61.105 Aeronautical Knowledge ( for Pvt Plt. Certif.) and Eligibility 61.103

(a) General. A person who is applying for a private pilot certificate must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course on the aeronautical knowledge areas of paragraph (b) of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.
(b) Aeronautical knowledge areas. (1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;
(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;
(3) Use of the applicable portions of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and FAA advisory circulars;
(4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;
(5) Radio communication procedures;
(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, wind shear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;
(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;
(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;
(9) Weight and balance computations;
(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;
(11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;
(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and
(13) Preflight action that includes—
(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and
(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.
[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61–103, 62 FR 40902, July 30, 1997]

Copied and Pasted directly from the FAA web site.


Alright back to ground school notes ...
61.105 specifies the scope of aeronautical knowledge which will/must be received and logged in pursuit of  the certificate.  I am not going to address all of those topics here.  I decided that last night.  I am going to post notes on the topics that I want to.  I like reading the REGs ... I know, quite a thing to fess up to ... I am either a rules nerd, or an insomniac ... but I don't want to write my interpretation of the regs ... I'll leave that to the FAA and/or aviation attorneys.  My intent here in these postings about private ground knowledge is to brush up my own knowledge as I veg out waiting ... waiting for a CFI slot to open up here locally.  I don't consider myself an expert on any of this, and I can already see that it will be a lot more difficult to transfer my knowledge here in print then it was in a class room setting.   What I am saying is, this is not Ground School.  These are the incomplete notes of someone who is trying to stay out of trouble while I twiddle my fingers and try to keep my hands to myself.  I saw the movie Fast Five this past Friday evening ... my first Fast and Furious movie experience ... I came out of the movie with an epiphany:  I really should have finished undergraduate school and gone straight into stealing fast cars in Rio ... I woulda liked hang gliding around the Christ statue when I wasn't working/stealing.  I don't think it would have been a more treacherous choice then casting my lot in the aviation community ... plus, as a young woman I could shoot a tick off of a dog ... (nah ... just an expression) ... if my early "career"  had gone well, there is no telling  ... wait a minute!  Notes! Back to it then.

The Jepp syllabus and the PTS areas of ops have something in common and we will start there.

Private Pilot eligibility requirements: found at 61.103
To be eligible for a private pilot certificate, a person must:
(a) Be at least 17 years of age for a rating in other than a glider or balloon.
(b) Be at least 16 years of age for a rating in a glider or balloon.
(c) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft.
(d) Receive a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor who:
(1) Conducted the training or reviewed the person's home study on the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in §61.105(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought; and
(2) Certified that the person is prepared for the required knowledge test.
(e) Pass the required knowledge test on the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in §61.105(b) of this part.
(f) Receive flight training and a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor who:
(1) Conducted the training in the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought; and
(2) Certified that the person is prepared for the required practical test.
(g) Meet the aeronautical experience requirements of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought before applying for the practical test.
(h) Pass a practical test on the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought.
(i) Comply with the appropriate sections of this part that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.
(j) Hold a U.S. student pilot certificate, sport pilot certificate, or recreational pilot certificate.
[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Amdt. 61–124, 74 FR 42558, Aug. 21, 2009]

That is the answer to "What are the eligibility requirements for the private pilot requirement?"   The inspector may ask you an opening question like ... "What makes you eligible to seek this certificate?" Yes ... that is a real ice-breaker!   I have been asked that question.  Tab your FAR/AIM at 61.103 ... 61.102 is the beginning of the Private Pilot certification requirements.  Get out you highlighter and underline the specifics ... the inspector doesn't want you to waste his/her time reading the REGs instead of giving an answer. 

a/b...Your valid US driver's license is proof of age ...if you don't have a driver's license bring some other government issued proof (and ask yourself why you don't have a driver's license ... that may be something to look at before this interview) because it will be required. Hop over to 61.3 for the specifics on acceptable photo id.

c...English is my native language ... English is also the International language of Aviation.  (I have no idea why the font changed ... I like this one better though ... the other is the FAA's site font and I am having technical difficulties detaching the above text from it ... so we will just go with it.) I have heard some pretty funky English being broadcast over the airways ... I guess the examiner will make the call on the quality of English being spoken.  My Southerese has been acceptable thus far.

d...the instructor will endorse your logbook at the appropriate time ... if your knowledge "sucks" they are not going to want to provide that ... duh.  The instructor's rep and possibly ticket is on the line with student endorsement's. I sure wouldn't want to be called on the carpet because I endorsed a slacker. I gotta save possible carpet dances for my own potential screw-ups.
e...a document will be issued to you noting among other things your score on the knowledge test ... have that with you for the show and tell portion.I'm going to give an opinion here,because some people say it doesn't matter what you make on your written test ... as long as it is a 70 or better, it's a pass.  I've even heard people say anything above a 70 is wasted effort.  Uh ... I really hate to hear that attitude floating around ... it's like saying any landing you can walk away from is a good one ... uh ... no ... not so much.  There is a balance here on testing ... do as well as you reasonable can given the constraints you're working with. If you "screw the pup" on an area within the knowledge material ... say you didn't do well with the NDB questions ... brush up on that before your check ride. Your test results expose your deficiencies ... .  I hear that NDBs are being decommissioned except where they are used as an outer marker ... people are blowing off understanding how NDBs operate ... But the FAA written has 18 separate questions relating to ADF/NDBs in  study unit 10 of the question bank (Gleim).  There are 3 questions relating to GPS ... satellite questions.  AND ... one of my newly airline employed buddies is now flying in the Midwest and I heard he said all the approaches are NDB ... maybe he is pulling some one's leg!  18 of the 33 Navigational systems questions are specifically ADF/NDB and ... I know I'm several degrees off course with 61.103 but ... .
f...like d above
g...check and check again on your aeronautical experience ...61.109 is specific.  There should be a book out on all the near misses towards hitting these marks!  The examiner will not be pleased to find an indiscretion here.  Just last week someone flew to what was remembered as a class C airport but had recently become a class D airport ... and found that the tower was closed for the day.  Bummer ... out of pocket expense for the student ... .  This is a fine tooth comb area if there ever was one.
h...the practical test comes after the oral portion ... you are there for that next! 
i...comply
j...a student pilot certificate is basically a valid medical certificate. see 61.19 If  you're under 40 years of age, it's good for 60 mnts ...+40, shelf life decreases to 24 months. Just an opinion here, but if you're intending to earn a commercial or ATP certificate, why not go ahead and make certain you can pass the first class medical?  61.23 duration of medical ... and medical standards are over in part 67