How close to flight instruction should you take ground school for PPL

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nascent_aviator@reddit

There's no problem with getting started early on the ground part. I wouldn't characterize it as "knocking out the ground school" though. You are certain to forget things or perhaps fail to understand some things without context. This is fine! Learning things multiple times and especially in multiple ways helps reinforce it in your mind.

Starting ground stuff early you will probably spend overall more time on ground. But you'll also learn it better and probably save some money on expensive flight instruction!

Don't study to pass the written. Study to really understand the topics. Live and breathe aviation ground knowledge and it will prepare you very well for flight training.

Don't take the written test until you have a solid timeline to a checkride. If you let the 2 years lapse it's just an unnecessary waste of money.

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Altec5499@reddit

Some might argue that you’ll save money by doing ground before flying because you’ll go into flying with a basic understanding on how most things work. I definitely back this. I did ground 100% on my own and saved a lot of money by not having to ask my CFI a ton of questions about what we were doing and why. I did this in college and was successful at it- looked up videos on the future lesson and understood what was going on before stepping foot into the class. You’ll be sharper and can then just focus on flying the plane

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Jwylde2@reddit

The whole purpose of ground school is to prep you for the written knowledge exam. I did my ground school and knowledge exam right before I started flight training.

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ltcterry@reddit

Classroom works best in conjunction with hands on. Flying works best in conjunction with the ground school material.

There’s a reason no syllabus says “Lesson 0, to all the ground school first.”

But, yes, you can memorize enough to pass the written before you’ve ever been in an airplane.

If you want to do one bit early and work on getting smart - do the weather lesson(s). Then watch the weather maps on TV.

A couple days ago someone posted here about a free weather course online from Harvard. (That would be a fun completion certificate to frame for the office. Oooh, Harvard!)

You could get really good at something people struggle with. Practical value. Pilot value.

Don’t start flying until you’ve saved the needed fund$.

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TxAggieMike@reddit

Taking in the "ground knowledge" and completing the knowledge exam BEFORE you do flight training is possible.

But be aware that any significant time gap between acquisition/exam and doing flight training will result in erosion of the knowledge. Aviation knowledge requires frequent exercise in order to keep it sharp.

BEST is to learn the ground knowledge at the same time as flight training.

It's general human nature that we learn new things best when we have an experience to associate with the knowledge we have acquired.

For example... you will be reading and learning about aerodynamics.... how airplanes fly, and why training aircraft are built to be stable flying platforms.

Reading or watching a video can work to plug that information on to your neurons. But maybe you don't fully comprehend or understand. Sure you can rote memory recall the information, but if you were asked if you really understand it, you might say no.

But once you go for a flight lesson or two, then you have experiences in how a training airplane becomes your "dance partner" and how it performs its aerodynamic magic and is a stable platform. You now have the knowledge AND you really understand it.

Understanding and application of the knowledge is your target. Not just plugging it into memory for an exam.

To really reach the understanding and applicaiton level, you really need to be flying at the same time you're acquiring the knowledge.

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Porksausage313@reddit (OP)

I agree and will hold off until I’m ready for everything. Thanks

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AlexJamesFitz@reddit

You could get started, but it'll make way more sense if you do it roughly parallel with flight training. Download the PHAK and Airplane Flying Handbook and read through both to lay down a solid foundation, for now.

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falcopilot@reddit

Passing the written starts a two year clock to a checkride, or retaking the written.

My take- You don't have to take the written until just before your checkride. Everything topic you miss a question on is fair game for the DPE, but also- a lot of it is kinda base knowledge that you should, well, know. So I rotate between three different test prep apps and I'm just rotating around to keep the knowledge on tap w/o just memorizing the questions, and some day I'll get bored and go take a written.

IMO, the Sporty's app throws the most curveball questions, it's pretty clear that it's aimed at people headed to airlines (which I am not).

Meanwhile, there are some source books to read that the ground schools are based on- Pilot's Handbook of Aeroautical Knowledge, Airplane Flying Handbook, FAR/AIM, and several more- all of which can be downloaded as PDFs. The PHAK was not horrible to read.

"Stick and Rudder" was written around the end of WWII and is considered worth the read, though the phrasing is, well, 80 years old, the knowledge is good, but it's going to make you think.

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Don’t have the time for a full send right now for my aviation hopes. I could knock out ground school now though but would probably wanna wait another 6 months till summer to get with an actual instructor. Is that a bad idea. My concern is I’ll be rusty when it comes to the book stuff

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