Part Time Pilot (parttimepilot.com) has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 62 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Vehicles & Transportation and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 98% rating it 4 stars or higher; 11 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-10.
Part time Pilot is the best ground school available. Nick was great to work with, and replied extremely fast via email to any questions I had. The lessons are available In audio, video, and written format which really helped me digest the information. Highly recommend.
Thank you for your review, we are happy to have had you as a student Seth!
It’s not just typos, the subject matter is riddled with poor grammar and run on sentences. It’s not that I’m a stickler for this sort of thing, it mixes things up like "east" and "west", so when you're taking a practice test and want to know why you got it wrong, its actually unclear!! and makes you wonder if you actually answered correctly or not, its really upsetting when I am trying to study. Additionally, so much of my time is wasted by poor writing. It’s often repetitive/redundant, Ill-explained, and these sort of mistakes also cause one to lose faith in the content. It feels like the way things are explained aren’t efficient and won’t stick as well in one's memory. Also not sure if the podcasts on Spotify are free but a premium plan shouldn’t have to hear the ads (might just be self promotion, I stopped listening to them a while ago). I would also criticize how much the audio feels like just reading off a textbook script which makes it easy to forget and information overload. I do like the ai radio-calls practice since those comms are difficult and this is the best feature I have seen for practicing them. Like, if you just launched that's one thing, but fix your typos and double check all your features for all the time that has passed, it just look lazy. I wouldn’t purchase again but it can be a great “study guide” (not for $250 though). It is just “good” overall, 3 stars. P.S. I got a flagged from Part Time Pilot for making this review to verify my order, yet I don't see a "verified customer" indication anywhere?
Hi and thank you for your review! We requested more information for your review to ensure that you were a legitimate customer. We did this because you left an anonymous email address and we have had competitors leave fake, poor reviews for us in the past. We are not saying this was you, but we just want to do our due diligence. In terms of your experience... We are sorry that you are not satisfied with your purchase. We have a very customer-friendly refund policy that gives users 180 days or 1/2 of the content consumed in the ground school to decide to get a full refund. If you still meet these requirements, we would be happy to refund you. Our audio lessons for paid members do NOT include ads. You are almost certainly listening to our FREE podcast, which does have ads. The audio lessons atop each written lesson have no ads and the audio lessons inside the VIP podcast, which every member gets an invite to, have no ads. If you need help setting up your VIP podcast, please reach out so we can help you do that! As for the typos... We certainly do not want typos, but we pride ourselves on being the most up-to-date platform for students to study with. This is more important then ever with the recent and constant changes to FAA testing. Therefore, we are constantly adding new questions and question explanations. So, if we have to trade a few temporary typos for having up-to-date accurate information, we will do that anyday. However, it is not our goal to have typos and we will fix them immediately when found. Confusing "east" versus "west" is a different story and certainly something I could see would be confusing and frustrating. If you can send us an email with the locaton of this error, we will correct it immediately. Finally, we are sorry you don't like how we structure our sentences in the written lessons. Many students feel differently but we understand. Every student learns differently, which is why we have written lessons, visual aids, audio lessons and video lessons for students to use.
PartTimePilot.com is an amazing course for anyone serious about learning to fly. I especially found the FAA Knowledge Test Prep Summary at the end of each section extremely helpful for exam preparation. It really helps reinforce the key concepts in a clear and structured way. If you want to truly understand aviation rather than just pass the test, this course is definitely for you.
Thank you so much for your review! I am glad that we could help you on your journey and appreciate you taking the time!
Nick, I just want to say thank you. You’re amazing. I took your Part-Time Pilot ground school online and went through the entire course. I absolutely loved the way you designed it — everything was clear, logical, and very well explained. My primary language is Portuguese, and I had no problem understanding your English or following your explanations. The way you break down each topic made everything flow naturally and easy to digest. After finishing the course, I received my endorsement and about five or six days later I took the FAA written exam and scored 82%. I’m really proud of that result. The few questions I missed felt more like random or oddly worded questions rather than gaps in understanding. The core knowledge from your course was solid. Honestly, the value of this ground school is incredible. It exceeded my expectations by far. I truly believe this course could cost as much as a college class — not a few hundred dollars. That’s how good it is. I strongly recommend your online ground school to anyone pursuing their pilot license. Congratulations on building something this well done, and thank you again for the work you put into it. — Fabio Andrade
I cannot tell you how much Part Time Pilot has changed the game for flight training and my ground school experience. My CFI kind of threw me into the deep end with a Jeppesen book and I found all of the theory and rules and regulations to be so overwhelming, I really didn't think I could go through with getting my PPL. That's when I found Part Time Pilot - its' so detailed and there are so many resources (Youtube is my favorite, but I also really appreciate the podcast so I can listen while driving). The material and lessons allow me to TRULY understand the concepts. Not only that but if I had any issues or questions, they got back to me right away and made sure I was on the on the right track. And most importantly, they are up to date on the changes in the FAA exams and they adjust their course and resources accordingly so I feel like I have the inside scoop and now I am extra prepared for my written!
