Learning To Fly: Preparation - Ground School

In the UK before you are granted your PPL licence you will be subjected to a total of eleven examinations.

There is your practical skills test which takes place in the air and demonstrates that you really can fly your aircraft and navigate over land, and your qualifying cross country flying test.

You will also be subject to a medical examination - note that you MUST have your medical certificate BEFORE you can fly solo so plan this in with your flying training schedule to avoid any unnecessary down time.

There are seven ground school examinations which consist of multiple choice papers with varying numbers of questions and duration. The pass mark in all these ground exams is 75%.

The seven examinations, in alphabetical order, are:

• Aircraft General Knowledge and Principles of Flight
• Aviation Law and Operational Procedures
• Flight Performance and Planning
• Human Performance and Limitations
• Meteorology
• Navigation and Radio Aids
• Radio Communications

The final part of the jigsaw is your radio telephony (R/T) practical examination.

Note that there is no particular order to the examinations, except your final skills test - which, naturally, is your final examination. You can choose to do them in any order you see fit. In the UK you have to pass the Aviation Law examination before you can take your first solo flight.

All the examinations are based on multiple choice questionnaires, some having more questions than others and an accordingly different time limit.

You will only be allowed to use tools of the trade in the navigation examination. Your flying school will provide the appropriate navigation chart to work with.

Use the same strategy for all multiple choice questions: work out the answer first, then remove the obviously wrong options on the sheet. If you still are unsure then go back to the question and work things out from first principles.

The pass mark for all PPL examinations is 75%, note that marks are not deducted for incorrect answers. If you fail any exam you will have to wait at least two weeks before resitting, if you fail a second time you will have to wait four weeks before resitting, if you fail a third time then you will have to wait at least three months before sitting any further PPL examinations and these will be taken at the CAA offices at Gatwick or a regional examination centre!

In addition to your PPL ground school text books there is at least one more type of book that you need to buy: The example question and answers for your PPL exams. The PPL Confuser is a must have. This excellent book lists literally hundreds of questions similar to those that you will face in your PPL examinations. Additionally, it provides the answers and the explanation of why an answer is correct.

The amount of documentation provided with the answers means that the PPL Confuser also serves as an additional reference book to help you during your studies. Before making your purchase please ensure that you have selected the latest edition.

If you can't get hold of a copy of the PPL Confuser there are alternatives such as the Jeremy Pratt Q&A book which is billed as the most comprehensive exam revision guide published for the Private Pilots Licence written examinations. With approximately 1000 questions, arranged in the style and manner of the JAR PPL written examinations papers, using the same number of questions, time limits and pass marks as actual papers.

At this point you will realise that there is more to learning to fly than being able to pilot an aircraft. You have to be able to display knowledge and understanding of a whole range of subjects.

The effort and study required is not to be underestimated in order to successfully complete the ground school aspects of your PPL flying training. An overview of each of the subject matter areas is given on this page.

You will find the following FREE downloads, published by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, invaluable resources during your PPL ground school studies. The are completely free, requiring no registration, and I strongly recommend that you download, print and read these documents from cover to cover:

• The UK AIP (UK Aeronautical Information Publication)
• AICs (Aeronautical Information Circulars)
• LASORS (Licensing, Administration, Standardisation, Operating Requirements, Safety)*
• CAP 393 Air Navigation Order
• CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual
• CAP 637 Visual Aids Handbook
• CAP 774 UK Flight Information Services
  
• General Aviation Safety Sense Leaflets
• GASILs (General Aviation Safety Information Leaflets)
• Notes for Guidance of Applicants taking the Skill Test for the PPL (A)

*Note that LASORS contains the official PPL syllabus which was formerly published as CAA document CAP 053: The Private Pilot's Licence.