上記の中で、「Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge（パイロットの航空知識ハンドブック）」が、座学の内容の教科書的な位置づけになっています。とても勉強になりますし、座学だけでは曖昧だった知識の再確認や予習に良いと思います。但し、私は余裕のない訓練生だったので、英語で読む時間は取れませんでした。
Ground school in Japan has officially begun! Before I even dreamed of flying, I discovered an unexpected hurdle: the written test. It was quite a surprise to learn that becoming a pilot involves not just flying but also studying a wide range of topics on the ground. Another surprise? The checkride includes not only a flight test but also a 3-hour (sometimes longer ) oral exam. Talk about a thorough process!
What Does the Written Test Cover?
The written exam includes a variety of topics, such as:
Basic Aerodynamics
Aircraft Systems
Flight Instruments
Regulations
Weather and Weather Services
To prepare, I used the ASA TEST PREP and the JEPPESEN textbook. Both are excellent resources, but I recommend ASA TEST PREP for its detailed explanations and five-time free mock tests. The written exam must be taken in the U.S., but before that, you need to get the endorsement of your instructor. The ground instructor said, "If you get more than 80% on the mock exam 5 times, we will endorse you.” The term "endorsement/endorse" also means approval of your instructor to fly solo or take each exam once you begin flight training.
ASA TEST PREP
(a separate booklet is also available on the FAA website)
JEPPESEN textbook
(online materials also available)
Tips for Success
Check for updates online using the link provided on the very first page of the ASA booklet (READER TIP).
Familiarize yourself with aviation acronyms like FAA, ICAO, VFR, and IFR—they’ll pop up everywhere!
Focus on the topics you enjoy (like the Weather, in my case) but don’t neglect the tougher ones (Basic Aerodynamics was a challenge for me).
Aviation is a field of endless learning, and understanding concepts you once found difficult is incredibly rewarding.
The table of contents outlines a broad range of topics, including Basic Aerodynamics, Aircraft Systems, Flight Instruments, Regulations, Procedures and Airport Operations, Weather and Weather Services, Aircraft Performance, Enroute Flight, Navigation, and Communication.
The one I enjoyed the most was "Weather” and the one I understood the least was "Basic Aerodynamics." In any case, it is fun to eventually understand what you didn't know.
In the next post, I'll dive into one of the most challenging topics: Basic Aerodynamics. Stay tuned!
Now that the research is over, it is time to decide on a flying school.
Getting straight to the point, I chose School E for the following reasons.
First, I ruled out School A because it did not offer any ground school in Japan, there was no daily transportation provided, and I simply could not get a clear picture of the school.
This left me with two options: Schools D and E. I felt that School D was not a good match because of the instructor in charge of the ground school in Japan, so I leaned toward School E. At one point, however, I considered School B as a better option if they had a preschool program in Japan.
The school required a lump-sum payment in advance, which made me hesitant., Meanwhile, School B allowed payments to be made on a per-transaction basis as long as the account did not go into the red. Furthermore, School B was very sincere in answering my questions. However, I found it unreasonable that their self-study materials for the written test were priced similarly to School E’s in-person learning program.
Additionally, School B sent me a promotional video, which was quite moving. I had mixed feelings about it, but after a period of hesitation, they sent me the same video again with an email message saying something like, “Don’t give up on your dream.” This gesture, while encouraging, ultimately helped me decide to go with School E instead of B. That said, I still think School B is a good school overall.
The preschool program at School E was satisfactory for me. However, as mentioned earlier, I transferred on the second day of training, so anything can happen in this industry.
When choosing a flying school, everyone has their own priorities, but there’s one piece of advice I now feel strongly about: steer clear of schools that require a lump-sum payment upfront. Once the money is paid, getting a refund can be incredibly difficult if, for any reason, you’re unable to complete your training. Even in cases where a refund is possible, it often involves a long and frustrating process of negotiations and paperwork.
As with the rest of the posts in this blog, this is a fictional story based on information and circumstances from a long time ago.
In the next post, I will cover the start of a preliminary ground school in Japan. Ground school for pilots is varied in subjects and quite interesting. (To be continued.)
First, the table below outlines the minimum costs for your training, with subtotals provided. The schools shaded in blue are those that are relatively favorable to me, for the reasons explained earlier.
