Online Ground School

Online ground school means studying aviation theory through video, text, quizzes or live remote classes. It can help you prepare for knowledge or theory exams. It cannot replace practical flight training: that has to be done in an aircraft or approved device, with a qualified instructor.

What ground school covers

Ground school generally means the theory side of pilot training. Subject lists differ by licence and authority, but typically include areas such as air law, aircraft knowledge, navigation, meteorology, human performance and flight planning. For commercial and instrument-level qualifications the theory syllabus is larger.

Theory is tested by examinations. How and where those exams are taken depends on the authority; for example, the Germany page notes that the LBA runs theory examinations. Always check the authority's rules for your country.

What online ground school can do

• Provide flexible, self-paced study.
• Offer practice questions and mock exams.
• Allow study from another country before you travel to train.
• Help you decide whether you like the theory side before spending more.

What it cannot do

• Provide the practical flight training that licences require.
• Replace a medical examination.
• Issue a licence or a rating. Only the authority does that, once you meet all requirements.
• Guarantee a pass in the exam.
• Guarantee that your theory will be recognised by a particular school or authority.

Whether online theory is accepted

This is the main question to settle. Some schools and authorities require theory to be taken through an approved training organisation or an approved course. Others let self-study candidates sit the exams directly. Rules differ for different licences, and may change.

Ask both the online provider and the flight school:

• Is this course approved or recognised by the authority for my licence?
• If not, can I still sit the exam as a self-study candidate?
• Will the flight school where I plan to train accept it, or require its own course?
• Does the school require a certificate of completion of a particular course before it lets me take the exam or start flying?

The answers can differ between a recreational licence and a professional one. In the EASA system, for example, theory instruction for professional licences is closely connected to approved training organisations; in the United States, the rules in Part 61 describe the knowledge test and the ways in which knowledge training can be obtained. Read the rules for your case rather than relying on a summary.

Look at what you get

Online theory and the rest of the route

Theory timing affects your overall plan. Some people do theory first, some alongside flying. There may be time limits within which exams must be passed or within which a licence must be applied for after passing them; these are set by the authority, so check them.

Cost and quality

Prices vary a lot, and a higher price is not evidence of quality. This site does not rank online courses. Check reviews with caution, and compare them with the syllabus and recognition questions above. Our online ground school directory lists providers with the sources we hold, and ground school training pages show courses attached to schools.

Checklist

• [ ] Recognition by the authority or my chosen school confirmed in writing
• [ ] Syllabus matches my licence
• [ ] Exam fees and booking process understood
• [ ] Access period and refund terms read
• [ ] A plan for the practical training, which cannot be done online

For choosing where to fly, read How to Choose a Flight School. See Verification explained for how this site labels status information.