Ground school is the classroom or online theory portion of pilot training, covering subjects such as air law, meteorology, navigation and aircraft systems. It runs alongside flight training and prepares students for the written or theoretical knowledge examinations.
Ground school is the theoretical component of pilot training — air law, meteorology, navigation, human performance, aircraft systems — delivered in classroom, online or blended form. Under EASA, theory for licence courses is part of the approved training: distance-learning elements are permitted within approved structures, with prescribed instructional hours and progress tests before students sit the official exams.
The operational craft is synchronisation: theory and flight phases feed each other, and a student flying navigation exercises before covering navigation theory learns both badly. Blended models — online self-study plus scheduled instructor sessions — have become the dominant economics for all but full-time integrated courses.
Why it matters for flight schools
Ground school is where student momentum quietly dies: flight lessons are fun and scheduled, theory is lonely and postponable, and a student six months behind on exams is a completion risk however well they fly. Schools that track theory progress with the same rigour as flight progress catch the drift early.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger tracks theory progress alongside flight training in one student record — sessions, progress tests and exam readiness visible to the instructor team, so the two tracks stay synchronised.
Frequently asked questions
Can ground school be done online?
Largely yes — EASA-approved distance-learning courses cover the self-study share, combined with required instructor contact and progress testing. Full classroom delivery survives mainly in integrated full-time programmes.
How many theory hours does a licence require?
It varies by licence and course approval — from roughly 100 hours at PPL level to several hundred for ATPL theory. The approved course defines the structure; the exams define the standard.