Best Sport Pilot License Ground Schools
Get ready to ace your sport pilot exams with these six programs.
Looking to start flight training but concerned about the price?
Maybe you're unsure if you can hold a medical or don't want to make flying a career. The sport pilot license offers an accessible entry into aviation at a lower price point and without requiring a medical.
As with any other type of pilot license, ground school is a great way to prepare for sport pilot flight training, exams, and real-world flying. We've rounded up six of the best programs to support your training journey.
Quick Look: 6 Top Sport Pilot Certification Courses
- Sport pilot-specific curriculum: King Schools Sport Pilot Airplane Ground School & Test Prep
- All-in-one bundle: Pilots HQ: Gleim Sport Pilot Online Ground School
- Tech resources: Sporty's Learn To Fly Course
- Bonus content and resources: Rod Machado's 40-hour Private Pilot eLearning Ground School
- Free ground school: Fly8MA Basic Private Pilot Ground School
- Live instructor access: Pilot Institute Private Pilot Made Easy
Best Sport Pilot License Ground Schools
The sport pilot license (SPL) is a beginner-level certificate similar to the better-known private pilot license (PPL).
The main differences are that sport pilots have more flying restrictions and must fulfill fewer training requirements. While sport pilots don't need as many flight hours as a PPL, the written and practical exams are very similar. Because of this, many flight schools don't offer sport pilot ground school and only offer PPL programs.
Taking a PPL ground program to get a sport pilot license may sound strange, but it's not a bad idea.
PPL knowledge goes above and beyond the requirements for sport pilots. As a sport pilot going through a PPL course, you'll learn a little more than is required. But in aviation, no knowledge is wasted. The more aeronautical information you can absorb, the better off you'll be as a pilot.
King Schools
King Schools is a household name in flight training. It’s also one of the only ground schools to offer a program just for sport pilots. Its ground school and test prep companion apps are convenient for offline study. It also offers unlimited practice tests, lifetime course access, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best feature: Sport pilot-specific curriculum
Website: King Schools
Course length: Self-paced modules totaling 7.5 hours of content
Subscription access: Lifetime access and automatic updates
What you’ll learn:
- Airspace
- Weather
- Aircraft performance
- Navigation
- Flying maneuvers
- Check ride and test prep
Price: $299
Gleim Pilots HQ
Pilot's HQ is an online retailer offering pilot and aircraft supplies, educational resources, apparel, and more. It has a bundle of Gleim products specifically for sport pilots, and it's an incredible value.
For under $200, the bundle includes online ground school and test prep, a stack of textbooks, and flight planning tools. The Gleim ground school alone is valued at $160 when purchased independently.
This is the only ground school program on this list that includes physical resources. It's a great buy for anyone on a tight training budget.
Best feature: All-in-one bundle
Website: Pilots HQ
Course length: Average of 35 hours to complete
Subscription access: 12-month access to the program, with extension that can be purchased for 50 percent of the original price if you need more time
What you’ll learn:
- Airports
- Airspace
- Federal aviation regulations
- Aeromedical factors and Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
- Aviation weather
- Weather services
- Sectional charts and airspace
- Navigation and preflight preparation
- Airplanes and aerodynamics
- Airplane instruments
- Airplane engines and systems
- Airplane performance weight and balance
Price: $199
Sporty's
The tech-savvy will most enjoy Sporty's online ground school.
Its 3-D animations, interactive simulation exercises, and 15-plus hours of high-quality video make for a well-rounded ground school experience. Sporty's has the most diverse compatibility options with learning apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Roku. They also have a strong money-back guarantee—pass both your written exam and check ride or receive a full refund.
Although the course is called "Private Pilot Ground School," it is noted in the information that sport pilot topics are covered.
Best feature: Tech resources
Website: Sporty's
Course length: Approximately 23 hours of material
Subscription access: Lifetime access and updates
What you’ll learn:
- Your first few hours
- Practicing landings
- Your first solo
- Dual cross countries
- Private Pilot Test
- Supplemental training (optional)
- Interactive scenarios (optional)
Price: $299
Rod Machado
Rod Machado is known for his entertaining and memorable teaching style.
The module titles listed below give insight into his punny and clever ways of making dense topics easier to understand. This is one of the longer courses on the list with more than 40 hours of video content.
Try the course for free through the demo module linked on the sales page.
Best feature: Bonus content and resources
Website: Rod Machado
Course length: 40 hours of video content
Subscription access: Lifetime access with automatic updates
What you’ll learn:
- Aerodynamics: The Wing Is the Thing
- Engines: Knowledge of Engines Ist Power
- Electrical Systems: Knowing What’s Watt
- Flight Instruments: Clocks, Tops, and Toys
- Federal Aviation Regulations: How FAR Can We Go?
