Your first licence
PPL theory
Build the knowledge behind your first licence. Study the nine UK CAA PPL subjects alongside your practical flying, with online lessons and live instructor knowledge checks.
Explore PPL ground school →Northern Ireland. Big plans welcome.Pilot theory & ground school
Pilot theory & ground school
in Northern Ireland.
PPL, ATPL, CPL and IR theory, with people in your corner.
From your first flying lesson to your next professional step, get UK CAA-approved training from a team at home on the banks of Belfast Lough.
UK CAA approvedComplex ATO · GBR.ATO.0522
Based in CarrickfergusOn the banks of Belfast Lough
Established in 2018A business built around pilot learning
Local roots. Wider reach.Students across the UK, Ireland and beyond
Professional ambition.
Northern Ireland roots.
The approval, structure and instructor support for your next step are right here in Northern Ireland.
A local team. A clear route forward.
SkyLearner is Northern Ireland’s only UK CAA-approved ATO offering ATPL, CPL and IR professional pilot theory courses. Based in Carrickfergus, we bring that same thoughtful approach to PPL ground school, too.
For you, that means a place to start a proper conversation about your training. What are you working towards? How much study time have you got? Which course fits the licence you want?
We’ll help you make sense of it, then give you learning material, practice and instructor support to work with. No need to have it all figured out before you call.
The professional theory statement refers to Northern Ireland-based ATOs offering ATPL(A), CPL(A) and IR(A) theoretical knowledge courses. Source: UK CAA Approved Training Organisations, Doc. 31, V221, 30 September 2026; checked 19 October 2026. SkyLearner Aviation Ltd was incorporated on 1 November 2018.
Four theory routes.
One team to turn to.
Looking for PPL ground school in Northern Ireland, planning an airline career, or adding an instrument rating? Start with the course that matches your flying.
Your airline ambition
ATPL theory
Work towards the theory for your airline career. A guided distance learning course with a personal study timetable, explained practice and instructor support along the way.
Explore ATPL ground school →Your commercial next step
CPL theory
Preparing to fly for a living? Study UK CAA commercial pilot theory with a structured course and a team to help you connect the learning to the questions.
Explore CPL ground school →
Your instrument rating
IR theory
Build the theoretical knowledge behind instrument flying. Work through the UK CAA IR syllabus with guided online learning and help when a topic needs another explanation.
Explore IR ground school →Where are you hoping to go?
Choose the goal closest to yours. We can talk through the details before you enrol.
Start with PPL theory.
Build the knowledge behind your first licence while you learn to fly. Your flying school handles the practical training; we help you prepare for the theory exams.
A guided path.
People beside you.
Your login is the starting point. What comes with it is a team to help you get organised, understand the learning and keep moving towards your next step.
Structured, but flexible. Guided by people.
The structure is ours. The schedule is yours. We help you get started, show you how to use the system and guide you through your course. On ATPL, CPL and IR, a conversation with the team turns your available hours into a personal, week-by-week study plan. On PPL, we help you find a sensible subject order and study at your own pace.
Then we stay involved: instructor check-ins, someone to contact when you need help, and career and training guidance as your plans develop. You have people to turn to as well as a course to work through.
A plan, before you start.
We guide you through the system so you know where to begin and how to use the course. On ATPL, CPL and IR, an onboarding conversation helps us build your personal study timetable around the hours you have available. PPL students have guidance on subject order and study at their own pace.
The reason behind the answer.
Solutionbank brings CAA-style questions together with explanations, including video solutions on many questions. Practise the method, revisit the topic and build confidence in your understanding.
We check in. You can reach out.
Progress chats by phone or WhatsApp help us stay in touch with how you’re getting on. You can also contact the instructor helpdesk when something won’t click. Live knowledge checks give you time with an instructor before the official exam, with arrangements set by your course.
Learning you can get involved in.
Videos, visual explanations and interactive lessons help you explore difficult ideas. The Content to Question Bridge connects what you have studied with the way CAA-style questions ask you to use it.
Revision with a purpose.
Module tests, cumulative progress tests and subject mocks help you find gaps before the exam. In Solutionbank, confidence ratings and your own question notes make practice more personal.
Guidance beyond the next exam.
Your plans may develop as your training progresses. We offer career and training guidance along the way, helping you talk through course choices and practical next steps. When you’re ready for flight training, we can also introduce you to schools we know.
Familiar faces.
People in your corner.
A study plan helps you find your way. The people behind it help you keep going. Meet some of the team who bring flying experience, teaching and training standards to SkyLearner.
