Learning hub
Free aviation learning for student pilots
Short lessons, free calculators, practice questions and hand-picked videos, organised by subject. Start with your first lesson; more lessons are added all the time.
Learning material is for training. Rules and figures differ between countries and operators, so check them against your own authority, your flight school’s manual and your instructor. VectorEFB is not an approved training organisation and is not affiliated with EASA or ICAO, and these lessons do not replace an approved course. More lessons are added over time.
Where to start
- How it fliesLift, the stall, the controls and how the instruments work.
- WeatherPressure, QNH, cloud, fronts and how to read a METAR.
- NavigationThe wind triangle, fuel, planning and radio navigation.
- Rules and radioRight of way, airspace and radio phraseology.
- Safe flyingLoading, performance, checklists and your own limits.
Free tools
Learn by subject
Air Law
Rules of the air, licences, airspace, ICAO annexes, airports and ATC services.
- Rules of the air: right of way, flight rules and airspace
- Airspace classes and VFR weather minima
- Licences, medicals and what a pilot may do
- Aerodromes: markings, signals and the circuit
Aircraft General Knowledge
Airframe, engines, systems, electrics, fuel and propellers.
- The piston engine: ignition, mixture and carburettor icing
- Airframe, flight controls, flaps and trim
- Fuel, oil, electrics and the propeller
Instrumentation
Pressure and gyro instruments, compasses, engine instruments and automatics.
Lessons onlineMass and Balance
Loading, centre of gravity, moments and the loading graph.
- Loading an aeroplane: mass, balance and the centre of gravity
- Fuel mass, unit conversions and a loading sheet
Performance
Take-off, climb, cruise, descent and landing performance.
- Density altitude and take-off performance
- Climb, cruise and landing performance
- Runway surface, slope and crosswind limits
Flight Planning and Monitoring
Fuel, navigation logs, flight plans and in-flight monitoring.
- Flight planning: fuel, the navigation log and monitoring in flight
- Filling in an ICAO flight plan
- NOTAMs and the pre-flight briefing
Human Performance
Physiology, fatigue, judgement, stress and crew behaviour.
- Hypoxia, fatigue and knowing your limits
- Illusions and spatial disorientation
- Decisions, stress, alcohol and medication
Meteorology
Pressure, wind, cloud, fronts, hazards, METAR, TAF and charts.
- Pressure, QNH and the altimeter
- Clouds, stability and fronts
- Reading a METAR and a TAF
- Thunderstorms, icing and turbulence
- Wind, fog and visibility
- Weather charts and the briefing
General Navigation
Earth, charts, the wind triangle, time, dead reckoning.
- The wind triangle: heading and groundspeed
- Charts, latitude, longitude and distance
- Time, speed, distance and magnetic variation
Radio Navigation
VOR, NDB, DME, ILS, GNSS and radar principles.
- Radio navigation: VOR, NDB, DME and GNSS
- Transponders, ADS-B and collision avoidance
- Instrument approaches: ILS and GNSS
Operational Procedures
Procedures, emergencies, noise abatement and safety.
- Safe operations: checklists, threat and error management, and emergencies
- Engine failure, fire and precautionary landings
Principles of Flight
Lift, drag, stability, control and high-speed flight.
Lessons onlineCommunications
VFR and IFR phraseology, clearances, procedures and lost-communication actions.
- VFR radio phraseology and technique
- IFR radio phraseology: clearances, approaches and holding
- Mayday, Pan-Pan and lost communications
Free official books
These are published free by the US Federal Aviation Administration. They are written for the American system, but the physics, weather and flying skills are the same everywhere. Watch for differences in rules and phraseology.
- Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, the standard first book.
- Airplane Flying Handbook, how the manoeuvres are flown.
Where the material comes from
Lessons and practice questions are written for this site. Videos stay on their creators’ YouTube channels and play through YouTube’s own player, only after you press play. Official books are linked, not copied. We do not copy anyone’s exam question bank.
VectorEFB is a flight bag that shows the weather, airspace and terrain for your route and does the navigation arithmetic. See the student page or the pilot page.
For training and situational awareness only. Not certified for navigation. Always use official charts, the AIP, NOTAMs and a proper weather briefing for real flights.