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Few of the many activities one could choose can match the exhilaration, challenges and rewards of flying. One of the first steps in learning to fly is taking “ground school”— your preparation for the world of flight! Aspiring pilots need to learn a number of basics: aircraft instrumentation and operations, weather, how to read aviation charts, how to plan a cross-country trip, and many other topics in order to be a safe and skillful pilot. |
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Sugar Valley Ground School's FAA certified pilot educators aid students in learning what they need to know by supplementing instruction with a wealth of illustrations and videos, which help to increase participants' understanding of the material.
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This service is freely given to the aviation community, offered by pilots with decades of experience "paying it forward" so that others may experience the joy of flight.
Topics covered:
- Parts of the Airplane, Aerodynamics,
- Engines, Electrical Systems
- Flight Instruments
- Federal Aviation Regulations
- Airport Operations, Radio Communications
- Airspace, Aviation Charts
- Radio Navigation
- Understanding Weather
- Weather Charts and Briefings
- Flight Planning
- Airplane Performance Charts, Weight and Balance
- Aeromedical Factors, Aeronautical Risk Management
The next session begins on June 6, 2025. Click here to see the proposed schedule: ground_school_calendar_2025-06-06.pdf
Two and a half-hour online classes will be held on Friday nights for 12 weeks, 6:50 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m.
Please call 336-409-6796 for further information or to register, or click below.
Two and a half-hour online classes will be held on Friday nights for 12 weeks, 6:50 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m.
Please call 336-409-6796 for further information or to register, or click below.
Meet your instructors
Sandra Smith holds FAA Advanced Ground Instructor and Commercial Pilot certificates. She is an FAA Safety Team Representative, the commander of the Civil Air Patrol Sugar Valley Composite Squadron, and she is a past chairman of the Kitty Hawk Chapter of The Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots. She is a member of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), with which she provides youth their first flight experience in the Young Eagles program.
Dr. John Robinson is a Private Pilot and has FAA Advanced Ground Instructor and Instrument Ground Instructor ratings. His fascination with the concept of flight began at a very young age and although his career was primarily as a research and development scientist, he very much enjoys instructing. He taught psychology courses at the college level and currently volunteers to teach the AOPA “You Can Fly” curriculum at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville. He is a member of AOPA, EAA, and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI).
Both instructors are volunteer teachers at EAA Chapter 1083’s annual ASCEND aviation summer camp. They look forward to continuing to share their love of aviation by offering this Private Pilot Ground School course with the hope that it will encourage aspiring aviators of all ages and serve established pilots by refreshing their knowledge.