Ground school/test prep/book learnin...

[Mike Smith]

My instructor is basically giving me ground school now. He is because I told him from the beginning that I wanted him not to just teach me to fly the plane, but to make me a competent and safe pilot. I am well pleased. However, at 45 per hour, it will get pricey before its over. I like to study and learn, but I do need direction. I find just plowing through the books on my own hard. He has been giving me "homework" that I study, then we go over at the next lesson. I am averaging a little over an hour flying per lesson and a little over 2 hours for the instructor. Again, I don't mind paying him if this is the best approach, but I wonder if a regimented online ground school that is timed up with my flying may be better. Thoughts?

 

[CTLSi]

My instructor is basically giving me ground school now. He is because I told him from the beginning that I wanted him not to just teach me to fly the plane, but to make me a competent and safe pilot. I am well pleased. However, at 45 per hour, it will get pricey before its over. I like to study and learn, but I do need direction. I find just plowing through the books on my own hard. He has been giving me "homework" that I study, then we go over at the next lesson. I am averaging a little over an hour flying per lesson and a little over 2 hours for the instructor. Again, I don't mind paying him if this is the best approach, but I wonder if a regimented online ground school that is timed up with my flying may be better. Thoughts?

a. the rates out West are much higher, around $60/hr
b. you need both knowledge and skill to get your license
c. self-study is much harder, true. why not get a self-study course for less than the price of one hour with your CFI and see if you can do it.
d. for private pilot expect to do at least 70 hours. doing less can be done, but you will be less safe as you say.

 

[AggieMike88]

If quality of ground school is high, it might be worth it on the more difficult knowledge parts (weather, flight planning, the specific FARs, etc). Does the instructor have other students near the sMe point of training as you? Could you group up and split the instructors rate?

 

[MAKG1]

There are many, many ways to teach aeronautics badly.

An organized ground school may -- or may not -- get around that, by using an instructor more skilled at instructing in a classroom.

There are also many styles of learning. Classrooms don't work well for me, as I tend to get ahead of them. They may work better for you.

 

[kenjr]

...like a lot of folks on here I'm guessing...I did my own ground school and took specific things I wanted another angle on or didn't fully understand after working through it on my own to my CFI. My CFI would tell me what we were doing the next lesson and I'd go hammer it out. I kept the costs down that way and like MAKG, I knew I'd be way ahead of a group of folks in a room. My school puts on a PPL ground course every few months and the cost is pretty reasonable if you can make it out a couple times a week and go late and are willing to deal with the 'lowest common denominator' approach (ie; spending 1/4 to half the time every class listening to the instructor teach concepts in basic terms you already have studied and understand)...

 

[James331]

Get the King school videos

Get the book "From the ground up"

Watch all the videos, anything you don't get look up in the book. Anything you still don't get talk to your CFI.

For the written google dauntless, take the practice test, set it to show you the correct answer if you get the question wrong, get a consistant 80%+ and you'll do fine on the written.

 

[asgcpa]

King schools

Bob Gardners complete private pilot

ASA book for questions

 

[jordane93]

Read the FREE online FAA Airplane Flying Handbook and Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. They both have lots of good information.

 

[poadeleted20]

If you think you would do better with a formal classroom type ground school, tell your instructor that. Either the flight school with which s/he is associated or the local community college may run them. And, of course, there are on-line options from providers such as Sport's Pilot Shop, King, and Jeppesen.

 

[StinkBug]

With your description it's hard to say what the best route is. You say you need direction, but you also say that you can study on your own to a point. My instructor told me he'd give me as much instruction as I needed, but would keep it to a minimum if I was able to keep up with the studying on my own. He periodically throws out questions while we're pre-flighting, or just chatting to gauge if I'm studying or not. If I cant answer he tells me what I should be studying. It sounds like you need a bit more than this, but it also sounds like your instructor is giving you more. If you feel like you're progressing well, and your instructor agrees then there's probably nothing wrong with your process. If you feel you need more, then maybe a classroom would be more efficient financially. Personally I do better one on one, or simply with a little guidance to what I should be learning on my own.