Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a list of frequently asked questions that you may have about this site and our instructional programs. Please review the list below to see if your question is answered. If you need more information, or have another question please e-mail info@aviatoracademy.com.

What is AviatorAcademy.com?

Aviator Academy is a business that provides high quality aviation training programs via Internet based delivery. Our course offerings are intended to serve the needs of pilots of all types, experience levels, and backgrounds in the general aviation, military and airline sectors. Whether you are a brand new student, a seasoned ATP, or a Top Gun Instructor Pilot we have course offerings that you can benefit from.

Why Internet Based Instruction?

The Internet is a remarkable tool for delivering instructional content. There are a number of benefits over traditional instructional approaches including convenience, the currency of the information presented, and the interactive nature of the delivery media. With our training programs you are not tied to a class meeting at a certain day or time, you do not have to travel anywhere, our content is kept fresh so you always have the most current information available thus preventing you from having to deal with outdated textbooks, and the system allows you to interact with your instructor and your fellow students.   

Can I Really Learn On The Internet?

Yes! You can learn online. Internet based instruction is becoming more commonplace and most colleges, including several in the Ivy League, now offer online classes. In addition, many colleges now offer fully accredited online degree programs in fields such as business, education, and engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Internet based instruction is also common in corporate training, and in professional continuing education programs. As a point of interest, the software on which this site is based is the same platform used by many of these colleges.  

Will Taking This Class Get Me My License?

No! The Private and Instrument courses are ground school classes only. They fulfill the aeronautical knowledge requirements set forth by the FAA and result in the issuance of an instructor endorsement certifying that you have completed the required ground training and are authorized to take the FAA Knowledge Exam appropriate to the rating being sought. This is just one of the steps along the road to your certificate or rating.  In the case of the Private course they fulfill the requirements of FAR 61.105 and in the case of the Instrument FAR 61.65. You will still need to comply with the other requirements for the certificate or rating. – including flight time.

Why Should I Take My Ground School First?

We feel that taking your ground school first will improve the quality of your flight instruction – saving you money in the long term. By mastering the ground material first you will not be trying to learn how to communicate on the radio, navigate, interpret weather, understand and manage aircraft systems and any of a multitude of other tasks while in flight. Instead you can focus on mastering the control of the aircraft. In the military pilot candidates’ complete preflight indoctrination before they touch an aircraft, and in the civilian world you need to pass the written test for your driver’s license before you can get a learners permit. The FAA does not require this, but we consider it prudent.

What Is Required To Earn An FAA Private Pilot Certificate?

The exact requirements can be found in Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. In general you need to be at least 17 years old and to complete a ground school program (such as ours), pass the FAA written exam, possess at least a Third Class medical certificate from an FAA designated Aviation Medical Examiner, complete at least 40 hours of flight instruction, and pass your check ride with a Designated Examiner or FAA representative.   

What Is Required To Earn An FAA Instrument Rating?

Again, the exact requirements can be found in Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. In general you need at least a Private Pilot Certificate with a Third Class Medical and 50 hours of Cross Country time as Pilot In Command (PIC). You must also complete a ground school program (such as ours), pass the FAA written exam, complete at least 40 hours of actual or simulated Instrument Flight (at least 15 of which must be with an Instrument Flight Instructor), and pass your check ride with a Designated Examiner or FAA representative.

Will Taking The Private Pilot Class Get Me An Airline Pilot Job?

Absolutely, positively, emphatically NO!!! Private Pilots can not fly for hire and the road to an airline cockpit is a long one. Essentially to obtain an “Airline Transport Pilot” certificate you need to have at least 1500 hours of flight time. To actually get hired by a major airline double or triple that figure. Unless you join the military and log several thousand hours of flight time there, you will most likely obtain your Private, Instrument, Commercial, and various Instructor Ratings on your own. Then you will spend several years in jobs ranging from flight instruction, to towing banners and dropping skydivers, to dusting crops, to delivering checks and cargo, to taking people on sight seeing or Mile High Club rides, to flying charters and corporate gigs. These jobs are frequently low paying and are often degrading as well.  (Guess who empties the potty on that Learjet and ensures that “Mr. and Mrs. Gargantuous Rotundo” have twelve boxes of their favorite kiwi flavored truffles aboard?)   Once you have paid your dues and built your time, then you can potentially land that elusive airline gig.  The key to a successful career in aviation is professionalism, attitude, dedication and hard work. If you are a highly trained, skillful aviator with a deep understanding of aviation and airmanship, and a dedication to excellence, safety, and customer service you will find a rewarding career in aviation. However, our private pilot course is not career preparation. It is, as the name implies, ground school training for the FAA Private Pilot certificate; which will not get you a job sweeping up at the airport, much less flying an airliner. It will however provide you an excellent start in aviation, lay the groundwork for future career oriented studies and will make you highly qualified to pass your FAA Private Pilot Written exam.

