Ground School is the theoretical training that any pilot needs to have a strong grasp of before they are to undertake flying lessons.

This optional ground school training is provided on Monday nights to allow cadets plenty of opportunity to entrench the theory before they write the written exam.

Cadets aged 12-15 are placed in junior ground school – this training bypasses the math that these cadets would not yet have learned in school. The senior ground school adds the missing math portions to fully prepare the cadets to write their ground school exam. This training is run from late in September until the end of January and is concluded by a practice exam.

When applying for either glider or power scholarship camps, the cadets must formally write their written exam (each year that they apply). The scores from these exams are one of first prerequisites in the extensive selection process used to determine the cadets who will train to become pilots the following summer. Cadets must be a minimum of 16 years of age to be able to apply for gliding and 17 years of age to apply for power scholarships.

Needless to say, cadets who start ground school early will have better chances of getting their pilot license for free through the cadet program.