Open ground school
These are the training materials our own students use, published for anyone who wants to fly. No account, no email, no charge. Read them online, print them, and bring your questions to the airplane.
Why we publish our training
Most schools keep their curriculum behind an enrollment form. We think the material that makes safe pilots should be out in the open, because a better-prepared student is a better pilot, whether they train with us or not. If you like how we teach on paper, come see how we teach in the airplane.
New material is added here as our curriculum team releases it.
Private Pilot 5.1
Our private pilot curriculum runs 37 sequential lessons in four phases, with first solo at Lesson 18. Ground hours below are pre-flight briefing time for each phase.
| Phase | Lessons | Ground | Dual | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Fundamentals and scenarios | 1-11 | 13.5 | 16.0 | 0.0 |
| 2 · Instruments, dual XC, night intro | 12-16 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 0.5 |
| 3 · Solo phase, first solo to solo XC | 17-29 | 13.5 | 8.5 | 16.5 |
| 4 · Structured checkride prep | 30-37 | 14.5 | 9.0 | 2.5 |
| Total hours | 1-37 | 49.5 | 43.5 | 19.5 |
These are North Aero 5.1 program hours, not FAA minimums, and every student's pace is different. They describe how the program is designed, not a promise of completion time.
Inside those phases live our scenario lessons, built to challenge every level of student. Two you will hear about: The Mumble and The Real Pickle. Ground discussions run on NASA ASRS reports and NTSB investigations, so the hazards you study are the ones that catch real pilots.
Every lesson, free and open: the full plan plus a fillable, printable instructor record.
Flight Instructor
Our initial flight instructor curriculum runs 42 sequential lessons in four phases, with flying from the right seat beginning at Lesson 10. Every lesson is written twice: an instructor plan and a candidate study guide, tested against FAA-S-ACS-25.
| Phase | Lessons | Ground | Dual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Fundamentals of instruction | 1-7 | 10.5 | 0 |
| 2 · Technical subjects, right seat, and early maneuvers | 8-24 | 15.5 | 4.5 |
| 3 · Maneuver teaching | 25-38 | 11.9 | 19.5 |
| 4 · Checkride preparation | 39-42 | 6.5 | 2.0 |
| Total hours | 1-42 | 44.4 | 26.0 |
These are program hours, not a prediction of what you will personally fly. Extra work is normal, tracked separately, and explained in the program documents published with the lessons.
Every lesson, free and open: the instructor plan, the candidate study guide, and a fillable, printable record.
Tailwheel Endorsement
The Luscombe 8E N1302B carries its weight behind the wheels it steers with, and teaching your feet what that means takes five lessons. The endorsement under 14 CFR 61.31(i) is issued on demonstrated proficiency, not on hours.
| Phase | Lessons | Ground | Dual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Aircraft familiarization and basic flight | 1-2 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| 2 · Landing techniques | 3 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| 3 · Crosswind operations | 4-5 | 2.0 | 4.5 |
| Total hours | 1-5 | 5.0 | 9.5 |
Hours are a good-faith estimate, not a plan you are held to. Completion is determined by demonstrated proficiency against the program's completion standards.
Every lesson, free and open: the full plan, a fillable record, the student manual, and the program documents.
Start here
The Phase 1 companion: aerodynamics, aircraft systems, airport operations, and the habits of thought behind every maneuver in Lessons 1 through 11. Work it alongside your flying or on its own before your first lesson.
The Phase 2 companion: instrument fundamentals, navigation and flight planning, night operations, and the dual cross-country work in Lessons 12 through 16.
Course documents
What to read before each lesson, drawn from the FAA handbooks, so briefing time goes to flying questions instead of first exposure.
The completion standards for all 37 lessons in one book. You can see exactly what done looks like before every flight, the same pages your instructor signs.
Practice tools
Read real METARs and TAFs, make the call, and get graded with a full breakdown of where you lost points. Free and open, no signup.
Aircraft checklists, study guides, homework sheets, and planning tools, all in the downloads library.
Ground school pairs with flight training at Salinas. A discovery flight is the best first step, and the coffee is on us.