- Airport Operations: No Doctor Needed
- Radio Operations: Aviation Spoken Here
- Airspace: The Wild Blue, Green, and Red Yonder
- Aviation Maps: The Art of the Chart
- Radio Navigation: The Frequency Flyer Program
- Understanding Weather: Looking for Friendly Skies
- Weather Charts and Briefings: PIREPS, Progs, and METARS
- Flight Planning: Getting There From Here
- Airplane Performance Charts: Know Before You Go
- Weight and Balance: Let’s Wait and Balance
- Pilot Potpourri: Neat Aeronautical Information
Price: $279
Fly8MA
While many ground schools offer a demo module or two, hardly any offer an entire program for free.
Fly8MA provides generous access to its basic private pilot ground school. If you're just beginning to look for a ground school and are overwhelmed by the choices, start here.
This course can supplement training you're already doing or serve as a solid first step. There's always the option to upgrade to a more advanced course and get an endorsement to take the written exam when you're ready.
Best feature: Free ground school
Website: Fly8MA
Course length: 20 modules with 93 topics
Subscription access: Lifetime access to the free course, with monthly subscriptions available to a larger library of training materials
What you’ll learn:
- Your first flight
- Traffic pattern
- Understanding wind and turns
- AOA and stalls
- Maneuvers and landings
- FARs
- Airspace
- Performance calculations
- VFR charts and navigation
- Aeromedical factors
- Flying at night
- Flight planning
- Test prep
Price: Basic Ground School is free with the option to upgrade for $149 to get an endorsement to take the written exam. Monthly subscriptions to a larger library of training materials start at $79 per month.
Pilot Institute
One thing that many online programs neglect is real-life interaction between instructors and students. Pilot Institute bridges the gap between prerecorded and live instruction.
Its students have access to virtual study groups and a community Facebook group. They can also receive instructor support by online chat, phone, or email. Study with classmates and ask questions as they come up instead of slogging through difficult material alone.
Best feature: Live instructor access and community support
Website: Pilot Institute
Course length: 35 hours of video
Subscription access: Lifetime access
What you’ll learn:
- Introduction to flight training
- Aerodynamics
- Performance and limitations
- Regulations
- Aeronautical decision making
- Weather theory
- Airport operations
- Radio communications
- Airspace
- Charts
- Navigation
Price: $225
What Is a Sport Pilot License?
A sport pilot license is an entry-level type of pilot certificate. It is less expensive and has fewer training requirements than a private pilot license. It also has tighter limitations.
A sport pilot can only fly during the daytime and may only carry one passenger. They are also restricted to flying smaller aircraft and must fly below 10,000 feet MSL.
Sport pilots fly light sport aircraft (LSA), which are very small and lightweight. The typical LSA has no more than two seats and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds.
Sport pilots may also be endorsed to fly other categories and classes of light aircraft, such as gliders and balloons.
FAA Sport Pilot License Requirements
Training requirements for sport pilots are much lower and more lenient than with other types of pilot licenses. Only 20 total flight hours are required to qualify for a sport pilot certificate.
Fifteen hours must be with a flight instructor, and five must be solo. Sport pilots can also legally fly without a medical certificate as long as they hold a valid U.S. driver's license.
Get Your Sport Airplane License Training Off the Ground
A sport pilot certificate is an underrated entry point into the exciting world of aviation.
It's typically much more affordable and accessible than a standard private pilot license. If you've ever thought flying was too expensive or otherwise out of reach, a sport pilot certificate may be your solution.
When choosing a ground school program, don't overthink it. Getting hung up on this decision can hold you back from your ultimate goal—learning how to fly.
There are many incredible programs on the market. The best way forward is to choose one and dedicate time to completing it. Focus, study hard, and be excited to apply that knowledge to your new role as a licensed pilot.
FAQ
How much does a sport pilot license cost?
Light sport aircraft are usually cheaper to rent and more fuel-efficient than other training aircraft, and sport pilots only need to log 20 hours of training. Because of this, the average sport pilot license costs between $4,000-$6,000.
Is a sport pilot license worth it?
A sport pilot license is a great way to start your piloting journey, especially if you can't qualify for a medical or just want to fly for fun. It's much more affordable than other types of pilot certificates, and training takes less time to accomplish.
What can I fly with a sport pilot license?
Sport pilots usually train in light sport aircraft but can be endorsed to fly other light aircraft like gliders and balloons.
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