Private Pilot – Single Engine Airplane Ground School
What is Ground School?
Ground school is the knowledge & theory portion required to get a pilot’s licence, or an excellent foundation for an aviation career.
Why not online?
There are many online ground school options now that meet the basic requirements to take the FAA exam. Although this can be convenient and cheap, it is often difficult to grasp & retain the full scope without discussion. Many often struggle to stay focused to get through all of the topics and fully understand what you need to know. It can be effective if you’re very self-motivated and have some knowledge already, but doesn’t work for everyone, especially if you’re starting from scratch.
Learning from experienced instructors, you can ask questions and gain a deeper understanding that will save you time on flight training and help you become a safer pilot. While covering knowledge & theory topics, we also discuss practical application of that knowledge – which sets you up to be better prepared going into flight training, and require less time on instructor briefings.
This is also a great way to engage with other aspiring pilots, and gauge whether to commit to going away for flight training before spending the time, money and effort to do so.
About Us
We are FAA-licenced ground instructors ready to work with you to get started here on island. We have and are continually building contacts with various flight schools in the US & Canada, and can help you make the best decision for your goals.
Pete Wilson has been working with local aspiring pilots to offer ground school on island since 2009, and has consistently helped his students achieve very high scores on their written exams. They also go into flight training well prepared and excel quickly. His students have gone on to various flight schools and levels of aviation. One of his first students was Emily Siggins, now flying for JetBlue. He has worked steadily to inspire the next generation of young pilots, such as Remy Donawa and Christian Warren.
Heather Nicholds started flying in Canada, and worked as a flight instructor at Toronto Island Airport. Her favourite part of instructing was ground school, and she has been teaching in some capacity for most of her adult life – from swimming to ice skating to flying. She is dedicated to using her knowledge and experience to support Bermuda’s aviation community and continue Pete’s mission for future generations.
We also hope to include other local instructors for lessons when their schedule allows, giving you a variety of experience and teaching styles.
Study Units
- Aerodynamics
- Airplane structure, Instrument systems
- Airport environment, U.S.Airspace system
- Federal & NTSB Regulations
- Airplane weight & balance/Performance
- Aeromedical Factors/Aeronautical decision making
- Aviation Weather & Aviation Weather services
- Navigation charts, Publications & Navigation Systems
- Cross Country flight planning
- Student final exam, Instructor logbook endorsement
Each study unit is covered in two 2-hour sessions. For students who may need more time on a subject, additional sessions can be arranged as needed.
Above are requirements to write the FAA private pilot aeronautical knowledge exam.
Pricing
20-week session: $900
Make up sessions, as needed: $50
Ground school is open to those aged 18 and over. We do also have youth programs available. Contact us for more details.
Ground School Kit & Supplies
Students will need to order and have their own Ground School Kit before starting class. From our experience, Gleim is the simplest and most affordable option, however Sporty’s and other kits are all similar. We have listed below the options in order of our recommendation as value for cost.
- Gleim – Private Pilot Kit
- Sporty’s – ASA Private Pilot Kit via Sportys
- ASA – Private Pilot Kit
- Jeppesen – Private Pilot Kit
Location
Classes will be held in town, at a training room in an office on Richmond Rd. Exact location will be given to those registered.
We may organize optional class visits to various locations at the airport, for example to the hangar for a lesson on airplane pre-flight inspection. These would be scheduled based on instructor availability and student interest.
Upcoming Sessions
Next session will be January 2026, either a weekday after work or Saturday late afternoons. Sessions will be held approximately every 2 weeks, skipping major holidays.
Register your interest below, and we will be in touch when we have confirmed dates.
Contact us for Questions
hello@blueskybermuda.com
- Pete Wilson, FAA Private Pilot & Advanced Ground Instructor 2576855
- 441-518-7282
- Heather Nicholds, FAA Commerical Pilot & Advanced Ground Instructor 3828214
- 441-516-3305