Feb 4, 20224 min read

Ground School

Firstly, ground school is hard to put into words, the ups and downs are something you have to feel for yourself to understand, but I’ll give it a go...

So each school conducts ground school slightly differently. Different structures to class times, different number of exams to sit in one sitting, and length of study breaks in between. I can only explain my experience although whatever the way the school does it, it won’t be too dissimilar.

8:30 am were ready and starting lessons, a few breaks in between, lunch, few more breaks then 4:10 pm were done teaching, back to the accommodation to study. Now, this doesn't sound like a long day, especially if you’ve worked in an 8-6 pm, 6 days a week kinda rota but trust me, I found it way more demanding! The amount you have to try and retain. The common saying in ground school is it’s like a fireman hose aimed at you and you’re trying to catch what you can. It’s not even the complexity of the subjects, it’s the pure amount of content you have to remember in order to pass the exams.

Sounds intense...well I won’t lie, it is. The thing with ground school is, if you work hard, put the time in, don’t give in to distractions, and genuinely put your all into it. Then you CAN pass it with good grades! Plenty of people pass, but usually, those that have had the right attitude and stuck at it up until the last exam it shows in the results!

Our school is structured so you do 7 of the exams in module one and then the remaining 7 in module two which should take approximately 6 months. Our particular course was slightly different on the structure but I won’t bore you with that, it still worked in the same about way.

Typically module one consists of Aircraft General Knowledge (split into Electrics/Engines/Systems), Instruments, Meteorology, Principles of Flight, Human Performance, and Communications.

Personally, my favorite was Met and my worst Electrics. I just loved learning how clouds form rather than how a DC generator produces electricity (Sorry Pete- Still one of my fave instructors!). Module two consists of Air Law, General Navigation, Radio Navigation, Performance, Operational Procedures, Mass and Balance, and Flight Planning. I mean because of my love for aviation there was always some interest in every subject and I genuinely loved filling my brain with all this knowledge but of course, everyone has their favorites.

Progress tests were conducted about halfway in every subject to track your progress and support any weaknesses. They were always an anxious time, but if you feel no emotion then chances are you’re not trying/caring hard enough. They're great to gather feedback and improve upon.

Then comes school finals. Damn these always made us feel sick, knowing our official exams were so close and the pressure to not only to pass but to get high grades to look attractive to airlines. But again, this is what pushes you harder to achieve better than where your school finals say you're at! Our school makes the school finals quite tough so they are confident you're ready to sit your exams and to really test your knowledge. They worked wonders on us, they kick you into shape, improving some of our results from 55% up to in the 90%'s!

Study week then follows after and consists of any school final resits (below 75% in school finals they made us re-sit) and hardcore studying. We made an extremely strict schedule, focused on our weaknesses, and covered everything we could before official exams. This is the most crucial time, this is the difference between passing/getting low grades to passing all with high grades. It’s just study, eat, sleep.

Exam week comes before you know it. The stress levels are at the highest, you switch off from the outside world and give it you're all. It consumes your whole body. But before you know it the week is over and you're results are coming through! The most nerve-wracking time is opening your results, so many emotions as everything you've been working so hard for is presented in those grades. Hopefully, you will surprise yourself, I know we did. It's the best feeling in the world.

Personally I found ground school the most stressful, challenging but yet the best time of my life so far. People think I'm crazy for saying I enjoyed ground school but thankfully due to my classmates and the school they were what made it for me. The support from the instructors 24/7 and I mean 24/7, the enthusiasm and passion the instructors hold, your classmates who become your best mates, and that you CAN have fun in ground school which is extremely important. Make sure you lookout for this when choosing a school.

Throughout ground school it is a massive learning curve, you find out what works for your study-wise, and what you have to prioritize in your social life and study balance. There’s a lot of trial and error in revision techniques and you have to find what works well for you. I shall do a separate blog on study tips so do subscribe to watch out for it!

I hope this gives you a good insight into ground school, if there is anything else you'd like me to add please let me know in the comments.

Good Luck!✈︎

Ashleigh x