Some of the benefits of learning from home are obvious. Schedule flexibility afforded to you by taking an online ground school is without question one of the largest benefits. But what about saving money? Or the Environment? If you look at the various options available for online ground school you will find a range of prices from the low hundreds into the thousands of dollars. We won’t discuss how choosing cheap isn’t always the right choice but we will talk about the benefits of sustainable aviation and going green!
I know flying is not the most eco-friendly activity to engage in however major strides are being made in the development of green technologies within the aerospace industry. We can make a difference today by reducing our carbon footprint and at the same time, reducing our overall flight training costs.
Did you know? Each hour of online learning is considered to be more productive than in-class learning? There is a lot of research that concludes less time spent learning online can equal the same or better results than learning in a traditional classroom. And this doesn’t even factor in the commuting time.
The Positive Impacts of Online Ground School
In order to demonstrate the potential impact your decisions can have on your pocketbook and the environment, let’s crunch some numbers. We have to make some assumptions here so every case will be different. But one thing is for sure, the savings are real!
Potential savings
We can measure our monetary and environmental savings in three ways:
- Reduced commuting time
- Overall Flight Training cost reduction
- Environmental Impact
The Math
Using the following calculations we can examine each of the above.
Reduced Commuting Time
Let’s take a look at a few assumptions:
- Average commute time = 60 minutes (1 Hour) round trip
- Training Time = 40 hours ( Private Pilot Ground School, mandated by Transport Canada)
- Each commute accounts for 3 hours of traditional ground school time. (Assuming a 3-hour ground school class)
Commute Time:
- 40/3 = 13.3. We will round it up to 14 ground school classes
- 1 Hour drive time X 14 classes = 14 hours of commuting time
By taking online ground school you reduce your time spent in your vehicle by 14 hours! That’s a lot of wasted time.
Commuting Costs
To simplify this calculation we will not assume any cost of wear and tear on your vehicle, we will only discuss fuel savings. Assume the average cost of fuel per litre is $1.40. I know in some provinces it could be higher or lower.
Assumptions:
- Fuel Consumption = 10L/100km (combined small SUV)
Cost Savings:
- 50km round trip = 5L/trip
- 5Lx$1.40= $7
- 14 trips X $7 = $98
By taking online ground school you can save yourself over $100, essentially covering a good portion of your ground school costs.
Environmental Impact ( gCO2)
Assumptions:
- The commute is 25km each way
- CO2 Emissions (g/km) = 215 (small SUV)
Environmental Savings:
- 50km round trip commute X 215 = 10,750 gC02
- 10,750 x 14 trips = 150,500 gC02
By taking online ground school you reduce your CO2 emissions by 10,750 grams per trip or 150,500 over the course of your ground school.
What Are Your Savings?
Every situation is going to be different. We know we made a lot of assumptions here but we challenge you to work this out for yourself given your commute time and vehicle type. With awareness of climate change at an all-time high, it is important that we aviators do our part. While we can’t yet take to the skies in electric airplanes we can certainly leverage the use of technology to find sustainable aviation training solutions that will save us money and help the environment!
The team at Level Flight is ready to help you begin your flight training journey in an eco-friendly way. Take advantage of online ground school and virtual flight training to further reduce your carbon footprint. By preparing for your lessons with virtual flight training you can commute less, and reduce the time spent in the aircraft with the engine running. We all want to be in the aircraft, we’re pilots after all, but by showing up prepared you will make that time quality time! Reach out today by filling out our online contact form or get started now!
FAQs
No, however many students spend a lot of unnecessary time and money fumbling through checklists and procedures with the engine running. This is expensive and bad for the environment. Virtual Flight Training can significantly reduce this waste and leave you prepared and confident for each lesson!
Living next to the airport will allow you to reap the benefits of reduced commuting time and expenses. It will not however afford you any benefit on schedule flexibility. Learning remotely allows you to learn as slowly or quickly as you wish at times that are convenient for you!
We are located next to the Calgary Springbank Airport (CYBW). But that won’t matter to you since you can learn from anywhere with Level Flight!
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.
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