If I understand correctly, a ground school helps prepare you for the written exam, but you also need an endorsement from a ground school in order to be able to take the written exam.
I have found an online ground school that I believe is a good fit for my learning style. But, I want to make sure they are "legit" before I send them any money.
TBC, I am not asking the question, "Is ground school XYZ official/certified/whatever?" My question is "How do I determine if a given ground school is official/certified/whatever?"
I have found an online ground school that I believe is a good fit for my learning style. But, I want to make sure they are "legit" before I send them any money.
TBC, I am not asking the question, "Is ground school XYZ official/certified/whatever?" My question is "How do I determine if a given ground school is official/certified/whatever?"
15 Replies
The FAA has a Pilot School search site. Click on the following link: https://av-info.faa.gov/PilotSchool.asp
However, not all schools may be listed in this database. If you cannot find a particular school you can call your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). These can be found at the following site: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/
However, not all schools may be listed in this database. If you cannot find a particular school you can call your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). These can be found at the following site: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/
Anyone can teach a ground school, although most are taught by flight or ground instructors. Unless you train under Part 141, you can prepare for the knowledge exam using a home study program and get a sign-off from an instructor who has verified to his/her satisfaction that you are ready. IOW there is no such thing as a "certified" ground school outside of Part 141.
Bob Gardner
Bob Gardner
Correct. However you will need to confirm whatever ground school you work with is authorized to give an endorsement. You may want to validate this before you make your payment to just any online school or program. Most will be obvious as they are well known, like King Schools or Gleim. Follow the instructions in my previous post to determine this.
Any CFI can endorse an applicant for a written (61.36(1)) No "school" required. I have done it many times.
Bob Gardner
Bob Gardner
One does not need a Part 141-certified ground school to prepare for the PP written. However, if it's not a 141 school (and I don't think it's possible to have a 141 certification for an online ground school), you should before signing up ask the outfit providing the course if they have an FAA-certified instructor (flight or ground) involved to provide the endorsement upon completion.
Alternatively, you could do a non-certified/online program without an FAA authorized instructor involved and then have your flight instructor test your preparedness and sign the endorsement. That said, I'm not sure how wise it would be to pay good money for an online ground school that doesn't have an FAA-certified instructor involved.
Alternatively, you could do a non-certified/online program without an FAA authorized instructor involved and then have your flight instructor test your preparedness and sign the endorsement. That said, I'm not sure how wise it would be to pay good money for an online ground school that doesn't have an FAA-certified instructor involved.
For what it is worth, ASA's online ground school provides an instructor's signoff upon successful completion of online tests...general manager Jackie Spanitz is a CFI with a degree in aviation from Eastern Michigan. I feel fairly certain that courses from Sporty's offer similar signoffs, and there may be others.