There are DVD based home-study programs out there, why should I take this course?

Many of the DVD based training programs on the market focus on teaching the test rather than the material itself. Our view is that the test should be an assessment of your actual level of knowledge rather than the ultimate goal of your studies. You shouldn’t learn the ground school material that you need to pass the test, instead you should learn what you need to be a safe and competent pilot and then easily pass the test by drawing from your voluminous body of aeronautical knowledge and understanding.  Another consideration is that the DVD based programs do not include a live instructor. If you are in a DVD course and you “just don’t get something” you are left scratching your head and talking to your TV. With our programs an instructor is an e-mail or forum post away.

What Kind Of Guarantee Do You Offer?

Obviously, since we offer instruction we can not provide any type of a money back guarantee. However, if by some chance you do not pass your FAA written exam you can mail us the failed test report and we will offer a free retake of the class. Our guarantee is that you will receive remedial instruction until you attain a passing score on your FAA Written. This should not be a problem however, as our students consistently score in the high eighties and nineties and are more than adequately prepared for the tests. The actual score you receive is a function of how much effort you apply to the course. Obviously, the more you study the better your performance will be.

Do You Offer The Flight Instruction Too?

Not at this time. We are presently working on building a national network of highly qualified prescreened independent flight instructors and flight schools who will offer our students special package pricing on their flight time. However, this is still in the preliminary stages. Meanwhile, we will gladly provide you with tips and advice on how to select a flight instructor in your local area.

Are Your Classes and School FAA Accredited or Certified?

This gets tricky as we will see below. The direct answer is - No, because the FAA does not accredit or endorse specific ground school programs. We are neither a Part 141 Flight School (as we do not offer Flight Training) nor a Part 142 Simulator Center (as we do not offer Simulator training.). We provide our training under Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Our instructors are fully certified to issue the endorsements required by the Part 61 regulations governing the aeronautical knowledge required for a specific rating. Thus the school or program is not accredited since no such accreditation exists. However, the instructors are FAA certified and conveyed the legal authority by nature of their instructor certification to conduct the training and to issue endorsements certifying satisfactory completion. Our instructors have the same FAA instructor certification and legal authority to teach and issue endorsements that an instructor at your local airport flight school, ground school seminar, or college flight department has.

Are Your Instructors Members of Any Professional Associations?

Some are some aren’t. The decision of whether or not to join an organization or trade group is an individual one made by the individual instructor. It is up to them to decide whether or not they agree with the organizations goals and philosophies, would derive benefit from membership, and consider it worth the dues. However, all instructors teaching courses where an FAA endorsement is required will hold the appropriate flight or ground instructor certificates for the class they are teaching.

What Are Your Instructors’ Qualifications?

They vary. In all classes where an FAA endorsement is issued the instructor will hold an appropriate level of FAA Flight or Ground Instructor certificate for the class being conducted. In some general interest classes not leading to an endorsement, the instructor may not hold any FAA Instructor Certificate but will instead be highly experienced in the field being taught.  For example in a security / terrorism awareness class an extensive law enforcement background would be considered preferable to an FAA certificate. Likewise in a Helicopter EMS Operations class we would utilize a highly experienced rotary wing aeromedical pilot, whether or not they had an FAA Instructor certificate as no FAA endorsement is issued in this case.  With regard to International Programs currently being developed – those instructors will not necessarily have FAA certification. Instead they will be instructors with the appropriate agency to whose standards they are teaching such as the JAA in the case of a JAA class.

I am interested in teaching a class through your school - how can I do this?

We are always looking for qualified persons to expand our course offerings. Please send an e-mail to careers@aviatoracademy.com  . Be sure to detail what course you propose to offer, your qualifications to teach it, and how we can contact you.

I am a CFI and I am interested in enrolling my students in your classes, do you offer any special rates for instructors?

Yes! Please contact sales@aviatoracademy.com  for more information about how we will work with independent instructors and flight schools.  Please be sure to describe what types of classes you are interested in providing to your students, your estimated annual number of enrollments, and how we can best contact you.

My question wasn’t here! What do I do now?

Contact us at info@aviatoracademy.com and we will do our best to answer your question.