Yes, Rod Machado is a legitimate and well-respected figure in the aviation community. He offers an online private pilot learning course that allows students to study at their own pace. This course is comprehensive and is equivalent to a structured ground school. It is highly recommended by many users for its depth and effectiveness in preparing students for their private pilot training. The course is divided into multiple modules, each focused on a specific area or topic related to flying. These include lessons on aircraft systems, weather basics, radio communication procedures, aerodynamics, and more. The course is built on the Building block principle of learning, meaning that you need to start with the top module and then progressively work your way down through each and every module. You need to have completed one module in order to thoroughly understand the content of the next module. However, if you go through the course, you are free to navigate between different lessons and videos however you like. Every module of the course is also transcribed and can be found in the Notes section at the top left side of the course player. These transcriptions are useful because it makes it easy to go back and review a module, without having to watch the entire video again. Overall, Rod Machado's 40-hour private pilot online ground school is rated 4.8 out of 5, indicating high user satisfaction.