Pilotsmith Private Pilot Written Test Prep Class

Pilotsmith Private Pilot Written Test Prep @ Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC)

Pilotsmith’s Private Pilot Written Test Prep class is designed to prepare you to increase your aeronautical knowledge for the purposes of passing the FAA Private Pilot Written.  This class is conducted jointly under FAR 61 and FAR 141.

This is a fast paced course that requires considerable study and effort on the part of the student.  Each session is 3 hours in length and the student is required to spend no less than 2 hours of independent study for each class session. You must be able to allocate 18 hours of independent study time over the course of the 3 weeks.

Supplies are not included in the cost of tuition but are available for order.  All students must purchase from Pilotsmith an online access code for testing and independent study.

The cost of the FAA Written Test administered by PSI is not included.

Students must attend all classes at NWTC Green Bay Campus, 2740 West Mason Street, Green Bay, WI 54303 or at their own expense; make-up a sessions are one on one with the lead instructor and are billed at $85/hr

Class Schedule:

Q an A

• What is the Written (FAA Knowledge exam)?

  • It is a test that is required to be completed before a pilot can complete the practical test (Check ride) and must be passed with a 70% or higher. The written exam is multiple choice and covers a variety of topics such as weather, navigation, systems, etc.

• What is the difference between 141 and 61 training?

  • Part 61 Training:

    • Allows for some additional flexibility in training. However, this type of training has minimal oversight from the FAA (little to no checks and balances), lacks structure in most cases, and can be hard to follow if the Instructor is not well prepared. In addition, many organizations simply focus on the Flight Skills but ignore the very important ground portion of training.
    • Pilotsmith treats part 61 training in a very similar fashion to our Part 141 course. We implement internal checks and balances to ensure quality of training and proper student progression. Most students that choose Part 61 at Pilotsmith, are oftentimes Business Professionals looking for “destination” training. The majority of students that are pleasure pilots often choose Part 141; But the option is for the student to decide.

  • Professional Part 141 training:

    • A significant amount of internal and external oversight in relation to training, maintence, and correct record tracking. This includes various FAA approved documents, Instructor quality verification by the FSDO / internal checkouts, and an FAA approved syllabus for each individual course.

    • Each 141 program has its own approvals, often times based on performance of students within the program itself. A 141 program is required to keep a minimum of 80% pass rate. Pilotsmith has achieved over 90% pass rate for the Private and Instrument courses, which allows for in-house examination. This means that 141  students do not need to go to an FAA check ride for the first two course! This saves time and money. Lastly, Pilotsmith has a “reduced-hour” Commercial certificate. This saves students over 60 hours of time building that is required at most other 141 schools. All of these factors allows for a high end, cost effective, reputation based experience that future employers desire in an applicant.

    • Lastly, we can train any type of student in the Part 141 courses; Professionally minded, Pleasure, or Business Professional. We provide the answers to any questions in relation to the type of training, and the decision is ultimately yours! P.S. It is a fallacy that Part 141 courses are not flexible. Flexibility is specific to institution, not the type of training.

• What is this class for?

  • This class is designed solely for written test preparation. It is not a ground school course and therefore does not meet or satisfy the requirements for ground training. An applicant for a Private Pilot Certificate must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or successfully complete a home-study course covering the necessary aeronautical knowledge areas.

• Do you have to complete the written before you can start ground and flight training with an instructor?

  • No you do not, you must complete the Written (Knowledge exam) prior to the Check ride. Therefore, you can take this course OR simply work directly with a Flight Instructor to get signed off to take the written. Many students choose to simply start working with a Professional Academy, then they get signed off about 2/3rds of the way through the training.

• Would I ever need to take the Written test again?

  • Potentially: If you do not pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher -OR- if you do not complete the Check ride within two years of taking the exam.

• If you fail the test can you try again?

  • Yes; However, you must do some review with your instructor first and then receive another endorsement giving you permission to try again.

• What happens if you miss a day of the class?

  • The missed day must be made up with the instructor. The instructor will be compensated for this time at their standard instructor rate.

• What happens if I don’t get the required score on the End of Course (EOC). The final test of class?

  • If you need to retake the test on a different date, you will be required to compensate the instructor for their time, similar to the policy for missing a scheduled class.