Palmer’s Angle of Attack Private Pilot Online Ground School. Palmer narrates through complex subjects with illustrations or videos, seemingly largely without a script or tight editing. It’s a disarming style that’s unusual among online ground schools. The course includes a companion iOS app and FAA test questions to get you ready for the knowledge test.

Price: $279 for lifetime access
Find it: angleofattack.com

The Finer Points ground school
Jason Miller is a highly accomplished instructor who has hosted a popular podcast, given seminars for the AOPA Air Safety Institute, and guided educational mountain flying trips throughout the western United States. The Finer Points ground school combines all that experience and knowledge into a creative and effective course. Available exclusively as an Apple iPad app, the ground school is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to pass your knowledge test, and most of what you need to know to fly as well. The course is a combination of basic study knowledge and Miller’s well-produced, expertly narrated videos.

Price: $149.99 for three months or $299.99 a year
Find it: learnthefinerpoints.com

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Who says you have to be 18 and an aspiring career pilot to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University? The prestigious university offers its complete Private Pilot Ground School totally online in an instructor-facilitated asynchronous environment. It’s like taking college-level ground school without the lousy dining hall food. Like a college course, it only runs certain times of the year.

Price: $750
Contact: proed.erau.edu

ASA Private Pilot Online Ground School
A trusted publisher of a wide range of aviation topics, ASA also offers a professionally produced, completely cloud-based, easy-to-use ground school. The course includes everything you need to know to take the knowledge test, including learning guides, outlines, test questions, and 11 hours of instructor-led video. It also comes with a few nice add-ons, including a fully searchable FAR/AIM, and an on-screen flight computer.

Price: $179.95 for two years of access
Find it: asa2fly.com

Pilot Institute Online Private Pilot Ground School
A relatively new entrant to online aviation training, Pilot Institute crams a massive amount of video and professional animations into its course. Like others, it offers learning for a range of devices via the cloud and serves an endorsement at the end of the course. There are practice FAA test questions and a dedicated flashcard app. They also include personalized support and a Facebook group to study with other students online.

Price: $249 for lifetime access
Find it: pilotinstitute.com

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