Navigraph has officially launched the Navigraph Academy, a free, structured online school aimed at flight simmers who want to deepen their aviation knowledge. The centerpiece of the new platform is a Virtual Private Pilot License (VPPL) course, designed to mirror real-world PPL training but fully adapted for the simulator cockpit. The course was built with guidance from professional pilots and certified instructors. Lessons include video content, written guides, quizzes, and actual in-sim missions that track your progress inside Microsoft Flight Simulator. Navigraph even offers performance feedback, helping you understand where you excel and where you may need more work, much like a real flight instructor would debrief a trainee.
One of the biggest draws? There is no paywall. Navigraph has made the Academy available for free to everyone, regardless of whether they pay for a Navigraph subscription. All you need is a free account to sign in and start the course.
The curriculum mimics the structure of a real PPL syllabus, but it’s tailored for the sim world. That means you’ll learn real flying theory, such as aerodynamics and navigation, and then apply it in simulator exercises. Navigraph’s team tracked their instructors’ real-world flying and tied that into in-sim examples, making the lessons feel grounded yet very practical. And when you complete the course, you don’t just get bragging rights – Navigraph provides a virtual certificate, marking you as a “Virtual Private Pilot.”
The PPL-level course is just the first round of flight training Navigraph has in store. The company has already listed future training tracks, including instrument flying and instrument approaches.
The Academy launched publicly after being teased at FlightSimExpo 2025, where Navigraph shared its longer-term vision: make flight training more accessible, remove barriers, and bridge the gap between simming and real aviation. If you’ve ever wanted a more serious and structured way to learn to fly in your sim that goes beyond just watching YouTube tutorials, Navigraph Academy may be exactly what you were waiting for. You can explore and sign up at their website: academy.navigraph.com.
