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We have written a blog all about this. You can find it here.

Or if you are already familiar with the pilot training pathways, check out our Students page for more information on gaining your pilot licences.

Choosing where to enrol is a big decision. The quality of training matters, so visit every school or academy you’re considering and ask lots of questions (find 13 important ones here) including which ground school materials they use for the classroom phase of training.

There are Padpilot partner training organisations who deliver excellence in training all over the world. Find them here.

Ground school is the academic or ‘theory’ phase of pilot training and is sometimes referred to as ‘ground training’ or ‘theoretical knowledge training’. Training organisations offer ground school in different ways (e.g full time, part time, distance learning, virtual) but the exams you must pass are the same regardless of how you complete your theory studies. Find more information for Student pilots here.

This depends on which course you enrol on and how much time you have. If you study full time, you can complete your studies in 6-9 months. If part time, perhaps via distance learning, the timeframe can vary much more, depending on your other commitments. There is a time limit however, and once you sit your first exams, you must complete them all within 18 months. Please talk to an approved training provider for more advice.

If you opt for modular (step by step) commercial pilot training, you have the option to complete ATPL ground school via distance learning.

It’s an affordable, flexible way to study around work, family or other commitments, but requires self-discipline and commitment. You’ll need to enrol on a distance learning ATPL theory course with an approved training organisation and you’ll be given a programme of self-study as well as compulsory teaching sessions (in person or virtually, depending on the ATO).

Padpilot books were originally designed for distance learners and explain everything very simply. Some Padpilot partner ATOs offer distance learning courses and you can download our free guide to studying at home.

Please see our ATO page for information on the TK resources we offer pilot training organisations.

In aviation, KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills and Attitude. It’s a core concept throughout pilot training which begins during ATPL ground school with the Area 100 KSA module.

KSA is about developing a pilot’s understanding (Knowledge), technical and non-technical abilities (Skills) and mindset, which includes decision-making, teamwork and problem-solving (Attitude). 

 

Unlike other ATPL theory subjects, Area 100 KSA is ATO-assessed rather than having a national authority computerised exam.  Training organisations use a combination of formative and summative assessments.  Formative assessments are conducted by instructors to help students develop competencies and ask questions.  Summative assessments require students to demonstrate competency independently. A mandatory Mental Maths assessment is also part of 100 KSA, which must be passed alongside satisfactory competence scores in KSA assessments before a student can sit their final TK subject exam.

Learn more here: Introducing Area 100 KSA

The course offers a complete and fully compliant solution for Area 100 KSA training. It’s available to partner ATOs as a one-time purchase and includes ready-to-use briefings, exercises and assessment tools, including mental maths, directly within the Padpilot LMS.

Learn more here: Introducing Area 100 KSA

Padpilot’s KSA course provides ATOs with a ready-to-use, fully compliant solution that simplifies the delivery of this essential training.

It saves ATOs time and resources by providing:  

  • Done-for-you compliance: Ensures adherence to EASA/CAA requirements without extensive in-house development.
  • Easy implementation: Includes ready-to-use lesson plans, detailed instructor & student briefings, and a clear roadmap.  
  • Effective training content: Created by KSA experts using operational scenarios to engage students.  
  • Robust assessment framework: Clear guidelines and tools for tracking student development and providing meaningful feedback.
  • Comprehensive support: Everything needed for successful Area 100 KSA course delivery, conveniently hosted in the Padpilot LMS.

Learn more here: Introducing Area 100 KSA

The course offers a complete and fully compliant solution for Area 100 KSA training. It’s available to partner ATOs as a one-time purchase and includes ready-to-use briefings, exercises and assessment tools, including mental maths, directly within the Padpilot LMS.

Learn more here: Introducing Area 100 KSA

The Padpilot Briefing Room (PBR) is a next-generation AI-powered Smart Assistant designed to revolutionise your ATPL(A) theory studies. It uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, combining a powerful AI with Padpilot’s extensive knowledge vault of verified ATPL(A) training material. This means every answer you receive is accurate, trustworthy, and derived solely from our approved content. 

