New aspiring pilot here!
I just want to start by saying thank you to whoever created this very informative and professional forum. For my question, I am curious does ground hours count when it comes to my flying resume during my career and seniority later in my flying career?
Thank you,
Kat
Kat,
No. The name of the game is flight time. Even simulator time does not count, except for a few very limited exceptions.
Chris
Katlin,
No to both. The ground hours by themselves don’t count for anything towards resume building or seniority, BUT THEY ARE NOT WORTHLESS. Ground instruction, including a home-study course, is a required, and crucial, element of training, but the FAA doesn’t explicitly specify how much hourly ground instruction is required for each respective rating; just that the applicant has received and logged ground instruction from an authorized instructor or completed a home-study course on the aeronautical knowledge areas that apply to the rating sought.
As someone who has instructor experience and now experience as PIC at an airline, I cannot stress the importance of quality aeronautical ground knowledge. Ignorance is unacceptable. But like I said before, the logged ground instruction by themselves hold no value. The ratings, experience, clean safety record, and continuing education are what count towards resume building. Seniority is seniority. It’s a number issued to you on your date of hire. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Tory
Thank you so much for the fast response. Currently, it seems like there is a lot of ground work, and all I can think about is getting in a plane and flying to acquire more hours. At first, can it be a majority of ground work or do you think it is at the instructors discretion? Bouncing off that question, is there a school that is strictly flying with very little to no ground work. I understand that there are ground schools such as Kings, Jeppeson, and Gleim to name a few but would that substitute the ground work at most flight schools?
Thank you Tory as well for the fast response. That is well put. I understand knowledge is key and appreciate the information. Continue to be like a sponge to soak up the knowledge, fly as much as I can, and just keep pushing forward.
Thank you again for the replies and taking time out of your day,
Katlin
Shortly before I was assigned my training center as a CFI, a pilot said to a group of us, “Teaching someone how to fly the plane is the easy part. Teaching the ground knowledge is the real challenge. Take your ground lessons seriously. Do not think of them as optional.”
Tory
Yes sir. Very critical part that I will definitely focus on now that I have gotten some new insight! Thank you!
Katlin
Welcome to the forum!
Katlin,
The majority of your training will be ground school. I understand that flying is much more fun than ground school, I get it. But ground instruction forms the basis of your aeronautical knowledge, it is what keeps you from killing yourself when you do get in an airplane.
I can’t imagine there being a school that was primarily flight focused and not ground focused. If there was, I would run from them as fast as I could. I know it isn’t fun, but you really need to get the knowledge down before you get in an airplane.
Chris
Katlin,
As Tory said the flying is the easy part. A friend of my son did exactly what you’re talking about. He found a local flight school where all he does is fly thinking he’d take care of the unimportant ground school on his own, online etc. Well he got his hours really quickly but is struggling with the Knowledge portion. He’s been trying to get it down for 3 mos and continues to fly to remain current. He’s currently invested over $15k and still doesn’t have his Private because he can’t pass the written.
Not sure why people think flying airplanes is as easy as driving a car. Knowledge goes hand and hand with flying skills and many airlines have knowledge exams as part of the interview process. I recommend you wrap your mind around the fact yes there’s alot of studying to be done or you will not be successful.
Adam
You can probably find a school that will let you pay an extra $150 an hour to review ground school while flying! 
The PPL will just cost you an extra $10,000 or so. (Joking of course.) IMHO the dedication to studying the book knowledge (attacking it like a college class) and guiding the instructor on the areas you aren’t getting so you get the most out of ground school (which you’re paying good money for) is harder than working on skills in the air.
Adam,
I could definitely see how taking away from the important ground work can cause a delay in the ultimate scheme of things in aviation. I have an accounting degree so studying is definitely something I have a lot of time practicing and perfecting. I know I have many hours of studying and look forward to the challenge of this new material compared to