Hi all! =) [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

Dr.Biggles

2nd Jun 2007, 17:49

As you may have noticed this is my first post on the forum. I was pointed in this direction by a pilot i got talking to on holiday, but thats another story all together.

The reason im here, you have probably already guessed, is to ultimately become a fully fledged pilot. However, i realise this can only come one step at a time! Am i right in assuming that a good first step is to attain my PPL?

I wont get into the whole USA vs UK PPL training debate, ive seen plenty of those topics already, but what i would like to know is, if anybody can recommend me some books.

I've heard one person recommend Jeremy Pratt's books - and after searching Amazon, i came up with the following http://tinyurl.com/ys4m47 (http://tinyurl.com/ys4m47). Is this generally what people use when they get started?

Any information is greatly appreciated :)

Dr.Biggles.

FlyingForFun

2nd Jun 2007, 19:36

Hi Dr!The reason im here... is to ultimately become a fully fledged pilot... Am i right in assuming that a good first step is to attain my PPL?
Many (maybe even most) on this forum would say that, once you have your PPL, you already are a fully fledged pilot!

If what you mean is that you want to become a commercial pilot or an airline pilot, though, then the answer is that yes, it is a good first step. You want to go to the Wannabes forum for more details on this, but briefly, there are two routes you can follow: integrated, or modular.

The integrated option is very much more expensive, but arguably (and people will argue it until the cows come home) more chance of walking straight into a jet job at the end of it, and for that option there's no need to do a PPL first, because the course will take you from knowing absolutely nothing right through to applying for jobs.

The modular option is much more cheaper, and gives you exactly the same qualifications (but, arguably, is less attractive to airlines). For this route, you must get a PPL as the first step along the route.I wont get into the whole USA vs UK PPL training debateFair enough, and very wise, but for the purpose of answering your questions I'll assume you're going to get a JAR (European) license, not an FAA (American) license. You can do this either in Europe, or at some schools in America which are approved by a European authority such as the UK's CAA.what i would like to know is, if anybody can recommend me some booksThere are two sets of books you can use. One option is the Jeremy Pratt series you've already found. The other is the Trevor Thom books. There is little to choose between the two sets, they both cover the same material. Have a browse through both in a bookshop if you can and see which you like more. Or speak to your school (assuming you've chosen one) and find out which they recommend, because there's a good chance your instructor will be more familiar with one set of books than the other.

Don't try to get too far into the books before you start the course, because they will make much more sense once you start flying. But you could read the first couple of flight exercises. (The first book in both the Thom and the Pratt series covers all the flight exercises on the course.) Or you could make a start on the Air Law book - it's a dry, boring subject, but will almost certainly be the first exam you'll need to do.

Hope that's some help,

FFF
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