Have you ever heard the term drinking from a fire hose? This is how a lot of people feel when they first begin flight training. Walking through the doors of the flight school is no doubt exciting. But how do you maintain that excitement without getting bogged down in frustration as you pick through the vast amount of information a student pilot needs in order to earn their Private Pilot License? We’re going to give you 3 tips that you can take with you as you embark on your ground school course. Whether you take your classes online or in-person use these tips to succeed.
Study and Review
I know what you’re thinking. Really, this is a tip? Isn’t it common sense? Yes, it is, but let’s look at how to make the most out of your study and review.
New information that is presented in a ground school, for example, will last approximately 20 minutes. The Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting shows what happens to the information that is not reviewed, reviewed once, and reviewed twice at the appropriate intervals. It is imperative for pilots that are learning a new system, or concept, to routinely review newly learned information.
A good rule of thumb is to review new information for one hour, once a week, for one month. After which the interval can be extended to one hour every other week for one month, and so on and so forth. If you are learning several new topics in a short period of time, for example, a private or commercial pilot ground school, each subject should be reviewed for one hour, every week, for the first month.
Always Look For Learning Opportunities
While not everything you learn in ground school can be tied to everyday life situations one thing that can is the weather. Every day, even if you are not flying, look at the sky and the clouds. Then read the weather reports and look at the weather charts. Try to tie together what you see and read. Look for trends that indicate what the weather might do and relate it to the forecast. Later in the day check to see whether or not the forecast came true and what kind of weather patterns you saw develop throughout the day.
One way you can practice your phonetic alphabet is to read license plates. While you drive, read as many plates as you can. Even saying them out loud in the car as though you are talking with ATC. If you do this you’ll be a pro in no time!
Light aircraft systems such as engines and electrical are not unlike your car. Yes, there are some differences but a reciprocating engine operates on common principles. So do basic electrical systems. Again, try to relate these to something you might be familiar with.
There are many different ways you can tie your ground school to your everyday life. Look for these opportunities.
Engage
Get engaged with other student pilots, or even seasoned pilots. Ask questions, study together, discuss scenarios or topics to get different perspectives. The point of this is to collaborate with others. It makes it more fun, can be done virtually, and helps build your network. In another article, we talked about how important it is to have a solid network and this is a great place to start.
Don’t forget that your instructors are also there to help. If you are a student at Level Flight, we are only one click away so please ask questions and engage with us. Ground school is tough and you will have questions so don’t be afraid to ask.
You Are Responsible for Your Success
Remember, you are responsible for your own success. When it comes to flying you really do get out what you put in. Flight training is an active sport, you need to always be engaged in order to stay sharp, be prepared, and fly safely. Flight schools want you to succeed and will provide you with as much assistance as possible but it is up to you to put in the work. Use the resources available to you such as the internet, other students and pilots, and your books.
Enjoy the process, you won’t know it all in one day. In reality, no pilot knows everything, we are constantly learning. The journey is part of the process. Concepts will come together with practice and experience. If you need mentorship, have questions about flight school, or earning your wings contact the experienced team at Level Flight. Call us at 403-483-2880 or fill out the contact form below.
Did you know that online ground school is the most flexible way to complete your ground school? Sign up today!
FAQs
No. The saying you get what you pay for is oftentimes applicable here. Do your homework, choose a program that is modern, provides many avenues of delivery, and does not simply run you through a PowerPoint presentation. The use of high-quality technology to deliver superior ground schools comes at a cost. This might be reflected in the cost of the ground school but can be well worth it.
It’s dependent on which two ground schools you are comparing. There are a lot of great in-class ground schools available from reputable flight schools but there are also ones that have a revolving door of instructors and outdated PowerPoint slides. This can reduce the true effectiveness of the ground school course. By going online the delivery is more consistent, definitely flexible, and oftentimes higher quality. Choosing a company that invests a lot into creating a quality online ground school can be advantageous to you as a student pilot.
Unfortunately not. We are not authorized to invigilate exams. These must be done in person at your flight school and monitored by an authorized person. We can however ensure you are fully prepared for the exam so you can ace it like a champ! Learn more about the PSTAR exam prep here.
Take Flight Now
Level Flight is Canada’s best online ground school. It is our mandate to provide higher quality, more engaging training for Canadian Student Pilots. If you are seeking the exhilarating freedom of flight for a hobby or with aspirations of a career in the skies, Level Flight offers the best ground school experience available. Sign up for our online learning platform now and discover the adventure that awaits you at Level Flight.