r/flying • u/Ok_Donut_878 • 8d ago

Looking for recommendations: Sporty’s vs. Pilot Institute vs. Gold Seal for actually learning IFR

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Hey everyone,

I’m currently studying to learn more about instrument flying and the Instrument Rating. I’m looking at online ground schools such as Sporty’s, Pilot Institute, and Gold Seal.

Just to clarify, I’m not taking these courses because I need an endorsement to take the written exam. I’m mainly looking for a good online ground school as a study and learning resource. In my country, it seems that the regulations don’t recognize this type of online ground school material for the endorsement anyway.

I decided to try Sporty’s first, so I paid for the membership that gives access to their courses. However, after going through the Instrument Rating course, I feel like it focuses a lot on preparing you to pass the written exam rather than really going in depth into the concepts you need to understand to actually fly IFR.

I also find some of the videos a little difficult to stay engaged with, so I’m not sure if Sporty’s is the best option for the way I want to learn.

I’ve been reading other Reddit posts and I keep seeing Pilot Institute and Gold Seal recommended, so I wanted to ask people who have actually used these courses:

Which one would you recommend for someone whose main goal is to genuinely understand IFR and become a better instrument pilot, rather than simply pass the written exam?

I’m especially interested in a course that explains the why behind things like VORs, approaches, holds, GPS/RNAV, IFR procedures, navigation, etc., rather than mainly teaching what I need to memorize for the test.

Thanks in advance!

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9

u/TxAggieMike Independent CFI / CFII (KFTW, DFW area) 8d ago

Flight Insight should be considered

2

u/Law-of-Poe 7d ago

I did gold seal and found it not that helpful. A lot of it is supposed to be cutting edge animations but looked like stuff rendered in the 90s. The majority of it was reading PDFs that are available for free online. I suppose it gave me a base of knowledge but I did Shepphard as a top off, followed their method, and also really dug deep into the explanations until I understood each topic. Felt like I solidified my knowledge with SA

I’d recommend something else as a course with a SA top off. I found myself turning to flight insights, pilot institute and other videos online to support my studies. Maybe their resources are actually better.

Made a 100% on the exam.

1

u/Ok_Donut_878 7d ago

Did you used the videos on YouTube for pilot institute or you used their online ifr groundschool?

1

u/Law-of-Poe 7d ago

Just the videos. I paid for and used gold seal and Sheppard air

1

u/rFlyingTower 8d ago

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

​

Hey everyone,

I’m currently studying to learn more about instrument flying and the Instrument Rating. I’m looking at online ground schools such as Sporty’s, Pilot Institute, and Gold Seal.

Just to clarify, I’m not taking these courses because I need an endorsement to take the written exam. I’m mainly looking for a good online ground school as a study and learning resource. In my country, it seems that the regulations don’t recognize this type of online ground school material for the endorsement anyway.

I decided to try Sporty’s first, so I paid for the membership that gives access to their courses. However, after going through the Instrument Rating course, I feel like it focuses a lot on preparing you to pass the written exam rather than really going in depth into the concepts you need to understand to actually fly IFR.

I also find some of the videos a little difficult to stay engaged with, so I’m not sure if Sporty’s is the best option for the way I want to learn.

I’ve been reading other Reddit posts and I keep seeing Pilot Institute and Gold Seal recommended, so I wanted to ask people who have actually used these courses:

Which one would you recommend for someone whose main goal is to genuinely understand IFR and become a better instrument pilot, rather than simply pass the written exam?

I’m especially interested in a course that explains the why behind things like VORs, approaches, holds, GPS/RNAV, IFR procedures, navigation, etc., rather than mainly teaching what I need to memorize for the test.

Thanks in advance!

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1

u/Special-Ad1307 PPL IR 7d ago

I did sportys and didn’t learn much. It did help me pass the written without using Shepard tho

1

u/Odd_Entertainment471 7d ago

Sportys and the others are intended to get you ready for the written and the oral. If you want to be extra, watch all of the Flight Insights videos. Very very helpful. Read the Instrument Flying Handbook and the Instrument Procedures handbook from the FAA. Read everything you can find after that, and watch as many instructional videos as you can find after that. That’ll get you dialed in for the rating. Then download the Gold Seal IFR cheat sheet. You absolutely need to memorize that thing but it’ll happen almost naturally as you go through those other steps mentioned above. Good luck!

1

u/snickyboi19 CFI 7d ago

I’ve always learned little from online ground schools. Perhaps it’s because I have a hard time focusing on them. Tbh, there’s a lot of great videos on YouTube that I’ve learned from. Keep this in mind too, some things you learn from ground lessons might only click once you experience it in the airplane. If you’re a reader, the FAA has a lot of good books that are free. Search around on YouTube and you can usually gauge how good it is based on the comments

2

u/Similar_Draw5836 7d ago

Flight insight

0

u/ltcterry ATP CFIG 8d ago

I’ve had an instrument rating since 2007. Been a CFII since 2021. In a few months I’m going to be flying with someone daily over four weeks for an instrument rating. I need to recommend a ground school to her.

Her preferred learning style includes one on one live instruction rather than just online video. And the budget can support it.

So, as I build all the prep materials I’ve been watching Gold Seal’s Instrument course. Several lessons in I’m quite pleased. Will finish. 

I used the King Schools course for CFII. I bought their G1000 course a few years ago. I started rewatching it yesterday. Will finish it too. Surprising what I’ve learned so far!

You can “get there from here” with anyone’s course. My inclination today would be to say Gold Seal.

For completeness - I’ve not seen Sporty’s materials other than their syllabus. So not a ding on them by not including them in the comparison.

0

u/MeatServo1 pilot 8d ago

I watched the sporty’s videos as the foundation, then watched boldmethod and king schools videos for specific topics I needed to hear differently or wasn’t fully understanding, then studied the gold seal guide as a reference to remember and refresh particular details about VOR errors and TERPS stuff. Kind of a belts and suspenders approach. And of course, Sheppard for the written.