The PBR is available to:

1. Pilot training organisations (the ATO version includes all Padpilot images)

2. Individual student pilots and instructors (the individual version is text-only) who are in possession of a full set of Padpilot ATPL(A) books.

The PBR is designed to make study time more productive and efficient for individuals, and preparation and planning faster for ATOs.

Padpilot partner schools can licence the full version of the PBR, which contains comprehensive Padpilot imagery and is designed for integrated use within ATO ATPL(A) courses.

Please contact us for licensing information and to book a demo.

For more information about becoming a Padpilot partner school, click here. 

When you type a question into the PBR, the system dynamically retrieves relevant information from Padpilot’s ATPL(A) content. This ensures that every answer is generated exclusively from approved material, avoiding the potential errors and inconsistencies found with simpler AI models or general search queries.

You can ask any ATPL(A)-related question! The PBR provides fast, accurate answers on any aspect of the syllabus. 

For example, ask it to explain the difference between TCAS and ADS-B. Or, to give you 3 example questions based on a certain book chapter. 

For instructors, it can also help create quizzes, test questions or lesson plans. 

Yes, the Padpilot Briefing Room is multilingual, allowing you to ask questions in most languages and receive Padpilot-approved answers in the same language.

Yes, absolutely! If you find yourself needing more question prompts during your 18-month subscription, you can easily purchase additional prompts.

You can do this directly from the Account section within The Padpilot Briefing Room itself, or by visiting the PBR product page here. This allows you to top up your prompt count whenever you need.

Yes, you can! We are happy to provide PBR access to users who own a full set of Padpilot ATPL(A) or ATPL(H) books purchased through Apple Books.

Since these orders need to be processed manually by our team, please contact our Customer Support at support@padpilot.com.

To grant you access, we will need to verify your proof of purchase. This can be confirmed if:

  • Your purchase is already recorded in our system (e.g., if you bought them through a Padpilot partner school).
  • You provide valid receipts for your Padpilot ATPL(A) or ATPL(H) iBooks.

Our team will guide you through the process to get your PBR subscription set up!

Read more

In aviation, KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills and Attitude. It’s a core concept throughout pilot training which begins during ATPL ground school with the Area 100 KSA module.

KSA is about developing a pilot’s understanding (Knowledge), technical and non-technical abilities (Skills) and mindset, which includes decision-making, teamwork and problem-solving (Attitude). 

 

Read more

In aviation, KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills and Attitude. It’s a core concept throughout pilot training which begins during ATPL ground school with the Area 100 KSA module.

KSA is about developing a pilot’s understanding (Knowledge), technical and non-technical abilities (Skills) and mindset, which includes decision-making, teamwork and problem-solving (Attitude). 

 

LMS stands for Learning Management System or Software. It’s one of the ground school resources we offer pilot training organisations.

Read more about Padpilot TK resources here.

PadpilotACE is the original LMS. Most partner schools are now using the new, enhanced Padpilot LMS.

Benefits of the Padpilot LMS:

  1. Reading time records for students and instructors
  2. Progress tests & exams can now be scheduled
  3. Enrol student groups into different modules
  4. Extra attempts can be added to tests & exams
  5. Instructors can view test content completed
  6. Custom reporting available
  7. Course completion certificate generation
  8. One web link for access
  9. Customise your LMS content
  10. How To Guides included on dashboard

You can sign in to the Padpilot LMS, PadpilotACE and Padpilot eReader here.

Go to the sign in page here.
Click the relevant login button and then ‘Forgotten Password’.
Follow the instructions and you’ll be up and running in no time.
Contact the Support Team if you need further assistance.

For LMS subscribers there are full instructions in your dashboard. You can also watch this video.

For LMS subscribers there are full instructions in your dashboard. You can also watch this video.

For LMS subscribers there are full instructions in your dashboard. You can also watch this video.

