Ground School

Private Pilot Ground School

A free ground school for the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test: eleven units of short lessons, from the parts of the airplane to test day, built on FAA primary sources and aligned to the Private Pilot ACS.

Each lesson is a single sitting, roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and each ends with a short quiz, because recalling material yourself is what makes it stick. Work through the units in order; lessons in blue are ready now, gray ones are planned. Start with Parts of an Airplane, and revisit the glossary often, since the knowledge test is written in its vocabulary.

The ACS column shows where each unit's knowledge is tested in FAA-S-ACS-6C (PA = Private Pilot Airplane; Roman numeral = Area of Operation; letter = Task). Your knowledge test report lists these same codes next to any question you miss, so you can trace a weak area straight back to a unit.

Standard: FAA-S-ACS-6C (effective May 31, 2024) · Core text: PHAK FAA-H-8083-25C

Unit	Topic	Primary source	ACS	Lessons
1	The training airplane Fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls, landing gear, powerplant	PHAK Ch 3 & 6	PA.I.G	Parts of an Airplane In the Cockpit: Controls and What They Connect To
2	Aerodynamics and principles of flight Four forces, lift, stalls, stability, load factor, turns	PHAK Ch 4–5	PA.I.F; PA.V.A; PA.VII.A–D	The Four Forces of Flight How a Wing Generates Lift Stalls and Spins Stability and Center of Gravity Load Factor and Turns
3	Aircraft systems and flight instruments Engine, fuel, electrical; pitot-static and gyroscopic instruments	PHAK Ch 6–8	PA.I.G; PA.IX.C	The Engine and Propeller Fuel, Electrical, and Other Systems The Pitot-Static Instruments The Gyroscopic Instruments and Compass
4	Regulations Pilot certificates and privileges, currency, airworthiness, flight rules, NTSB reporting	14 CFR 61 & 91; NTSB 830	PA.I.A; PA.I.B	Certificates, Privileges, and Medicals Currency and Required Documents Airworthiness and Maintenance Flight Rules of the Road Accidents and Incidents: NTSB 830
5	Airspace Classes A through G, special use, weather minimums, equipment	PHAK Ch 15; AIM Ch 3	PA.I.E	The Airspace System at a Glance VFR Weather Minimums Special Use and Other Airspace
6	Airport operations, communications, and charts Traffic patterns, signage, lighting, radio calls, sectional symbology	PHAK Ch 14; AIM; Chart Users' Guide	PA.III.A–B; PA.XI.A	The Traffic Pattern Runways, Signs, and Lighting Radio Communications Reading the Sectional Chart
7	Weather theory The atmosphere, fronts, stability, clouds, icing, thunderstorms	FAA-H-8083-28B	PA.I.C	The Atmosphere and Pressure Wind, Fronts, and Air Masses Clouds, Stability, and Fog Thunderstorms and Icing
8	Weather services and briefings METAR, TAF, graphical forecasts, getting a briefing	FAA-H-8083-28B	PA.I.C	Reading METARs and TAFs Briefings and Graphical Forecasts
9	Performance and weight & balance Density altitude, takeoff and landing charts, CG computations	PHAK Ch 10–11; CT-8080-2H figures	PA.I.F	Density Altitude Takeoff and Landing Performance Weight and Balance
10	Navigation Pilotage, dead reckoning, the navlog, VOR and GPS, lost procedures	PHAK Ch 16	PA.I.D; PA.VI.A–D	Pilotage and Dead Reckoning Planning a Cross-Country VOR and GPS Diversions and Lost Procedures
11	Aeromedical factors and decision making Hypoxia, spatial disorientation, IMSAFE, risk management	PHAK Ch 2 & 17	PA.I.H; Appendix 2	The Body at Altitude Spatial Disorientation and Illusions IMSAFE and Risk Management

The test itself The Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) knowledge test is taken at a PSI testing center. You will use the official Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H) for all figures, the same charts and graphs used in these lessons. Ask your instructor when you are ready to schedule. Most students test after completing units 1 through 9.