I have begun my initial phase in aviation with PTP taking the Private Pilot Ground School. So far it has been a good experience. I am concentrating on this as full time as I possibly can since I am in a time crunch before attending a Part 141 school. In seven days, I have completed over 60% of the ground. The reading and audios are good but there are some discrepancies at time. However, if you listen to the audio while reading you can eliminate any informational errors. I have been informed the audios are in the process of updates so that should eliminate any errors of information. From what I have read from other reviews with other students attending other schools, the information and experience here at PTP is better than the others. The first hand experiences from Nick and others will help future students/pilots from what not to do or what to look out for. Nick gives information on some not so great experiences he personally had along the way and what you can do to avoid a bad situation. Situational experiences are great whether good or bad. We are always learning no matter our age or experience. Thank you for your assistance in presenting all the necessary information in the ground school so we can become better informed pilots. Once the audios are updated I would give this school a 5.
Best ground school HANDS DOWN! If you're looking to get your PPL, start right here. The coursework is so easy to navigate, and there's also videos for just about everything in the course! Also, if you're military or a veteran, take advantage of the awesome discount!
Very knowledgeable instructor which helped a lot to deepen the true necessary information and science regarding the aviation. It helped me greatly to overcome the obstacles I was facing to understand the materials of the course.
I really appreciated having the same material available in multiple formats. The video made it easy to follow along visually, the audio was perfect for listening on the go, and the text allowed me to review the details carefully at my own pace.
I enjoyed having the different version of the same information very accessible to me. The video explanation, the audio for when I want to listen in the car and the text when I need to see the detailed explanation at my own pace.
When looking for an online ground school option, I happened to run into Part Time Pilot, and I'm so glad I did. The structure of online lessons, with the combination of figures, visuals, videos, text, and audio lessons helped make comprehension of difficult subjects easier. I appreciated being able to see my progress throughout the course as a percentage, which helped me stay focused on my goal! The additional resources provided in the online course, including the AI ATC practice tool are an awesome bonus as well. I would recommend Part Time Pilot for any aspiring aviator who needs an easy to use, self-paced, and comprehensive ground school.
By far the best ground school I found. I tried my flight schools ground training but comprehension was poor and lacked detail. Nick breaks down complex concepts in easy to understand terms. With the option to listen to audio, it's easy to get in study time while also commuting or doing other things. When a concept is more complex or needs a visual, you can simply look up that section and get the additional references you need. Passed the written exam the first time with a 92%. Highly recommend!
The Best Online Ground School After extensive research on online ground schools, I stumbled upon Nick Smith's Part Time Pilot. Immediately, it was clear how much Nick cares about his students and his product. I bought his private pilot online ground school and could not have been more satisfied with the course. It is affordable, and the fact that you get lifetime access is very valuable. If you're unsure which online ground school to choose, I highly recommend Nick's courses at Part Time Pilot.
Part Time Pilot is a masterfully built course. I have not yet taken my exam but I feel so much more confident moving forward with flight lessons and beyond. As someone who builds training courses and material on various topics, I know how difficult it can be to balance the pragmatic vs getting to the meat and potatoes on topics. Nick does both. You get the concept(s) but also are given the tools and resources to go deeper. To be fair, I have no experience with any other ground schools, but I am thankful for this one. There’s definitely not an overabundance of choices for ground schools, and I hope this one is here to stay.
Excellent and comprehensive course. Covers everything you need to pass the written test.
I passed my written first try with a 95% all thanks to Part Time Pilot! I started Nick’s program with zero aviation knowledge and felt super confident by the time I finished. All of the material is very easy to understand while still being in depth — my CFI was really impressed with how much I knew my first lesson! There are plenty of resources available if you have trouble understanding a topic. I especially loved the Facebook group. Nick always replies to questions personally, which is something you won’t find at many other online ground schools! I refer back to this course a lot to reference what I’m learning in the plane. Thank you Nick for creating such a great program and for giving me a solid foundation to continue my training!!
I’ve been extremely impressed with Part Time Pilot. The course is thoughtfully designed with audio, video, and text-based lessons, plus mobile access—perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle or who prefers learning on the go. It caters to all learning styles and makes the material clear and engaging. The support is truly top-notch. Anytime I've had a question, I've received a response within hours, often even minutes. That kind of responsiveness makes a huge difference when you’re working through challenging material. What really sets Part Time Pilot apart is the depth and quality of its content. The flashcards, ATC practice, quizzes, and comprehensive lessons go far beyond what’s needed to feel confident when preparing for your FAA written —they help build real understanding and confidence. Whether you’re aiming for a career in aviation or just pursuing flying as a hobby, I highly recommend this program. It’s an incredible value and one of the best tools out there for student pilots!
PartTimePilot was perfect for me to go through the ground school work at my own pace while working full time. This program breaks down all of the knowledge you need to know to pass the written test. Video, audio, and written text is in almost every lesson so you are sure to gain the knowledge!
Absolutely Amazing Experience! I love Part Time Pilot. The best thing about it, if you think something needs to be changed or improved, you can reach out to Nick (the owner) DIRECTLY! I don't know of any other ground school you can easily do this. I sent Nick an email one day and he responded within only a couple hours. He is always looking to improve his ground school every day and is always taking feedback.
62 reviews matching