Take a look at the ATO resources page for information on the TK optioms we offer pilot training organisations.

To schedule a no-obligation demo, please book a meeting here.

Padpilot eReader books are available on a subscription basis:

  • ATPL(A) complete set = £549.00 (3 year subscription)
  • ATPL(H) complete set = £559.84 (3 year subscription)
  • PPL(A) complete set = £134.91 (2 year subscription)
  • PPL(H) complete set = £165 (2 year subscription)
  • Pilot Foundation Course complete set = £49.00 (1 year subscription)

Most Padpilot books are now available on all devices: Android, Apple, browsers, and offline (once downloaded).

The following book sets are on our multi-device eReader platform:

  • Pilot Foundation Course
  • PPL(A)
  • ATPL(A)
  • ATPL(H).

To purchase any of these book sets, complete your subscription order here. Full instructions for downloading your books will be emailed to you.

Individual editions of all our theory books are still available to download from our Apple Bookstore

ATOs/Pilot training providers – please contact us to find out more about licensing the Padpilot eReader books and accompanying resources.

Yes, you can. You’ll automatically receive an email towards the end of your subscription period asking if you would like to renew your book subscription at a reduced rate.

No. The eReader is not hosted on the same platform as Apple Books so it’s not possible to convert iBooks to the eReader. If you have access to our iBooks, we recommend you continue your course with these. The content in the new eReader books is exactly the same as the iBook editions.

Yes! You can now use any device to read most Padpilot books with our new eReader platform.

In fact, you can use up to 3 different devices on one subscription. For example, Apple, Android and an online reader via the web. (We recommend Chrome as your browser) However, you can only sign in to one device at a time.

To order a subscription to a complete set of Pilot Foundations, PPL(A),  ATPL(A) or ATPL(H) books for the eReader please use this order form.

We used to print ATPL theory books, but we couldn’t figure out a way to add the interactive video, audio and touch 3D models!

Digital books have many benefits in addition to their interactive capabilities: they’re greener and more sustainable; we don’t like cutting down trees; they’re easy to update which means students are always studying the most current information (no out of date charts here).

Plus, almost any aircraft you will go on to fly will have its documentation on a tablet or laptop. You’ll need to become used to using tablets and by far the most common device used on flight decks is the iPad.

When we publish an eReader book amendment an ‘update’ symbol will appear on the book on your bookshelf. Click the icon and the updated book will download. Any notes, highlights etc will be transferred automatically.

Yes, within an edition, all updates are free for the life of that edition.

Any device. You can use any device to read Padpilot books with our  eReader platform.

In fact, you can have your eReader books up to 3 different devices with one subscription. For example, Apple, Android and an online reader via the web. (We recommend using Chrome as your browser) However, you can only sign in to one device at a time.

The Padpilot eReader is hosted on the Kitaboo platform. Check out their current device and operating system recommendations here.

To purchase a subscription for a complete set of Pilot Foundations, PPL(A), ATPL(A) or ATPL(H) eReader books, please use this order form.

Approximately 11GB of storage is needed for the full ATPL(A) set of books.

Apple devices only. To download individual iBook editions from our Apple Bookstore you’ll need an Apple device (iPad, MacBook, Mac, iPhone) that runs a minimum of iOS 12 and has at least 5GB of storage for the ATPL books is required.

Reading time is automatically recorded for online reading in the eReader book editions.

If you have downloaded your books to the Android or iOS tablet or phone apps and you’d like to study with your device in flight mode (or your device has no actively-running internet connection) then your reading time will be uploaded and updated when you next go online.

The Padpilot eReader App allows you to annotate your books, make notes, highlight text and more.

