Aurora State Airport
Aurora, Oregon
fly@sunbreakair.com
Ready to start flight training? Check out our Flight Training page!
Private Pilot Ground School
Let's get to the important part first: At Sunbreak Aviation, our Private Pilot Ground School is free.
Sessions are most Saturdays, from 9:00 to noon. Scroll down to see the current schedule.
If you show up, we will ask for your attention. We will ask you questions. We will ask you to take notes.
But we won't ask for your money.
You will need to buy a few things to complete the course. We will have a shopping list for you ($150 to $250).
Students also will need to purchase an online test-prep package. Formats and prices vary. We will look at a few options ($40 to $300).
The Other Half of Flight Training
A passing score on the FAA knowledge test is a major milestone in Private Pilot training, but too often the goal is set aside.
Some student pilots are extremely interested in building flight hours and not as interested in study-time.
Sometimes a flight instructor hands a textbook to a new student and says "You need to read this," but the reading doesn't happen.
And, occasionally, the conversation never starts.
It seems that an important point isn't said often enough: The effort required to pass the knowledge test is the other half of flight training.
If you're working on your Private Pilot certificate, you don't want to begin studying for the knowledge test a month before your flight test. Almost certainly, your flight test will be delayed.
During ground school sessions, we will look at subject matter set out in the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook, along with regulations, advisories, FAA-published charts, and chart supplements.
We want to cover everything we can so that our students have a robust understanding of the material and overall flight safety.
At the same time, we also are training student pilots to pass a formal exam. We will look at test questions during class — a lot of test questions — so that you will become familiar with the FAA's question format and some of its patterns.
The Classroom
All classes are held in the Sasquatch Aviation hangar at Pacific Flight. We have a large room with plenty of space for everyone — and if it gets crowded we'll move downstairs to our larger event space.
This classroom has hosted aviation ground schools for more than twenty years. For many pilots, it's an old friend.
Students who want to study independently after class — or just kick back and relax — are welcome to hang out in our study loft, which features large sofas. Noise-cancelling headphones are a great study aid.
Getting Started
Our Private Pilot Ground School doesn't have a start date. The classes run in a loop.
Student pilots who complete all of the classes have the best chance of earning a test endorsement (see below).
However, we're happy to let students drop in and out of sessions as they see fit. Students also can revisit sessions if they need a refresher.
If you're planning to attend class for the first time, please drop us a note at learn@sunbreakair.com so that we can estimate our current class size.
Class Schedule
Classes happen most Saturdays from 9:00 to noon. We might run a bit long for students who want to look at more test questions.
- July 11: Aeromedical Factors, Aeronautical Decision Making, Collision Avoidance
- July 18: Aircraft: Construction, Flight Controls, Systems, Instruments
- July 25: Aerodynamics
- Aug. 1: Flight Manuals, Weight & Balance, Aircraft Performance
- Aug. 15: Weather
- Aug. 22: Sources of Weather Information
- Aug. 29: Airports & Airspace
- Sept. 12: Navigation & Charts
- Sept. 19: Regulations, the Airman's Information Manual, and Advisory Circulars
- Sept. 26: Four fundamentals, Slow Flight, Aerodynamic Stalls, Spins and Spin Recoveries
- Oct. 3: Traffic Patterns, Landings, Ground Reference Maneuvers
Student Training Logs
By regulation (CFR 61.105), student pilots seeking a Private Pilot Certificate "must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course" in specified aeronautical knowledge areas.
Student pilots attending Sunbreak's ground school will be provided a training log, which will be signed by an authorized instructor at the end of each session. A completed training log will satisfy the requirements of 61.105 and can be presented to the pilot examiner on the day of the flight test.
A partially completed training log can be combined with other ground-training endorsements. A complete set of endorsements will meet the requirements of 61.105.
Test Endorsement
FAA knowledge tests are taken at approved testing centers. Test-takers will pay a testing fee when they schedule a test.
Prior to taking the test, a student pilot must have a test endorsement from an authorized instructor, which will be presented at the testing center during check-in.
Sunbreak's ground school students can get a test endorsement from one of our instructors by scheduling a practice test at our location. The internal testing fee is $49.
The test will be conducted using the test center's conditions:
- Electronic and manual calculators are permitted.
- Internet-connected devices will placed in a locked pouch or left outside of the room.
- Test-takers will have two hours to complete the test.
A minimum score of 83 (50/60) is required in order to receive an endorsement.
Please note that an endorsement from a Sunbreak instructor isn't required to take a test — an endorsement from any authorized instructor will do. Most online ground schools also offer test endorsements upon completion of the course.
Shopping List
Students attending Sunbreak's ground school will be offered free digital access to all of the study materials required to complete the course.
Students will need to purchase an online test-prep package.
Students also have the option to purchase the following textbooks and print materials:
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (ASA version)
- Airplane Flying Handbook (ASA version)
- FAR/AIM (most recent version)
- Aeronautical Chart User's Guide (ASA version)
- Chart Supplement (most recent version)
- ASA Private Pilot Test Prep
Students attending the Navigation class need to bring:
- A Sporty's electronic E6B
- A manual E6B
- A rotating azimuth aviation plotter
Students are strongly encouraged to bring a tablet or laptop computer to each class.
One-on-One Test Prep
Need to revisit a topic? Or did you miss a class? You can schedule a one-on-one Test Prep session with one of our instructors to catch up. Click here for more information.