Ryan Mitton
Accountable Manager · PPL theory instructor
Josh Van-Rietvelde
Head of Training · PPL, CPL/IR & ATPL instruction
Stefan Wagner
Compliance & theoretical knowledge instruction
Gary Ferguson
Flight instructor · PPL theory & FRTOL examining
From your first conversation to the subject that needs another explanation, there are people to turn to. We’ll help with your course, check in on your progress and talk through your next training steps.
See the plan.
Get involved in the learning.
Studying from home in Northern Ireland should still feel like a course with direction. Here’s a glimpse of the structure and visual learning behind your next study session.
Your available hours. A clear week ahead.
For ATPL, CPL and IR, we build a personal study timetable around the time you have. See how new learning, revision, knowledge checks and exam preparation fit together, with time off in the plan too.
Put the explanation into motion.
Some ideas are easier to understand when you can see what’s happening. Interactive lessons let you explore the components and follow how they work together, as this jet engine walkthrough shows.
Then connect the learning to CAA-style questions. Solutionbank brings practice, explanations and video solutions on many questions into the same learning system, with questions mapped back to the course topics.
Your place.
Or a place in the classroom.
Study from home in Northern Ireland, or ask about learning with us in person. We’ll help you choose the arrangement that suits your course and your week.
Keep your life here.
Move your learning on.
Work through your online course from home, with interactive material, practice questions and instructor support. You can live in Belfast, Ballymena or further afield and still have the same team behind your learning.
- PPL: study at your own pace within your access period.
- ATPL, CPL and IR: a personal timetable built around your available study hours.
- Support: instructor help and course-specific live knowledge checks.
Prefer learning
in the room?
Our residential ground school courses bring the learning into a classroom setting in Northern Ireland. A dedicated place to concentrate, ask questions and work through the subject with an instructor.
Dates will be announced soon. Have a chat with us about the course you’re interested in and we’ll explain the planned format, availability and next steps as details are released.
Ask about residential course dates →A quick word about attendance. Distance learning includes course requirements beyond studying online. ATPL includes an in-person KSA day in Carrickfergus. PPL theory exams can be booked here too; CPL, IR and ATPL exams must currently be taken at a UK CAA examination venue. See the exam arrangements below and check your chosen course page for attendance requirements. Residential course details, fees and what is included will be confirmed with the dates.
Your exams.
Know where you’re going.
A clear study plan should include the practical details, too. Here’s where you can sit your exams today, and what we’re working towards for Northern Ireland students.
Your PPL exams,
right here.
You can book your UK CAA PPL theory exams with SkyLearner in Carrickfergus, on the banks of Belfast Lough. A local place to take the next step after your study and instructor knowledge check.
Ask about PPL exam bookings →Professional exams
at UK CAA venues.
CPL, IR and ATPL theory exams must currently be taken at a UK CAA examination venue. We’ll help you understand how exam bookings and any travel fit into your course plan.
Talk through your exam arrangements →Keep flying at your club.
Give your theory a home.
If you’re learning to fly locally, your ground school should help you make more sense of what happens in the aircraft.
Your flying lessons and your theory can work together.
You can study PPL theory with SkyLearner while completing your practical training at your chosen flying school or club. You don’t need to move your flying to get a clear, supported route through the ground exams.
Use the course between lessons, ask about the part that hasn’t clicked, and come back to the aircraft with a better understanding of the weather, planning or aircraft systems you’ve been discussing.
- Online learning across all nine UK CAA PPL subjects.
- CAA-style practice and explanations to support understanding.
- A live instructor knowledge check before each subject exam.
You can book your PPL theory exams with us in Carrickfergus. Keep your flying school in the picture about your theory progress and training record; we’re happy to help you join the dots.
Theory with us.
A hand with what comes next.
Whether you’re starting a PPL or planning professional flight training, choosing where to fly is a big decision.
Flight schools we have established roots with.
For the practical element of your training, we can refer you to several reliable flight schools with which we have established relationships. Tell us what you’re working towards and where you would like to train, and we’ll talk through suitable introductions.
Already happy with your flying school? Grand. Keep building your flying experience there, with SkyLearner supporting the theory alongside it.
Belfast. London. Johannesburg.
Still very much from here.
Our training reaches students across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Our home is on the banks of Belfast Lough, in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.
A wider reach. A familiar welcome.
SkyLearner was established in 2018. Since then, we’ve built our business around helping people make sense of pilot theory, from their first PPL subjects to professional training.
These days, a student might be studying down the road in Belfast, across the water in London or much further away in Johannesburg. The conversation is still about the same thing: what you want to achieve, and how we can help you get there.
