Ground School Courses
Learning to fly is fun! But you do have to hit the books in order to learn the material that can’t be covered in the cockpit. While you can certainly take care of your studying on your own, most people prefer to attend one of our classroom courses. Not only will this ensure you cover all the material, but it will also provide the structure and organization to get you through the required material in an organized and timely manner.
Click on each title below to read more about each of our ground school courses.
Ground School Schedule
Private Pilot Ground School
Private Pilot Ground School
This course will teach you everything you need to know to pass the FAA private pilot written exam. Topics include airplane systems, aerodynamics, airport environments, proper communications and phraseology, meteorology, FARs, aircraft performance, charts and navigation, and human factors.
Date/Time: Twice a week for 7-weeks. See our schedule for date and times.
Cost: $300
Instrument Ground School
Instrument Ground School
This course will provide you with all the ground training necessary to pass the FAA Instrument written exam. Topics include flight instrument systems, attitude instrument flight, instrument navigation, airports and airspace, FARs, ATC systems and clearances, departure, enroute and arrival charts and procedures, holding patterns, approach charts and procedures, GPS navigation, flight simulation, meteorology, aeromedical factors, and IFR emergency procedures and flight planning.
Date/Time: 6 weeks – Two days per week.
Cost: $350
Mountain Flying Course
Mountain Flying Course
One of the greatest thrills of being a Pilot in Colorado is the opportunity to fly throughout the majestic Rocky Mountains. The class will consist of 4 hours of ground training, where you will learn the basics of how to fly in the rocky terrain. You will learn the fundamentals of performance considerations, developing go-no-go judgment skills, mountain flight planning, and developing confidence for mountain flying. To complete the full mountain checkout, after the ground course each student will fly a specific route determined by the instructor to individually suit your needs. Common destinations are Buena Vista, Leadville, Aspen, Glenwood, and Granby. There are many other options; the sky is the limit on where you can go!
Date/Time: This course runs periodically throughout the year two days per week during course duration.
Cost: The cost of the ground class is $99 for Aspen Flying Club members and $149 for non-members. * The flight portion of the checkout will be a separate and additional cost depending on the aircraft choice and desired route of the student.
Co-Pilot Course
Co-Pilot Course
As a pilot, don’t you wish your spouse or other regular right-seat passenger could help out with some of your workload? This course is meant for them. Once they complete our course, not only will they be more useful in the cockpit, but they’ll also get more enjoyment out of flying with you. The course consists of 4 hours of ground school and two hours of flying.
Date/Time: We run the ground school periodically throughout the year one day per week during course duration. The flight portion can be scheduled upon completion of the ground school.
Cost: $499
Aviation 101
Aviation 101
This class is a great introduction to aviation. The student will attend our full six-week Private Pilot ground school (see above) to build a solid foundation of aviation theory. Upon successful completion of the ground school, the student takes his first flight lesson to put what he’s learned in the classroom to use in the cockpit.
Date/Time: 7 weeks
Cost: $599
ATC/Radio Communication Course
ATC/Radio Communication Course
This course focuses on some of the most common ATC and radio learning obstacles. In this class you’ll simulate ATC communications over a range of VFR flight situations, review the importance of AIM and FAA-approved radio phraseology, discover when to anticipate ATC instructions and sequences in different airspaces, and learn when to transmit in the midst of “live” ATC exchanges.
Date/Time: We run the ground school periodically throughout the year one day per week during course duration.
Cost: Course is $5 for current Aspen Flying Club members in good standing, $15 for non-members.
G1000 Course
G1000 Course
The Garmin G1000 is the biggest name in “glass cockpit” technology. If you are going to fly newer airplanes, there’s a good bet those airplanes will be equipped with the G1000. Attend our course and learn the basics of operating the G1000.
Date/Time: We run the ground school periodically throughout the year one day per week during course duration.
Cost: Course is FREE for current Aspen Flying Club members in good standing, $20 for non-members.
Advanced G1000 Course
Advanced G1000 Course
The reviews from our basic G1000 course have been phenomenal. Those who have attended found the course to be instrumental in mastering the fundamentals of the G1000. After attending the course and then getting a couple hours of practical experience flying a G1000-equipped airplane, the consensus among the participants was that they were ready to learn some of the more advanced features of the G1000 system. Phase II is our Advanced Garmin G1000 course. This class is a little longer than the basic, and will build upon the fundamentals taught in the first class.
Date/Time: This course is offered periodically throughout the year one day per week during course duration.
Cost: $25 for current Aspen Flying Club members in good standing, $45 for non-members.