JAR-PPL Exams

[Russell Middleton]

I have just had my first lesson (Cessna 150) and I have decided that I will get my PPL(A).

I need some good reading material for my exams. I have the Trevor Thom flying books but what else do I need.

With the cost of training in the UK these days I don't want to spend any time re-taking any exams!

I have also seen advertised a CD-Rom by Softrain that is designed to help you pass your exams. Has anybody got any experience of this product and is it worth the money?

Thanks for your help.

Russ

[SouthXross]

A great book to get is the PPL confuser, It has most of the exams with answers, but I must stress that there is no substitute for learning the facts. You will need them so study them. You will not need anything more than the Trevor Thom books and the PPL confuser, don’t be fooled into buying lots of useless stuff and believe me everybody will try to sell you something

Don’t worry about the exams the are real easy.

[Russell Middleton]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have read all the Thomas Thom manuals and I have now ordered the PPL Confuser.

Thanks again for the information.

Russ

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[Cessna Boy]

Just touching on things to buy, I too am a student and I am doing real good through the exam material with Thom and the confuser, but I would also suggest getting your hands on CAP 413, it is the CAA publication for R/T procedures and it covers a lot of radio calls which Thom doesn't. A good buy at only £6.
Best of luck!

[Gerund]

Russell -

I would really recommend running off a copy of the 'VFR Guide' which you will find on the NATS website. It is an excellent guide to VFR flying in the UK and covers almost all you need to know about practical VFR flight in the UK. Althought the last time I looked it is due for a revision (eg Bournemouth LARS not shown on the map), it will help immensely with improving confidence, through knowledge, for your cross-country work, as well as covering a lot of what you need to know for your Aviation Law exam and Radiotelephony Licence.

On the CAA website you will find a series of Safety Sense Leaflets. These used to be published in hard copy and there are plans to reissue at some stage; however, many are out of print. But you can download and print them all out, given the time and a plenty of paper!! These are an excellent series of leaflets and, at some stage, you should make the time to read them all. Many won't necessarily help you through the exams, but they are very readable and will make you a better pilot! In particular there is one on Radiotelephony which is a must to print out. It even gives you a sample route, with all the calls, similar to what you should expect for your Radiotelephony Licence exam.

Again on the NATS site, there is a link to the AICs (Aeronautical Information Circulars). You do not need to study these for your exams at PPL level (however, you need to aware of their existence). But, if you are interested in aviation, and I imagine you must be (!), then you will enjoy browsing through these.

Best of all, all the above is free!

If you have any trouble locating the web addresses for the above, let me know and I will dig them out for you.

And follow Cessna Boy's advice and get a copy of CAP413. Essential!

[This message has been edited by Gerund (edited 04 June 2001).]

[mad-andy]

Wow, you read all the Trevor Thom manuals in one day????. I remember doing my PPL exams and falling asleep half way through reading air law,I did the same with the CPL.If you can take all that in , in a day you should have no problems.I found getting all the exams done and out the way (mmmmmm)left me with nothing but the flying bit to worry about and find students do chill out more once they are done.
Good luck and enjoy the course..

[ACARS]

Link for the 'VFR Guide' would be nice. I couldn't find in on NATS website.

Thanks in advance.

[BEagle]

The VFR guide is at http://www.ais.org.uk/VFR/VFR.PDF and the CAA Safety Sense leaflets are at http://www.srg.caa.co.uk/ga/ga_home.asp?page=ssl . Hope this is of use!