If you’re in Northern Ireland, you have a professional theory provider close to home. If you’re elsewhere, our distance learning courses bring that same support to you. We train students across the UK and Ireland towards UK licences.
Carrickfergus · our homeNorthern IrelandUK & IrelandStudents worldwide
Before you choose,
ask the useful questions.
Compare us with any ground school on the things that affect your study, your preparation and the support you receive.
“Is the course approved for my route?”
Check the exact approval and the licence you are working towards. SkyLearner’s UK CAA approval includes PPL, ATPL, CPL and IR aeroplane theory. We can help you understand which course fits your plans.
“What happens when I get stuck?”
Look for a clear way to reach an instructor. With SkyLearner, instructor check-ins, the helpdesk and live knowledge checks keep human support part of the learning journey. Premium one-to-one tuition is also available to book.
“Will I know what to study next?”
Ask how the syllabus is organised, how progress is checked and how revision fits in. We guide you through the system and build a personal timetable for ATPL, CPL and IR, with learning and practice connected throughout. You can also ask for career and training guidance as you go.
“What will I need to attend or pay for?”
Check attendance, access periods, exam fees and any travel before comparing course prices. Each SkyLearner course page explains its arrangements, and our team can talk through your circumstances.
Northern Ireland ground school.
Your questions, answered.
What does a guided course mean at SkyLearner?
We help you get started, guide you through the learning system and stay available for questions. ATPL, CPL and IR students have a personal study timetable built around their available hours; PPL students have guidance on subject order and study at their own pace. Instructor check-ins, helpdesk support, live knowledge checks and career and training guidance keep people part of your course throughout.
Can I study ATPL theory in Northern Ireland?
Yes. SkyLearner is based in Carrickfergus and holds UK CAA approval for ATPL(A) modular theoretical knowledge, covering residential and distance learning. Our distance learning course is available now; residential course dates will be announced soon.
Do you offer CPL and IR theory courses in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Our UK CAA approval covers CPL(A) and IR(A) theoretical knowledge in residential and distance learning formats. Explore the relevant course page or talk to us about which route fits your current licence and training goal.
Can I take PPL theory with you and keep flying at my local club?
Yes. You can study the theory with SkyLearner alongside practical flying at your chosen school or club. You can book your PPL theory exams with us in Carrickfergus. Keep your flying school informed about your theory progress and training record; we can help explain how the course fits alongside your flying.
Is SkyLearner a UK CAA-approved ATO?
Yes. SkyLearner Aviation is a UK CAA-approved complex Approved Training Organisation, GBR.ATO.0522. Our approval includes professional aeroplane theoretical knowledge training as well as PPL theory. You can check our course scope in the CAA’s published ATO list.
Are you the only professional pilot theory ATO in Northern Ireland?
SkyLearner is Northern Ireland’s only UK CAA-approved ATO offering ATPL, CPL and IR professional pilot theory courses. That refers to Northern Ireland-based providers of these aeroplane theory courses. We also offer PPL ground school.
Where will I sit my PPL, CPL, IR or ATPL theory exams?
PPL theory exams can be booked with SkyLearner in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. CPL, IR and ATPL exams must currently be taken at a UK CAA examination venue. We are working with the CAA towards offering an ATPL exam venue here for our Northern Ireland-based students. Until a local venue is confirmed, plan to use an existing UK CAA exam venue for professional theory exams.
Can you help me find a school for practical flight training?
Yes. We can refer you to several reliable flight schools with which we have established relationships. Whether you are starting your PPL or looking ahead to professional practical training, tell us your goals and preferred location and we can discuss suitable introductions.
When do residential ground school courses start?
Dates will be announced soon. Contact the team with the course you are interested in. We’ll explain the planned format and share confirmed dates and arrangements as they become available.
Can I enrol if I live elsewhere in the UK or Ireland?
Absolutely. Northern Ireland is our home, and we train students across the UK, Ireland and internationally towards UK licences. These are UK CAA courses; if your goal is a licence issued by another authority, speak with us about the appropriate route before enrolling.
Is this a complete professional pilot licence or the theory part?
These courses cover theoretical knowledge training and preparation for the relevant UK CAA exams. Practical flight training, experience requirements, medicals and skill tests are separate parts of gaining a licence. For the practical element, we can refer you to several reliable flight schools with which we have established relationships. Talk to us about your training goals and where you would like to fly.
Big plans start
with a conversation.
Tell us where you are with your flying, what you’re working towards and what your week looks like. We’ll help you find a sensible next step, right here in Northern Ireland.
Real aviation and Belfast photography from Pexels. Aviation photographs are illustrative.