Highlights:

  1. Select the word(s) you would like to highlight
  2. Select the colour of the highlight
  3. Highlights Filter: Click on the bottom of your screen and the menu bar will appear
  4. Select My Data from the left-hand side menu

Notes:

  1. Click on the bottom of your screen and the menu bar will appear
  2. Select notes icon
  3. Select which colour (you can filter notes by colour)
  4. Type your note
  5. Save
  6. Notes filter:click on the bottom of your screen and the menu bar will appear
  7. Select my data from the left-hand side menu

Pen Tool:

  1. Click the bottom of your screen to display the menu
  2. Select the pen icon
  3. Colour palette icon enables you to choose a colour code for the pen tool
  4. Thickness icon lets you choose the desired thickness for the pen
  5. Eraser icon enables you to erase the content drawn on the page
  6. Undo icon lets you revert the changes done by the undo button
  7. Clear all icon enables you to reset all data that has been entered on the page

Please refer to your User Guide for more information.

We are in the process of updating the help videos on our Youtube channel.

Downloading eReader books –

  1. Download the Padpilot eReader Android, iOS tablet or phone app.
  2. Order a book subscription.
  3. Once you’ve received your welcome email, go to the app and sign in with your Unique ID.
  4. Download your books.
  5. If you’ve completed all these steps and are still having problems, please contact our Support Team.

Apple Books – Download issues can sometimes be resolved by syncing your iPad with your PC or Apple Mac. If this does not resolve the issue, make sure that your iPad has sufficient available Hard Drive space.

  1. Set your iPad ‘sleep’ settings to ‘Never’ while downloading (Settings – General – Auto-Lock – set to ‘Never’).
  2. On your iPad, in the Apple Books library, click ‘Select’ top right, and find the title you cannot update. Point to it (so there’s a tick bottom right) and then choose ‘Delete’ (top left). This removes the title from your iPad.
  3. Give your iPad a reboot (power it down and then back on again).
  4. Go to the Purchased tab (bottom right) in the Books app, find the book title again then re-download it.
  5. If that does not work, delete the book(s) from your device, re-download the book onto your laptop and then manually sync it with your iPad.

You no longer need to access the Apple Book Store to get Padpilot books.

Our books are now available on any device. Order a subscription to a complete set of Pilot Foundations, PPL(A), ATPL(H) or ATPL(A) theory books for Apple, Android and desktop with our new eReader platform, here.

If you get an ‘authentication error’ message, please contact us at support@padpilot.com.

As long as you add the same Apple ID to your device, you can download ALL historic Apple purchases to the device (and to any subsequent devices you may purchase in the future).

Assuming you’ve added the same Apple ID to your device, simply open the Apple Books app on your device and look in your library. There you should find all books showing (with a cloud symbol) and you can now download them.

If the books are not showing in your library then you will need to either:

  1. Check your hidden purchases (click on READING NOW, then the silhouette icon, then scroll down to HIDDEN PURCHASES)
  2. Search for the book title using the magnifying glass symbol.

We welcome your feedback.

If you see a potential error, please go to the Addendum at the end of the book and tap on the Errata button to report an error or make a suggestion.

Alternatively, access the form here.

We don’t. We don’t even use cookies on this website, which is why you haven’t been asked to agree to them. If you or your ATO choose to use PadpilotACE then we will ask you for your permission to store your (encrypted) login details. ATOs using PadpilotACE will ask your permission to store and use the results of any progress test and final exams that you take.

No, we have not created theory notes for the BIR course.

In the past, EASA required the same theory content for both the Competency Based Instrument Rating and En-route Instrument Rating course, but they recently decided to make the syllabus of the BIR course different from that of the CBIR course.

The BIR subjects are:

  • Air Law
  • Instruments
  • Flight Planning
  • Human Performance
  • Meteorology
  • Communications

We do not recommend purchasing the 2020 CBIR books for BIR study. Much of the ATPL syllabus material that was removed from the CBIR course is still applicable to the BIR syllabus. So we recommend consulting the EASA document below for the BIR Learning Objectives and using the 2nd Edition ATPL books for the course content. Most of the BIR LOs are covered in the Basic Instruments book.

For more information on the BIR Learning Objectives, please consult EASA’s reference document.