The MIT Private Pilot Ground School is held each IAP for FREE! Attend full-day classes (8 hours) for 3 days and get the knowledge to successfully pass the Private Pilot Written Test.
The class is offered as an optional 3 credit class for undergraduates and is a good opportunity to dive into aviation for those who have not begun flying, as well as for those who are in the midst of their training
What's Included:
The course includes qualitative aerodynamics, airplane and helicopter systems, practical meteorology, navigation, cross-country flight planning, and human factors. FAA-required theory will be presented through thought-experiments. Besides, practical advice will be offered based on instructors’ real-world experience.
Prerequisites:
For more info and to view recorded lectures from IAP ground school in 2019, check out this page.
If you'd like to register for the 2025 IAP PPL ground school, please read below.
Schedule: January 7 through January 9, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Room 1-390
Enrollment: This course is free and open to all. It is not limited to MIT students.
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions.
Advance Sign-Up Required:
There is limited seating, so reserve your spot here. In addition, if you want to receive MIT course credit (optional), register with in WebSIS for 16.687 – the course carries 3 units.
Subject Description:
Would you like to fly a plane, helicopter, or commercial drone? Or understand the engineering behind how airplanes fly? Come spend 3 days with us and learn everything that an FAA-certificated Private pilot or Remote Pilot needs to know for the official knowledge test. The course includes qualitative aerodynamics, airplane and helicopter systems, practical meteorology, navigation and cross-country flight planning, and human factors. We present the FAA-required theory, pose some thought-experiments, and offer practical advice based on instructors' real-world experience.
Course Staff:
Tina Prabha Srivastava, pilot and MIT alum (Course 16 S.B.; System Design and Management S.M.; Engineering Systems Design Ph.D, supervised in Course 16, ESD, Sloan)
Philip Greenspun, an FAA Airline Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor for both airplanes and helicopters, MIT alum (Course 18 S.B.; Course 6 Ph.D)
More information can be found here.
FIND US
MIT Building 33
125 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139