In addition to the costs, other factors to consider include the safety of the city where you'll stay, the aviation safety record of the flying school, the location of the preschool in Japan for the written test, the ease of daily commuting to and from school, and the availability of host families. Choosing a good flight instructor is a very important process, but it’s impossible to know this before starting training.
If possible, it would be a good idea to visit the flying school before making your decision and try an “Introductory Flight” or “Familiarization Flight.” This is a one-hour flight in a training airplane under the instruction of a certified instructor, during which you'll experience takeoff, landing, straight-and-level flight, turning, climbing, and descending. The instructor will communicate with air traffic control on your behalf. When flying with an American instructor, a certain level of English proficiency is required. However, the instructor who conducts your Introductory Flight may not necessarily be assigned to you for the rest of your training, even if you request it.
Regarding host families, I mentioned in a previous article that I had three. The first was a Filipino couple. The wife was a tough woman who became a major banker after coming to the U.S. with a one-way ticket as a teenager to support her family in the Philippines. At the time, I had apparently been assigned to another host family, but they suddenly went on a trip, and she kindly accepted me as a guest "for just a few days." I ended up transferring to a new family on the second day of my training, and my stay there was shortened to about 10 days. As a result, she seemed relieved—something that wouldn’t happen in Japan.
After transferring to a new school, I stayed with a Japanese woman’s family, introduced by the new school. This family took care of me in a traditional Japanese way and even made me a box lunch, which made me feel safe and comfortable and allowed me to focus on my studies.
However, due to her circumstances, I moved to another host family, an American couple, after about a month. This family had a study desk, and both were from airline companies, so we shared a passion for aviation, which gave me more opportunities to speak English, as I had hoped. It was a very fruitful stay. Needless to say, as guests, we must always have good manners and show consideration.
In the next article, I will finally choose the flying school. (continued)
The aircraft I flew during my training was a two-seat, single-engine aircraft, the Cessna 152 (C152).
I’m the type of person who can’t even drive a car properly, is afraid of machines, and has a poor sense of direction. I didn’t even know what a spin was, so spinning was a huge challenge for me. I just wanted a high-wing airplane because I had heard that it was harder to get into a spin with one compared to a low-wing. With the Cessna 172 (C172), depending on the specifications, women might not be able to reach the brake pedals, and the cost is higher than the C152, so I was glad to choose the C152 in the end. On the other hand, low-wing aircraft tend to experience more ground effect, which is utilized during the landing flare.
High-Wing Aircraft（PHAK Figure 1-22）
Low-Wing Aircraft（PHAK Figure 1-23）
Excerpt from my PHAK Translation Notebook
Spin and ground effects are covered in the aerodynamics section of ground school. Since I come from a liberal arts background, I found this subject difficult to grasp. Every instructor was stunned and utterly surprised by my struggles. But aerodynamics is the study of natural phenomena, and the more I learned, the more enjoyable I found it.
Safety is of utmost importance and takes precedence over aircraft selection. From this perspective, flying schools that meet at least the legal maintenance requirements should be chosen. While safety factors include not only aircraft maintenance but other aspects as well, Part 141-authorized flying schools are subject to FAA certification and regular inspections, which can serve as a standard for evaluation.
The “Part 141" refers to Part 141 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), which governs "Aeronautics and Space." If you know the name, city, and state of the school you’re interested in, you can easily search for it on the FAA website: Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot Schools (faa.gov)
In my case, however, even with a Part 141-authorized flying school, there were days when training couldn’t take place due to maintenance.
Now, we can easily access information through social media or YouTube programs provided by Japanese professional pilots. Based on this information, it’s best to ask current student pilots at the flying school for real-time updates.
「Part 141」というのは、Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) （連邦行政命令集）の中の第14編で「航空・宇宙」について規定されているのですが、その中の第141条の規定のことというイメージでよいと思います。行きたい学校の名前、都市、州がわかれば、FAAのサイトで簡単に検索できます：Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot Schools (faa.gov) 但し、認定校であっても、故障が多くで訓練ができない日もあるということを経験しました。今はSNSやYoutubeが発達していますので、それらを参考に実際にその学校へ行っている生徒さんから、その都度、必要な情報を聞けるといいですね。（続く）
すごい種類のハンドブックが用意されています
) oral exam. Talk about a thorough process!
結構、意外でした。更に、訓練には座学もあって、最終試験にはフライトの試験と共に3時間（中には5時間かかった方もいました
）程度かかる口述試験もあるという事実もびっくりでしたが・・・
